You are invited to a series of three online workshops on ‘Embedding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) at University of Limerick’, presented by Dr Thomas Tobin. The aim of these workshops is to bring together people in UL who are interested in creating a fully inclusive and equitable learning environment.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. It aims to improve the educational experience of all students by introducing more flexible methods of teaching, assessment and service provision. This approach is underpinned by research in the field of neuroscience and is designed to improve the learning experience and outcomes for all students. The UDL guidelines provided by CAST are based on the idea that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ or ‘average’ student. UDL aligns with Goal 4 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. You can find out more about UDL at UL here, including our new Community of Practice which was established in 2021: https://www.ul.ie/ctl/staff/universal-design-learning
Workshop details:
- January 21st 2022 12-1pm: UDL Project Initiation. What is the goal of introducing UDL at UL? How should UDL be framed for broad impact and adoption? Moving from “step zero” concepts like “plus-one thinking” into more complex design goals.
- Friday 25th February 2022 12-1pm: Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI). How to frame UDL within existing university efforts to lower JEDI barriers for access to education, services, and interactions across all campus sectors. Where do UDL principles have meaningful effects beyond classroom settings? Who are campus stakeholders who need to become UDL advocates?
- Friday 1st April 2022 12-1pm: Collaboration & Project Development. How to create materials. Road-map for the next 9 months. Milestone setting and formal project-management techniques. Bringing in expert voices, advocates, stakeholders, and work partners.
About the speaker:
Thomas J. Tobin is a founding member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Teaching, Learning, & Mentoring (CTLM), as well as an internationally recognized scholar, author, and speaker on quality in technology-mediated education, especially copyright, teaching evaluation, academic integrity, and accessibility/universal design for learning.
His books include:
- Evaluating Online Teaching: Implementing Best Practices (2015) with Jean Mandernach and Ann H. Taylor.
- The Copyright Ninja (2017).
- Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (2018) with Kirsten Behling.
- Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers (2020) with Katie Linder and Kevin Kelly.
- UDL for FET Practitioners: Guidance for Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Irish Further Education and Training (2021) with Ann Heelan and Dara Ryder.
Find him on Twitter @ThomasJTobin, and at thomasjtobin.com.