Resources

• Burgstahler, S. (2012). "Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning: A Checklist." University of Washington DO-IT Center.

• CAST. (2013). "About UDL."

• CAST. (2011). "UDL Guidelines—Educator Worksheet." CAST UDL Online Modules. 

• CAST. (2014). UDL on Campus: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education—A Guide. 

• CAST. (2015). About Universal Design for Learning. 

• Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). (2011). Captioning Key. 

• DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology). (2015). Applications of Universal Design in Postsecondary Education. Center for Universal Design in Education. University of Washington. 

• DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center. (2013). "How Can I Get Started in Making My Distance Learning Course Accessible to All Students?" University of Washington DO-IT Knowledge Base. 

• Fabris, C. (2015, February 25). As High-Tech Teaching Catches On, Students with Disabilities Can Be Left Behind. Chronicle of Higher Education.

• Hart, C. (2012). "Factors Associated with Student Persistence in an Online Program of Study: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Interactive Online Learning (JIOL) 11(1).

• Johnson, J., Rochkind, J., Ott, A. N., and DuPont, S. (2016). With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them: Myths and Realities about Why So Many Students Fail to Finish College. Public Agenda for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Lewin, T. (2015). Harvard and MIT Are Sued over Lack of Closed Captions. New York Times. Feb 12.

• Linder, K. (2012, August 12). What Can Angry Birds Teach Us about Universal Design for Instruction? ProfHacker blog. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

• McKeown, K., Banerjee, M., Madaus, J., & Gelbar, N. (2012, June 6). Developing an E-Toolbox to Facilitate Universal Design for Instruction into Online and Blended Learning. EDUCAUSE Review.

• Morgan, A. (2016, January 25). Accessibility as a Civil Right. EDUCAUSE Review.

• National Center on Universal Design for Learning. (2014). Postsecondary Education and UDL.

• Perez, L. (2015, April 27). From Accommodations to Accessibility: Creating Learning Environments That Work for All. EDUCAUSE Review, 50(3).

• Rose, D., Harbour, W., Johnston, C.S., Daley, S., and Abarbanell, L. (2006). Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education: Reflections on Principles and Their Application. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability 19(2), 17.

• Thomason, A. (2014, December 18). U. of Cincinnati Will Change Websites after They Are Said to Violate Disability Laws. Chronicle of Higher Education. 

• Thomason, A. (2015, February 12). Harvard and MIT Are Sued over Closed Captioning for Online Materials. Chronicle of Higher Education.

• Tobin, T. J. (2013). "Universal Design in Online Courses: Beyond Disabilities." Online Classroom 13.12 (1 Dec. 2013): 1-3. Available.

• Tobin, T. J. (2014). Increase Online Student Retention with Universal Design for Learning. Quarterly Review of Distance Education 15(3): 13-24.

ELI Course | Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

When most people in higher education hear the phrase “universal design for learning,” they think about students with physical disabilities and the accommodations we provide in order to help them meet course outcomes. This course will show you a) how accommodations differ from  UDL, b) what you can do today, within a week, and within a month to reach out to your biggest segment of learners on their mobile devices, and c) how to implement UDL across campus to increase persistence, retention, and satisfaction for all learners.

Learning Objectives

During this ELI course, participants will:

• Incorporate universal design for learning (UDL) elements into course-design processes.
• Design/retrofit existing course components using UDL principles.
• Measure student outcomes that improve with the adoption of UDL as part of institutional culture.
• Expand the use of UDL and accessibility elements beyond the legally required minimum.

NOTE: Participants will be asked to complete assignments in between the course segments that support the learning objectives stated above and will receive feedback and constructive critique from course facilitators on how to improve and shape their work.

Course Facilitator

Thomas Tobin, Author and Speaker

Thomas J. Tobin spent five years as the Coordinator of Learning Technologies in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and is now a faculty developer and professional consultant in State College, Pennsylvania. He is an internationally-recognized speaker and author on topics related to quality in distance education, especially copyright, evaluation of teaching practice, academic integrity, and accessibility/universal design for learning.

Since the advent of online courses in higher education in the late 1990s, Tom’s work has focused on using technology to extend the reach of higher education beyond its traditional audience. He advocates for the educational rights of people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

His most recent book is Evaluating Online Teaching: Implementing Best Practices (Wiley, 2015) with Jean Mandernach and Ann H. Taylor. He is currently writing Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Re-Framing Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education, expected from West Virginia University Press in late 2017.