2017 UDL Symposium

Providing students with learning disabilities with robust content and appropriate delivery of that content as the educational world moves further into online coursework is vital. The Equity Matters Report clearly delineates the dearth of suitable online offerings and the need to address this population, now. Taking the body of knowledge that we currently have in successfully educating students with LD, the presentation will offer a plan for creating coursework online that strives to meet the distinct needs of students with LD. From initial planning to design, the presentation will offer a narrative of collaboration between subject matter experts (SME's) and the instructional designers (ID's) who made the shift from face-to face instruction to online learning.

A review of the course blueprint co-developed by the SME's and the ID's will explain the foundational underpinnings of the coursework. The blueprint reveals where and how UDL principles were inserted into the delivery of the content and how this blueprint guides the design work of the course. The back and forth between the SME's and ID's in examining accessibility issues guided the design of the course. These issues were fleshed out on the blueprint well before online construction began. This energetic discussion was essential to the successful completion of the course.

The participants will also be afforded a demonstration of an online course (grade 8-11) that was constructed specifically for students with LD. During this demonstration, the participants will follow design from the blueprint to the actual online content as they discover the UDL principles built into delivery of the course.

Finally, attendees will be taken through a guided experience where they identify a traditional face-to-face activity and consider how to present it in the online environment with specific UDL engagement, representation, and action & expression approaches in mind.

All attendees will receive an overview document that highlights what critical issues they must address in regards to UDL and online courses if they were to undergo this type of significant effort and an infographic on the process of developing effective learning for the online space.