Atcrucialcross-roadsof21st centurypedagogyinHigherEdinthesearchforglobal,sustainablesolutionsforInclusion:potentialofUniversalDesignforLearning

Frederic Fovet, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, UPEIUDL & Inclusion ConsultantEDCInstitute,October18,2016– Oakville,ON

#edci2016

Personalintroduction• Ifacilitatethissessiontodaywithseveral‘hats’• BackgroundinInclusiveEducationinK-12,withaspecificfocusatSocial,EmotionalandBehaviouralDifficulties

• CurrentpositionasAssistantProfatUPEI.HeavyteachingschedulewithInternationalcohorts.AcademicLeadontheGlobalPerspectivesMEd

• ShortinvolvementinAccessibilityinHigherEd.WasDirectorofOfficeforStudentswithDisabilities/MyAccess for4yearsovertheperiodofmyPhD

• ResearcherwithafocusonUDL

Today’sobjectives

• ToexaminevariouscontemporaryissuesinHigherEdthatmakeitafastchanginglandscapewhenitcomestoInclusionandDiversity

• TogaugetowhatextentUniversalDesignforLearning(UDL)mightbeasuitableframeworktotackletheseemergingchallenges

• TodeterminewhethertheemergingchallengescanbetransformedintoopportunitiesinthechanginglandscapeofHigherEd

Context• 21stcenturypedagogyinHigherEdhasreachedseveralcrucialcross-roads.• Theseareraisingconsiderablechallengeswithregardstochangemanagement,butalsoofferphenomenalopportunitiesforsustainablegrowthtowardstheInclusionofalllearners.

- Individualvs.institutionalresponsesandsolutions- GapbetweenDisabilityandlearnerdiversity,andresulting‘silo’mentality- Movingbeyondthenotionoftechnology‘asaburden’tointegrateitintotheDiversityandInclusionlens

- ForginganinterdisciplinaryvoicewhenaddressingInclusioninHigherEducation

Part1- BridgingthegapbetweenindividualexplorationsinInclusionandtheneedforinstitutionalsolutions

• Thereistangibletensioninmanycontextsbetweentheindividualexplorationsbyinstructorsofinclusivepracticesandtheneedforinstitutional,cohesiveandsustainablesolutionstowidenaccesstolearning.

Smallgroupexercise• Take10minutestodiscusswithyourcolleaguesyourunderstandingofthesethreetermsweoftenencounterinInclusion

IndividualizedLearning

PersonalizedLearning

Differentiation

Addtothistheseothertermsfrequentlyusedinourcontext

IndividualizedLearning

PersonalizedLearning

Differentiation

Studentcenteredteaching

Rightsbasedretrofitting

SuitabilityoftheseindividualapproachesandinitiativestoInclusioninaHigherEdcontext?

SuitabilityoftheseindividualapproachesandinitiativestoInclusioninaHigherEdcontext?• Overlyfocusedonaone-on-onerelationshipwesimplyoftendonothave.• Implicitlyreliantonatimescale(wholeacademicyear)wedonothaveavailable• Assumesthestudent’sdesiretoshareanddisclose– OftennotthecaseinHigherEd• Impliestheinstructor’scapacityto‘spot’needs=oftenafallacy• Tendstoreduce‘diversity’toneuro-cognitiveimpairment• Isreactiveratherthanproactive,andhenceeternallyrepeatedthroughacareer• Exhaustionfactor

Whydowelovethisterminologyandtheseconcepts?

ThepotentialofUDLwhenbridgingindividualinclusivepracticesandinstitutionalneedsforasystemicframework• UDLisnotachecklist• Itisnotaprescribedsetoftoolsorpractices• Itisamindsetthatofferscampusemployeesablueprinttoengageinareflectionofaccess

• Providesclear,transparentanduser-friendlyavenues(whichcanbeformulatedacrossanentirecampus)withinwhichpractitionerscanframetheirownreflection,practices,andstrategies.

Part2- FindingadiscoursesthatbridgesthechasmbetweenDisabilityandLearnerDiversity• MuchofthediscourseonInclusionhasthusfarfocusedonneuro-cognitivediversity.• YetthereexistsanotherpowerfuldiscourseinHigherEdembracinglearnerdiversityfromamuchwidercontext.

