ERIC Number: ED503884
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Dec
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1548-6613
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Accessibility in Post Secondary Education: Application of UDL to College Curriculum
Pace, Darra; Schwartz, Diane
Online Submission, US-China Education Review v5 n12 p20-26 Dec 2008
The inclusion of students with disabilities at the university is a relatively new occurrence in the field of special education. Although legislation in the United States has supported the acceptance of students with disabilities at the post-secondary level, it has only provided minimal support with the emphasis on the learner rather than the curriculum. Now we are looking for multiple ways for students to access learning and demonstrate mastery. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is currently seen as a means to reconceptionalize curriculum. This study examines the experience of four professors and their effort to use a Classroom Performance System (CPS) as part of reformatting their courses using UDL. The Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST (2001) states that the goal of Universal Design for Learning is to develop teaching methods that enable all students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities and cultural differences, to have equal access to classroom curriculum. This paradigm shift echoes the move in special education from a deficit model to a minority rights model put forward by Hahn (1989), and which is the basis of inclusive educational philosophy. Together inclusion and UDL create learning environments that strive to serve all students. This research describes the implementation of clickers as part of the CPS program in college courses in a special education teacher preparation program. The case study demonstrates how technology can provide access for all learners with positive outcomes such as increased participation and application of knowledge. It also illustrates some of the difficulties in making this pedagogical paradigm shift particularly in the use of technology, and the value of overcoming the existing barriers in place.
Descriptors: Learning Theories, College Curriculum, Inclusive Schools, Models, Educational Philosophy, Disabilities, Cultural Differences, Special Education Teachers, Access to Education, Special Education, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, College Faculty, Teacher Surveys, Educational Technology, Computer Mediated Communication, Student Participation, Case Studies, Educational Environment, Barriers, Data Analysis
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990; Equal Access; Higher Education Act 1965; Rehabilitation Act 1973 (Section 504)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A