Facilitating a Universal Design for Learning Faculty Learning Community Nigel Davies & Leslie Cook

1. Facilitating a Universal Design for Learning Faculty Learning Community Nigel Davies & Leslie Cook • Administrating • FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - DESIGN • Topic: • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • Based around CAST framework • Design: • Three Phase Commitment: • Phase 1 – Learn and Course (re)Design • Learning about & exploring & researching UDL • Attending Lilly Conference • FLC meetings, forums & projects • Attending course (re)design retreat • Course (re)design with external evaluations • Phase 2 – Research Design - pedagogical action research (Norton & Owens, 2013) • Designing assessment instruments (rubrics) • Course (re)Design implementation & peer observations (3) • Data collection • Phase 3 – Research Sharing (SoTL) • Data analysis & summary • Presentations &/or publications • Member Recruitment: • Application • Sequentially offered to faculty of varying experience • 0-3 years; pre-tenure; all faculty • Identify course(s) • Departmental Chair approval/recommendation • Completion: • Stipend payments • Recognition (yet to occur) • Successes: • Recruited 6 dedicated faculty that really wanted to learn • Completion of the 3 phases (met deadlines) • Support to enable ALL to present SoTL findings • Challenges: • Recruitment & commitment to FLC • Scheduling meetings • Data collection • Participating • FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - LEARNING • Role: • Perceivedby other FLC members as: • Having greater expertise in UDL • Authority • Personally perceived as: • Multi-function • Administrator • Facilitator • Participant • Role(s) Impact: • Slowed initial progress • Gained momentum as we developed as a team • Point person for all ideas • Successes: • Learned a great about: • FLCs • Group dynamics (across disciplines • Course design • UDL (conceptually & practically) • Strong bond between group members • Group wants to continue to learn & research • Changed as instructors • Also, what & how we reflect • Challenges: • Much to learn about UDL • Frustrations with topic/concept (UDL) • Data collection & analysis challenges • Cautious observation ratings & comments • Maintaining group momentum • Offering direction • Facilitating • FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY - FUNCTION • Activities: • Administrative (contracts, commitment/expectations, etc.) • Advocacy for faculty & financial support for activities • Meetings • Meeting stated contractual deadlines • Conference attendance • Maintenance of FLC: • Website • Blogs & forums • Shared files • Investigating UDL • Course design • Rubric development & consensus • Data collection (video, rubrics, student feedback, student ratings of instruction) • Cheerleader • Homework activities • Data analysis & summaries • SoTL • Successes: • All completed teaching & data collection • SIX peer-reviewed presentations accepted, so far • Working on publication submissions • Honest & open discussions • Challenges: • Limited understanding of UDL implementation best practices • Usefulness of rubrics we developed • Technology limitations • Turn around of observation feedback • Departmental recognition/value • UDL • Multiple means of: • Representation • Action & Expression • Engagement