• Campusprofessionalsoftenexperiencetheclashthatexistsbetweentwodiscoursesthathavesimilaraimsbuthavethusfarworkedinsilo.

• HowwillwesucceedinembeddingIntersectionalityinboththeseperspectives?

Groupactivity• Reflectandsharewithyourcolleaguesatleastoneinitiative,projectorroundtablewhereyouexperiencedthissilo?

• Whomcouldyouandshouldyouhaveinvited?• Howmightyouhavehadtomodifyyourlanguagetowelcometheseotherstakeholders?

WhyisthediversitydiscoursesofragmentedinHigherEd?• Diversityoffices• Accessibilityoffices• InternationalStudentservices

• Wearefragmentingthenotionof‘diverselearner’tosuitsourprofessionalneeds

• WearepoorlyawareofIntersectionality(#disabilitytoowhite)• http://www.dailydot.com/irl/disability-too-white-hashtag-twitter/

• Thelearner’srealityisnotfragmentedandcategorizedinsuchacleanandneatway.

Thedauntingimpactoflegislativeprotectionrelatedtoimpairment• AnecdotallookattheimpactoftheOADAoninstructor’sapproachtoInclusion• Retrofittinglegislationcanbackfiresinceit(i)focusespractitionerssolelyonimpairment,(ii)setsstandardswhichappeardaunting(practitionersareshowntosimplyabandonengagingpracticesforfearofcomingshortontheDisabilitylegislationfront)

• WhileIferventlysupportstrongDisabilitylegislationandstringenforcementprovisions,Istillassertthatithasthenegativeaffectofmakingteachingstaffadoptanoverlynarrowlookatlearnerdiversity.

Breakingdownsiloswithinlearnerdiversity:adifficulttask• DebriefonactivityandanecdotalfeedbackfrommytimeasDirectoroftheOSDatMcGill

• Changingthenameoftheservice• Redefiningthemissionstatementoftheoffice• Reachingouttoother‘socialjustice’units(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dhe.30033/full)

• Abandoningtheconventionalfocusonneuro-cognitivediversityorevenDisability(http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/ceehe/index.php/iswp/article/view/29 )

Part3- MovingbeyondviewsofTechnologyasmeregadget• Instructorsarechallengedonadailybasiswiththepowerfuleffectsoftechnology.• Thishasledtoferociousdebatesontheinteractionofpedagogyandtechnology,debatesthatrarelytacklethefundamentalissueofInclusion.

• HowwilltheemergenceofnewliteraciesforceustorethinkthecoreskillsweteachanddoesthisrethinknotofferarareopportunityforanenhancedandorganicfocusonInclusion?

Inherenttensions

Andasaresultofthis‘conceptual’chaos,stilltodayin2016…

Thechickenortheegg?• Whatshouldcomefirsttechnologyorpedagogy?• Technologyoraccessibility?• Canweaddressleanerdiversitywithouttechnology?

UDL’spotentialinintegratingtechnologywithinacoherentpedagogicaldiscourse• Edtechremainsatalltimesatool,ratherthanafocus• ItisentirelypossibletogothroughaUDLreflectionasapractitionerwithoutusingtechnology

• UDLfocusesondesignandallowsforflexibilityforpractitionersbothwillingorreluctanttointegratetechnology.

• Technologyisfeaturednotastheraisond’êtrebutasausefultoolwhenseekingtoofferlearnersflexibility

• TechnologybecomesorganicallyintegratednotasanendinitselfbutwithinthelogicofadesignerapproachtotheperspectiveoftheUXofthestudent

• SeeToddRose’sTEDtalkon‘ThemythoftheAverage’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBmyttcfU4

• Thefuturestartsnow:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfN5SSiRoPs

Part4- ForginganinterdisciplinaryapproachtoInclusioninHigherEd• HigherEdcampuseshavehistoricallybeenthesubjectofachasmbetweenfacultyandstaff.

• Canthisdichotomysurvivethe21stcenturychallengetohierarchies,formallearningandcollectiveopenaccessknowledge?

• Asformalboundariesbecomeerodedbetweenprofessionsandsectors,mightwefaceunprecedentedopportunitiesforarethinkoncross-disciplinarycollaborationtowardsacommongoalofincludingdiverselearners?

