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MCC Daily Tribune

Incorporating Universal Design into your Course

As we continue to support students remotely, please keep in mind the various barriers that all students may be experiencing. We strongly encourage all faculty/staff to keep an open mind in order to reduce obstacles and incorporate an inclusive approach to your teaching/support services, in order to benefit the broadest range of learners. By creating an inclusive environment, we then in turn create a space to meet various needs and reduce the need for special accommodation(s).

Inclusive and accessible design offer all students the opportunity to learn to the best of their ability. Universal Design strategies can be easily integrated into your program design:

  • Physical accessibility: Use classrooms, labs, workspaces, and fieldwork that are physically accessible.

  • Seating: Arrange seating that gives each student a clear line of sight to the instructor. Seating should allow room for users of wheelchairs, assistive technology, and other devices.

  • Reach out: Invite students, via your syllabus, email and verbally in class, to meet with you to discuss disability-related accommodations and learning needs.

  • Instructions: Deliver instructions and course requirements clearly and in multiple ways (e.g., orally, in printed form, electronically on course website).

  • Summarize: Summarize big ideas, give background and contextual information, as well as, prompt students.

  • Aids: Provide scaffolding tools (e.g., outlines, class notes, study guides, presentation visuals/handouts) for learning and generalization. Make them available in both printed and electronic forms.

  • Speaking: Communicate effectively by facing the class, speaking clearly, and making eye contact with students. In a large setting, it may be valuable to repeat student responses so all can capture information.

  • Group roles: Encourage cooperative learning among students, and within group-work, in which learners employ different skills and roles.

  • Timing: Minimize time constraints when appropriate. Announce assignments well in advance of due date. Allow adequate time for all students on tests and projects, unless speed is an essential learning outcome.
  • Instruction: Use multiple instructional methods that are accessible to various learning styles (e.g., lecture, small group discussions, visual aids, hands-on activities, examples that make concepts relevant).

  • Assessments: Provide multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge by having numerous course requirements (e.g., tests, classroom participation, papers, presentations, group projects, portfolios, demonstrations). Give reasonable weight to each as appropriate. Assess students in a variety of ways so as to measure essential skills or knowledge needed in the course or field of study.

  • Transparency: Be clear and transparent about how students will be assessed in overall course and on individual assignments (e.g., provide grading rubric in advance of deadline).

  • Feedback: Provide specific feedback on a regular basis both on individual performance and progress on assignments/projects.

Jessica Morelli
Counseling Center & Disability Services
04/28/2020