Universal Design for Learning Showcase

Sent on behalf of Dr. Jamie Linn Gunderson, School of Education

As Wildcats commit to fostering inclusive learning environments and maximizing student success at Chico State, it’s essential that we explore innovative approaches that address the diverse needs of our students. One approach gaining momentum in higher education is Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

What is UDL?
UDL, rooted in neuroscience, acknowledges that learner diversity is inherent and should be expected. The UDL framework provides a flexible blueprint for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Integrating UDL into teaching practice fosters inclusivity and enhances learning outcomes for every student by ensuring that all learners can effectively access, engage with, and demonstrate their learning. Interestingly, many existing teaching strategies align with UDL principles, making adopting of the framework both intuitive and impactful.

How does UDL connect to teaching practice? Consider the following:

  • Do you facilitate peer interactions within your course? Fantastic; you are fostering collaboration and community, which sustains effort and persistence and engages the affective network of the learning brain.
  • Do you provide your students with checklists or templates to organize their learning, assessments, or assignments? Awesome; you are supporting planning and strategy development, which promotes executive function and engages the strategic network of the learning brain. 

These examples are just two of many strategies that can motivate learners to engage in content and provide opportunities for learners to cement their knowledge through practice, planning, and/or action. Implementation of UDL can look different across learning spaces and recognizing how your teaching already aligns with the UDL framework is a natural first step. From there, it’s all about the +1 Strategy (Tobin & Behling, 2018) and a healthy dose of self-reflection – “How can I get 1% better in my next lesson/assignment/assessment?”

How are faculty implementing UDL?
Great question, thanks for asking! Research examining the impact of UDL implementation on students is in action on our campus. Currently, seven STEM faculty across Chico State and Butte College, along with many of the 20+ faculty who participated in last year’s UDL Faculty Learning Community (FLC), are implementing UDL in their courses. UDL implementation varies and faculty who participated in the UDL FLC over the past couple of years worked to design their course syllabi and learning materials to be more inclusive and accessible, their course activities to be more engaging and interactive, and their course assessments to be more rigorous and relevant to learner contexts. 

Interested in learning more and engaging in opportunities to see what UDL implementation can look like?
Join us for the second annual Universal Design for Learning Faculty Showcase on Wednesday, May 8th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Colusa 100 (and via Zoom). At this event, you will:

  • Learn about UDL and its impact on learners.
  • Hear from STEM faculty sharing their UDL implementation experiences.
  • Explore examples of inclusive instructional materials, assessments, and activities.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to see UDL in action and hear directly from faculty at Chico State and Butte College!

JLG

References:

  • CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 [graphic organizer]. Wakefield, MA.
  • Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
  • Tobin, T.J,. & Behling K.,T. (2018). Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press.

Servingness is Your Job, Too!

Sent on behalf of Teresita Curiel, Director of Latinx Equity and Success, and Dr. Gloria Lopez, Assistant Professor in History

What is the difference between being at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and serving at an HSI? As educators, we constantly work to recognize our students’ needs and seek ways to empower them to be active agents in society.   

Generally, an HSI is defined as an institution of higher education with an undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment of at least 25 percent self-identifying Hispanic students. Chico State first met this enrollment threshold in the Fall of 2014. As part of an HSI, when was the last time you asked yourself how I am serving my Latine/x students today?

Dr. Gina Ann Garcia, a leading scholar on and advocate of HSIs, tells us that servingness is a journey, not a destination. Earlier this month, Dr. Garcia challenged her ¿Qué Pasa, HSIs? Blog readers to remember that “Servingness is your job, too!” How might we, as instructors at HSIs with a growing percentage of Latine/x and first-generation students, find ways to center their experiences and encourage them to take ownership of their own learning experiences?

With the semester quickly winding down, take a pause and consider this line from Dr. Garcia, “Faculty at HSIs must adopt a new curriculum that centers the predominantly Latine/x identified students on campus, but also considers Black, AANHPI, and Indigenous students.”

For now, we encourage you to explore these resources: 

  • Dr. Gina Garcia’s Transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions for Equity & Justice (2023) is available as an e-book through Meriam Library.
  • Engage with her work via the ¿Qué Pasa, HSIs? podcast and blog.

For next semester, we encourage you to consider two opportunities:

  • Advancing Latinx Servingness Faculty Learning Community (FLC)
    The Office of Faculty Development, in collaboration with Latinx Equity and Success, and with funding from a grant won by Ryan Patten and a team from BSS, will facilitate an FLC in Fall 2024, featuring connected workshops focused on better understanding Latinx university students and how Chico State can advance their success. All faculty are welcomed to apply.
  • 2024-2025 Book in Common 
    Consider adopting next year’s Book in Common (BIC), Héctor Tobar’s Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of “Latino. This book is an opportunity to amplify the voices of Latine/x students and what it means to be an HSI in and outside of the classroom. You can read Ashley Gebb’s March 21st feature on Chico State Today for more information about the selection.  Also, faculty can indicate interest in adopting all or part of the book or being part of the Book in Common planning team by completing the FA24 Book in Common form.

Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Engaged & Inclusive Teaching Session This Thursday

This Thursday, the College of Communication and Education will offer a Brown Bag session (as part of their Take Time for Teaching pedagogy series) focused on being an engaged and inclusive educator. This informal discussion will include Universal Design for Learning principles and community engagement activities that are applicable across all disciplines. Award-winning faculty presenters Jamie Gunderson (School of Education), Tal Slemrod (School of Education), and Sue Peterson (Communication Arts & Sciences) will share tools and tips designed to promote equity across race, gender, sexuality, language, and class, and to create conditions where all students can thrive within and beyond the walls of the classroom. They will be joined by students who will be demonstrating how these practices work on the ground.

Please join us this Thursday, April 11 from 12-1:30 in BMU 210. Cookies and coffee provided!