UDL and Change

In my exploration and use of the eLearning Planning Framework and my discussions with educators, I find that I am mentioning Universal design for learning a lot ... and what UDL would actually look like in a classroom.  

• What does the learning environment look like? 
• What is the teacher doing?  
• What are the students learning?   
• How are they be learning? 
• What tools are they using to facilitate learning?  
• How is the best design for learning planned and discussed?    
• What choices do the students have?

Change, (learning, adopting and practising something new), takes planning, effort, thought, reflection and modification.  All of these take work and can be painful!  The diagram 'Managing Complex Change' is still, (it's been around a while),  a powerful illustration and worth sharing and discussing with our school leaders.

Universal Design for Learning

UDL has been a learning focus for our PLD in the Blended eLearning Team during 2013. So I've made it a mission to learn more about it and to include aspects of it in my staff meeting presentations.  I'm learning as I go - I'm certainly not an expert yet!  
"In education, UDL is the design of “instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone—not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs” (CAST).
UDL fits into all the dimensions of the eLearning Planning Framework (leadership and strategic direction, teaching and learning, professional learning, technologies and infrastructure, beypond the classroom).
The DO-IT Center at the University of Washington has developed a checklist for incorporating Universal Design into instructional practices, including multiple items under each of these main categories:

• Class Climate: Adopt practices that reflect high values with respect to both diversity and inclusiveness.

• Interaction: Encourage regular and effective interactions between students and the instructor and ensure that communication methods are accessible to all participants.

• Physical Environments: Ensure that facilities, activities, materials, and equipment are physically accessible to and usable by all students, and that all potential student characteristics are addressed in safety considerations.

• Delivery Methods: Use multiple, accessible instructional methods that are accessible to all learners.

• Information Resources and Technology: Ensure that course materials, notes, and other information resources are engaging, flexible, and accessible for all students.

• Feedback: Provide specific feedback on a regular basis.

• Assessment: Regularly assess student progress using multiple accessible methods and tools, and adjust instruction accordingly.

• Accommodation: Plan for accommodations for students whose needs are not met by the instructional design.

Below is a presentation I've created to get teachers to focus on learning and to think about their learning environments.

Creating awesome learning environments from Lyn Ross

During August I judged the 3 supreme awards for the Matamata District Digi Awards.  There were some fantastic finalists!  Here is the winner for the Year 7 & 8 group.  It was entered in the Television Advertisement category.

What research tells us about learning

All these points are very relevant for the using eLearning successfully

• Learningis much more than acquiring new knowledge and concepts. It involves thinking, but learners need knowledge and experiences to think with.
• Learners need to be actively engaged in ways that allow them to process, interpret, and adapt an experience.
• Learners have to want to learn. They have to see a purpose to learning and how it will allow them to contribute to something beyond themselves.
• Learners have to feel in charge of their own learning and to get a sense of flow and progress, with the right amount of challenge and feedback along the way. 
• Learners need to develop in-depth knowledge in some areas to help them keep learning.
• Learners need to be encouraged to search not for the right answer (focusing on surface features) but for the right approach to solving a problem (deep structures).
• Learning involves interaction trying out and testing ideas with others.
• Learning usually needs structure For example, adults play an important role in young children’s development by structuring their experiences and directing their attention to certain aspects of those experiences.  
• Learning needs to take place in a wide variety of settings so that learners can transfer their learning and use it in new contexts.
• Intelligence is not fixed but is expandable through learning experiences. 

Expanding people’s intellectual capacity – and ability to keep learning – should be the key function of a future-oriented education system.

Digital Citizenship

A part of the 'Teaching and Learning' dimension of the eLearning Planning Framework is Digital Citizenship'.    I have been developing my understandings around this and how to increase the understandings of the teachers and students I work with.

As with the other dimensions, this is developed through 4 phases (emerging, engaging, extending and empowering). As with all aspects of teaching and learning there are many things which contribute to overall success - no one thing can be developed as a stand-alone focus.  For many teachers  'digital citizenship' is a new concept.  As is the idea of educating rather than rule-making. Schools I work with are spread between the 3 phases.   First of all I developed a digital citizenship page on my wiki (Lyn Ross edDesign) with information, links and videos.  This helped to develop my own understandings and to decide on the things I think are most important.  To develop teacher understandings I begin with a staff meeting and share resources - including the wiki page.    I then work with school leaders to develop a programme or guidelines for their school.  This can be done as a continuum which shows the foci for each level of the school.

Example 1  

Example 2

Reflections on the eLearning Planning Framework

Reading more detail about the aspects of the Leadership and Teaching and learning dimensions has given me a clearer understanding of  the eLPF.  This research is helping me to decide what I need to focus on in each of my schools.  The ‘practical steps’ sections provide a good checklist and are helping  me to evaluate what I’ve done/yet to do in  my schools. This research has also helped me understand the OFJ eLPF form in Te kapua better.

Pedagogy:  

• Teachers need to be able to describe what effective learning looks like and how ICTs can be part of that description.
• To what extent can you use technology to facilitate personalised, collaborative and connected learning?

Unpacking the eLearning Planning Framework: Leadership and Teaching and Learning dimensions.

Background reading, thinking and organisation:


Learning more about and understanding the eLPF is the focus of my 2013 professional inquiry, so it makes sense that I read as much as I can about it.  I researched on the eLearning pages on TKI and decided to focus just on the ‘Leadership’ and ‘Teaching and Learning’ dimensions this time.  This web page outlines and unpacks each aspect of these dimensions: Within ‘Leadership’ there are three sections - School vision; strategic planning; eLearning leadership.  Within ‘Teaching and Learning’ there are five sections - Curriculum, Learning Areas, Digital Citizenship, Pedagogy and  Assessment.  I then created a Google Drive folder  in order to make ongoing reference to the relevant resources easier.

Each focus within a dimension has these section headings: Discussion starters, Principals and school leaders, Teachers and Practical Steps.  There are lots of good questions to ask and many that would challenge some teachers. e.g. ‘How do you adapt the curriculum for your students’ strengths and needs?’ and ‘What might it look like when students are managing and reflecting on their own learning through the use of technologies?’

Reading about the eLPF dimensions in more depth has given me a better sense of  the eLearning direction needed in schools and has also provided more ideas for staff meeting discussions

My Professional Inquiry

Initial plan: What am I going to do? Develop? Strengthen? Why?

In my role as an eLearning Facilitator, I am familiar with the eLearning Planning Framework.  In my work for Core-Education, it is the guiding document; the roadmap for my schools' professional learning and development. Therefore I thought a worthy focus for my professional inquiry would be:

How can I use the eLPF to increase teachers’ eLearning understandings and practices?  

Looking specifically at:

• Facilitating workshops which share ideas for use of technologies and  practical ideas and activities  for eLearning in the classroom
• Teachers setting and achieving eLearning goals (related to their own teacher inquiry e.g. ‘How can I use eLearning to raise boys  achievement in writing’)
• Extending teachers methods of engaging students in learning outside school hours
• Exploring ways digital citizenship understandings can be developed across a school community

I will use this blog to post reflective questions and answers.  To outline readings and helpful resources

New Blog

This is my new reflection blog.  I'll use it inquire into my professional practice as part of my job as Blended eLearning Facilitator for Core Education.