Universal Design Accessible for All Learning Styles

1. Universal DesignAccessible for All Learning Styles Joseph Atkins, PhD Coordinator of Support Services Assistant Dean of Students

2. Accounting for Differences, by Design Universal Design Left handed Right handed

3. Accommodation Process at Colby • Voluntary Disclosure of a Disability Form • States prior accommodation(s) and current request(s) • Educational-psychological evaluation report • Battery of intellectual and cognitive tests • Overall or relative deficits in some areas • Review of supporting documentation • Do the diagnosis, recommendations, and request(s) match?

4. Accommodation Process at Colby • Approved accommodations • Deans Office provides accommodation letters • Student meets with professors to discuss the accommodation and implementation • Dean of Students and Dean of Faculty offices assist with logistics, as needed • Follow-up • Students with ADD/ADHD benefit from coaching • invited to meet with me or advising dean as needed. (Peer mentoring) • Time management, organization, study skills, etc.

5. Students who Learn Differently • What does the landscape look like? • Some schools report 100 fold increase in 20 years • Increasing numbers of students with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders • Anxiety disorders exceed LD/AD in college • What am I seeing at Colby? • Number 1 accommodation – 50% extra time • Now seeing requests for 100% - 300% • Quiet / Distraction free test environment • Students read aloud or talk to themselves • Assistive technology for reading & writing (notes)

6. Americans with Disabilities Act • What does the law say? • Disability means, with respect to an individual, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; major life activities means functions such as caring for one´s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. • What determines what we do? • Minimum – meet the legal requirements • Do what is necessary to avoid law suits • Parental pressure and expectations • “I wouldn’t want my son to have to take any class he couldn’t get an A in.” • What makes sense to support legitimate needs • A partnership between faculty, staff, students

7. Universal Design – The Whole Student Why Every class has a range of learning styles Students are multifaceted Learning is an active process New students may not know how to be successful in college How Start with strengths Ask about challenges Ask about needs Does the student take ownership of their educational experience? Do they know about resources?

8. Universal Design – Knowing the Needs What & Why • Accommodations are like band aids, they serve a meaningful purpose but are not the solution. • Students need to know why they have accommodations • Being mindful of strategies to address challenges • Think about how your class is being perceived, and how it can evolve. How • Have a conversation about the accommodations you are asked to fulfill: • What challenge does this address? • How have you managed this? • How is this accommodation going to help you? • What are your concerns? • Emily, who can’t talk in class

9. Universal Design – Learning Styles We tend to rely on tools we know how to produce. What & Why • People tend to teach to their own learning style and intelligence • Think about the range of learning styles students can have: • Visual • Auditory • Kinesthetic • Musical • Multisensory learning is robust – encourage creativity How • Be proactive - think about other ways t0 present information • Support lectures with videos, images, drawings,… • Support videos with captions to accommodate auditory issues. • Are there other ways students can interact with information or concepts? • Elaborative learning

10. Universal Design – Crossing Modalities Colors? Friendship Love Universe of relationships Making the intangible visual

11. Universal Design – Executive Function What • Executive function disorders effect: • Self-regulation • Organization • Planning • Initiating actions • With assistance, students can learn coping strategies & improve How • Require or strongly suggest: • Outlines • Drafts • Working with a tutor • Peer review • Give real, yet positive feedback so students seek out solutions

12. Universal Design – Extra Time Why • Slow processing speed: • Read slowly and deliberately • Read & re-read • ADD/ADHD • Easily distracted • Difficulty staying focused • Impulsivity • Activation issues • Test anxiety • Calming strategies How • Create shorter tests: • In a 75 minute class, every student can have 50% extra time on a 50 minute exam • A 90 minute final affords everyone double time • Avoid ‘trick’ questions • ‘limbic muscle’ • How might test structure effect efficiency?

13. Universal Design – Quiet Exams Why • Coping skills • Read slowly and deliberately • Read aloud • Read & re-read • ADD/ADHD • Easily distracted • Compare themselves to others • Fidgety, needs to move around • Anxiety • Feeling self-conscious • Fear of failure How • Address underlying issues: • Comfort • Concern about what other’s think of them • What is ‘ideal’? • Possible solutions: • Address proactively • Department meeting • Deans of Students Office • Dean of Faculty Office • Which students can share a space? • Request additional resources • Learning center

14. Universal Design – Reading Comprehension What • Most LD’s are language related: • Phonetic awareness • Auditory processing • Working memory constraints • Attention • Easily distracted • Short attention span • Sees trees, not forest • Difficulty with concepts, getting the big picture How • Assignments: • Give advice about ‘how to read’ in your field • Read only what you can understand • Know what/why you are reading • Paraphrase before moving on • Summarize paragraphs • Would technology help? • Text to speech (listen & read) • Exams and papers: • Use concise and efficient questions and prompts.

15. Universal Design What’s ahead • Increasing numbers • Aspergers • Autism spectrum disorders • Anxiety & executive function disorders • Increasing expectations • Meeting ADA requirements • Creating equal access and opportunity • Redefining ‘normal’ • Or, just doing away with the notion it’s informative or useful • Physical disabilities • Sensory impairments • Mobility, access issues How to meet challenges • Planning • Think about learning styles and challenges in designing courses and lesson plans. • Be an ally to LD students • Positive attitude • Support • Resources • How should education evolve • Technology – plus & minus • Social justice • Who should have access to a Colby quality education? • What determines who doesn’t • Have we built a big enough doorway?

16. Universal DesignAccessible for All Learning Styles Thank you Joseph Atkins jeatkins@colby.edu 859-4253