Libraries and Reading by CONNER MATTHEW.;

Author:CONNER, MATTHEW.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781789733877
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Published: 2019-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

The Big Perspective: Universal Design for Learning

The correlation in method across such different learning situations as library instruction and special education points to the relevance of another movement in educational theory: Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This began as a concept in disability studies that originated in architecture (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014, p. 86). To provide access to those with physical disabilities, designers invented curb cuts, which are ramps cut into sidewalks for the passage of wheelchairs and crutches. It was found that this simple device was also convenient for the typical population who use it for hauling loads, riding bikes, or out of simple preference. The design was universally applicable to all populations, and some wondered whether this principle could be generalized into other forms of support for those with physical disabilities. Rather than isolating them, the new method integrated them with the rest of society, signifying everyone's common humanity in the process. One particular challenge was to abstract the curb cut into a teaching method that would be equally relevant to all parts of the population including those with ID. This is UDL. One small step toward this goal is the use of captions for video (Meyer et al., 2014, p. 86). While designed for those with hearing impairments, they have proven useful for the general population who wish to multitask, watch videos in a crowded environment, or regulate volume for any number of reasons. Captions are a linguistic curb cut that looks forward to a complete learning method for language and abstract concepts.

The instruction method that has emerged is based on the theory of multiple learning styles. “The advent of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and related principles (Behling & Hart, 2008; Rose & Meyer, 2002) has made it possible for students with differing learning styles, abilities, and preparedness to have greater access to college course material. UDL is the design of culturally responsive learning opportunities, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, and environment, to make them usable by all students, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for accommodations” (Grigal & Hart, 2010a, p. 236; Meyer et al., 2014, p. 5). By acknowledging and appealing to all learning styles, the hope is that instruction will be as universally valuable to all learners as the curb cut is to the general population. A powerful form of evidence for UDL is its appearance in history before the concept was named, so that its universality stretches back in time as well as across subjects. One example is a master's thesis on special education dating from 1969 from the University of Hawaii. This period saw the initial flowering of research into special education that accompanied new legislation on mainstreaming; the University of Hawaii, the site of the thesis, remains active in the field in its pioneering work with the ThinkCollege! project. The thesis proposes using techniques from English as a Second Language (ESL) to assist in developing the speaking abilities of students with ID (Conner, 1969). The work is embedded

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