An environment in which students from all backgrounds and those with disabilities can participate fully is critical for student success.
On this page you will find resources in three related areas for creating a welcoming learning environment:?
- Inclusive Teaching?
- Accessibility and Accommodations?
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
Learning Environment Resources
?
Inclusive Teaching?
While there is no definitive definition of inclusive teaching, this "Definitions of Inclusive Teaching” web site from The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University ?assembles perspectives from several sources. Inclusive teaching involves:
- the incorporation of content and course objectives that reflect differing perspectives,
- notions of equity and fairness leading to full participation and personal connections to the subject matter,
- an understanding of social identity development, and
- broadening participation in order to increase the vibrancy of academic disciplines and student learning (The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University, 2020).??
To ensure your course is inclusive in its content, teaching practices, and interactions, review the?Inclusive Checklist.?
?
Accessibility and Accommodations?
Embracing inclusiveness means a commitment to providing all students with access to high-quality learning resources, designed to support each individual’s pursuit of academic and personal success.??
Everyone in the institution shares responsibility for?accessibility and providing accommodations for students with disabilities.??
Documents and media, websites, hardware, software, and other systems must be designed for use by a wide range of users, including users with sensory, cognitive, and mobility impairments.??
UNH Student Accessibility Services?works with faculty?to provide?services to students who have permanent or temporary disabilities, including students with physical or learning disabilities and students with health issues (mental or physical) which impact their UNH experience.??
Use this course review checklist to ensure that your course is accessible.?
UNH_Course_Review_Checklist.pdf?
UNH_Course_Review_Checklist.xlsx?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on insights into how humans learn. UDL consists of a set of guidelines that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities?(CAST, 2020).?
This video?from CAST?(4:36) introduces?the main principles of?Universal Design for Learning.?
References?
CAST. (2020). 188体育app_188体育在线-平台官网 Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from?https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl?
The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning?(Brown University). (2020). Definitions of Inclusive Teaching. Retrieved from?https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/teaching-learning-resources/inclusive-teaching/definitions?