• Whatwillbethecompositionofinclusivetaskforceonourcampusesinthefuture?Whatnewinnovativerolesmightstakeholdersplay?

Anecdotalintroductiontotheissue• RemarksmadetomebyastaffmemberfromCASTinMontreal.• Issueof“ownership”.• Powerfulobservationforme,havingworkedintensivelyinAccessibilitybutalwaysdestinedtojointherankoffaculty.

• Thechasmisstrikinganduncomfortable.• Accessibilitystaff– Studentservicesstaff– TeachinganLearningstaff- StudentAffairsstaff– Instructors– InstructionalDesigners

• Staffhavedifferentbackgrounds,training,professionalorders,perspectivesandallies.

• Doesitneedtobethisway?• Howmightwereachamoreosmoticandholisticprofessionalapproachtoinclusion?• Whatisthenewinterdisciplinaryrolewemightallbeabletoforgeourselvesinthesechangingtimes?

Groupactivity• Withpeers,pleasetakeafewminutestoreflectonwaysInclusionmightbetackledinamoreosmoticandinterdisciplinarywaywithineachofyourinstitutions?

• Whatmightthisnew‘InclusionPractitioner’looklike?• Whathurdlesdoyouneedtotacklebeforethisbecomesareality?

UDL’s“umbrella”purpose,useandappeal• UDLhastheadvantageofofferingacommonlanguagethatcanbeusedbyalldisciplines

• TheentirecampusworkforcecanenterdiscussionsonUDLdespitehavingdifferenttraining,fieldandspecialization.

• Itservesallaspectsofinteractionwitha‘user’,andgoeswellbeyondtheclasstoincludeanyinterfacewithstudentsandemployeesalike.

• UseofUDLatMcGill’sOSDin2012toaudittheinteractionwithserviceusers:http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1040544.pdf

• Workwithallstudentservicesunitsin2013-14toelaboratesimilarreviews• UDLcanbecomeaunifying,interdisciplinarydiscourseonInclusioninHigherEd

Conclusion:Opportunities?• Wehavestartedwiththenotionofchanginglandscapeandemergingchallenges.• Mightitbepossibleto‘putaspin’onthisvisionandenvisagethischanginglandscapeasanunprecedentedsetofopportunities?

• UDLisasustainableframeworkforInclusioninHigherEd.Becauseitfocusesondesign,ittriggerssystemicchangethattransformstheacademy.

• Financiallyitissustainabletooandgreatlyreducescosts,firstbyavoidingretrofittingandsecondbyavoidingduplicationbetweenthevariousunitsaddressingdiversity

• UDLcreatesopportunitiesforanemerginginterdisciplinaryapproachtoInclusion,whichbridgesprofessionalsilos

• UDListhesoleframeworkforInclusionwhichdoesnotover-focusonimpairmentandcanbeusedtoaddressthefullspectrumoflearnerdiversity(culture,LGBTQ,Internationalstudentsandsecondlanguagelearners,firstgenerationstudents,etc.)

• UDL– becauseitisadesignbasedapproach– placesacentralfocusontheUX.UXintheacademyhasthepotentialradicallyalterourlens,practices,collaborativepotentialandfuturepolicies.

Resources• Beck,T.,DiazdelCastillo,P.,Fovet,F.,Mole,H.,&Noga,B.(2014)ApplyingUniversalDesigntodisabilityserviceprovision:outcomeanalysisofaUDaudit.JournalofPost-secondaryEducationandDisability,27(2),209-222

• Fovet,F.,&Giles,J.(2015)‘What`sinaname?’AssessingdynamictensionbetweenCriticalTheoryambitionsandNeoliberalpragmatisminHigherEducationDisabilityserviceprovision.InternationalStudiesinWideningParticipation,2(2),4-11

• Gomez,C.(2015)Makeuniversaldesignacampus-widepriority.DisabilityComplianceforHigherEducation,20(8),2–3

• Wood,D.(2015)Problematizingtheinclusionagendainhighereducation:Towardsamoreinclusivetechnologyenhancedlearningmodel.FirstMonday.Retrievedfrom:http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/6168/4903

ContactInformation• Frederic Fovet• ffovet@upei.ca• implementudl@gmail.com• @Ffovet• www.implementudl.com