Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

Posted on by ibid

In his post, “Our schools aren’t broken, they’re hard,” Dave Comier (2017) shares his ongoing efforts to create sustainable technology-supported education. He addresses issues pertaining to sustainability and stewardship (for technology and projects) in K-12 settings by offering four pearls of wisdom that support lasting positive change for students and teachers. They include:

  • Building trust – making feasible promises and keeping them;
  • Constant improvement – continuously evaluating progress and making iterations along the way;
  • Decision making – strategically forming a group of specialists whose role is to plan and implement projects focused on improving the system; and
  • Digital citizenship – teaching students how to be stewards of technology to promote online safety, cybersecurity, and well-being.

If I were an instructional designer in a K-12 setting and wanted to integrate new sustainable technologies, I would take a socio-economic lens in my planning to address access to technology issues for reasons I will briefly explain.

Like a tide pulling away from the coast, leaving an exposed stretch of land, COVID-19 revealed long-standing neglect of issues related to inequalities in access and use of technology. This has had far-reaching consequences on education.

For socioeconomically disadvantaged children, limited access to technology, like computers and high-speed internet, can dramatically limit their opportunities to learn tech skills vital to their success in the 21st century (OECD, 2019).

According to an article from the Harvard Political Review, “there are currently 16.9 million students living in the United States who do not have access to a computer.” (Bruce, 2020, para. 14). However, the National Public Radio reported that “Just over half of children in the United States — 53 percent — now own a smartphone by the age of 11. And 84 percent of teenagers now have their own phones” (Katenetz, 2019, para. 1). Given this, some research suggests that “smartphones have a central role to play in the digital futures of the socioeconomically marginalized, both in the developing world and in affluent societies” (Ericsson, 2016; International Telecommunications Union, 2016; Smith, 2015 as cited in Marler, 2018, p. 12).

Considering this, utilizing the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can help designers make learning more inclusive and transformative, as it encourages technology selection that increases engagement, motivation, and communication for all (CAST, 2022).

UDL and efforts to expand access to technology both seek to increase learning access and reduce barriers for students. By focusing on what technology students are already using, like smartphone technology, instructional designers can creatively develop course materials in alternative formats while permitting students to use the technology they use every day to complete their academic work.

Some school systems are already doing this. In a school district situated in eastern Texas, students are using their smartphones to access school programs, complete assignments and quizzes, view grades, and submit work to the district’s learning management system (LMS) for grading by simply using their smartphones to scan work done on paper and uploading it as a digital file (Versal, 2018).

However, I recognize there are disadvantages to smartphone diffusion in K-12, such as unauthorized use and collection of student information, surveillance technology or spyware, and health and wellness concerns. Yet, I believe when it comes to making a commitment to support a creative learning environment where technology is leveraged for the benefit of all (Cormier, 2017), working through these challenges is worth the effort.

References

Bruce, A. (2020, November 23). Bridging the technological divide in education [Blog]. Harvard Political Review.

Retrieved from https://harvardpolitics.com/education-tech-gaps/

CAST (2022). About Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1644875974031420&usg=AOvVaw0feSoiXOgp8k2BT9fXK-xQ

Cormier, D. (2017, December 8). Our schools aren’t broken, they’re hard. [Blog]. Dave Cormier. Retrieved from http://davecormier.com/edblog/2017/12/08/our-schools-arent-broken-theyre-hard/

Katenetz, A. (2019, October 31). It’s a smartphone life: More than half of U.S. children now have one [Blog]. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/774838891/its-a-smartphone-life-more-than-half-of-u-s-children-now-have-one

Marler, Will. (2018). Mobile phones and inequality: Findings, trends, and future directions. New Media & Society. DOI: 20. 146144481876515. 10.1177/1461444818765154.

OECD (2019). What do we know about children and technology? OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/Booklet-21st-century-children.pdf

Versal, L. (2018, February 8). As Cell Phones Proliferate in K-12, Schools Search for Smart Policies. Education Week [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/technology/as-cell-phones-proliferate-in-k-12-schools-search-for-smart-policies/2018/02

 

By: Ash

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