University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Here you can find some great tips for applying the principles of universal design!

1. The essential components of the course are clearly
   defined.
   • Identify the specific skills you want the students
     to master and the knowledge you want the student to demonstrate
     upon completion of the course.
• Consider the course objectives and requirements
  in terms of the function they serve.
• Refer back to these essential components throughout
  the process of developing the course.
2. Prerequisite courses, knowledge and skills are identified.
• Identify the skills or abilities that are assumed
  when students enter this course.
• Identify courses that would help students attain
  those skills and abilities.
3. Expectations are communicated clearly.
• Designing the Course Syllabus
  
  • Develop a syllabus that reflects the essential
    components of the course and outlines the necessary prerequisite
    knowledge and skills.
  • Include elements of a universally designed syllabus.
  • Have the syllabus available for students to obtain
    early if requested.
  • Post the syllabus on your departmental website.
  • Examine your syllabus in terms of its effectiveness
    to:
    • provide a "contract" between you
      and the student.
    • provide the necessary information to help
      a student make an informed decision about whether this course
      is a good match for him or her.
• Providing Examples
  • Develop a collection of good papers and projects
    to keep on file as examples for students to follow.
  • Provide examples of good answers to essay questions.
  • If you are teaching online, post these examples
    to your course site.
• Developing your grading system
  • Consider using a grading rubric to communicate
    how overall performance in the course and performance on specific
    assignments translates to a letter or numerical grade.
  • Develop a simple grading strategy that allows
    students to track their own progress.
  • Keep the need for conversions to a minimum
    when assigning point values to assignments and exams.
  • Provide a chart that allows students to plug
    in their points to figure their grade at different times
    in the semester.
  • Keep records up to date so students can track
    their grades accurately.
4. The physical environment is accessible and conducive
   to learning.
• Make sure the room has good lighting and that there
  is not a light source behind you.
• Make sure there are not a lot of competing noises.
• Remove physical barriers that block students’ line
  of sight.
• Make sure lab activities and equipment are accessible
  to students with a wide range of physical abilities.
5. The class climate encourages and supports interaction.
• Encourage student-to-student and student-to-faculty
  interaction through discussion, questions, group work, field trips,
  and discussion lists.
• Learn students’ names if feasible and use their
  names when you call upon them in class.
• Seek student input on components of the course
  that you are still developing or would like to improve.
6. Instructional methods recognize student diversity.
• Use teaching techniques that appeal to both visual
  and auditory learners.
• Use visual aids such as overheads, handouts,
  multimedia presentations and models to support the spoken
  lecture.
• Incorporate charts, graphs, and diagrams
  into multimedia presentations and visual aids.
• Describe verbally what you present visually
  in overheads and other visual media.
• Incorporate hands-on activities for kinesthetic
  and active learners.
• Provide demonstrations and involve students
  in these demonstrations whenever possible.
• Have tangible models and objects available.
• When discussing concepts and theories, provide
  analogies to tangible items.
• Utilize interactive software applications.
• Incorporate group discussions and cooperative
  learning activities into your course.
• Emphasize active listening and participation.
• Provide notes, an outline or guided notes
  for each lecture so that students may attend and participate
  more actively.
• Provide a balance of theory and application.
• Provide examples of how theories apply to
  real situations within the students’ realm of experience.
• If your course requires a lot of memorization
  and attention to detail, provide connections to the whole
  and theories that relate to the detailed information.
• Provide connections to other courses within
  your discipline and to other disciplines.
• Allow time for formulating questions and responses.
• Pause a few seconds after asking a question.
• Utilize an email discussion list for some discourse on key topics.
• Organize class time in a predictable format.
• Begin each class period with a review of
  where the discussion was ended in the previous lecture and/or
  a description of what will be covered.
• End each class period with a summary of the
  important points.
7. Technology enhances instruction and increases accessibility.
   • Put materials on-line and facilitate the use of
     Web resources.
   • Provide notes and handouts in electronic format or post
     them on your website.
   • Select videos that are captioned.
   • Select textbooks that are available in digital
     or electronic text format.
   • Encourage and support the use of adaptive technology.
   • Create websites that are accessible to students
     using adaptive technology.
   • Choose software applications that are accessible
     to students using adaptive technology.
8. A variety of mechanisms for demonstrating knowledge
   are available.
   • Referring back to the essential components of the
     course, develop a variety of possibilities for students to demonstrate
     their knowledge and skills.
• Provide students with alternatives (i.e. tests,
  papers, projects, etc.).
• Consider a criterion-referenced approach to testing
  so that students are assigned grades based on level of mastery
  instead of how they compare to their peers.
9. Feedback is clear, prompt, and frequent.
   
   • Provide feedback supporting the grade assigned
     to papers and exams.
• Include suggestions for improvement.
• For multiple choice and short answer exams, develop
  keys that provide correct answers and brief explanations as to
  why those answers are correct.
• Allow or better yet encourage students to turn
  in early drafts of papers so that you may redirect them if necessary.
10. Good study habits are encouraged and supported.
    • Provide study guides and review sessions for exams.
    • Encourage the formation of study groups and/or
      arrange for help sessions with you or an upper level student.
    • Provide students with a list of technical vocabulary
      for the course.
    • Include definitions, pronunciation cues, and an
      example of how the term is used in context.
    • Provide tips for succeeding in your course based
      on previous students who have been successful.
    • Encourage the use of on-campus academic support
      services.

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