Inclusive Education through Universal Design

As Canadian society has taken steps towards inclusion, so have schools. As a microcosm of society, schools play a critical role in teaching students the value of embracing diversity. By adopting inclusive principles to make learning accessible for all, schools across the country have aligned their policies to reflect section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as international rights conventions like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Hutchison, N. I., 2002). There is no doubt that inclusive education is of utmost importance, though it is not without controversy in Canada and elsewhere around the world, especially with regards to implementation (Ibid, 2002).

I am of the belief that every student has the right to a quality education regardless of ability level and that, “every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design” (Fisher, D., 2016). Although there are several qualities that make a ‘great teacher’ (i.e. teacher credibility; positive student-teacher relationships, etc), one that I believe is incredibly critical for student success is the embodiment of inclusion within my practice and the consistent use of evidence-based strategies designed to reduce barriers in instruction for all learners. After all, inclusion, like differentiation is a value, not a tactic or practice that one chooses to include sparingly.

A great way of embodying inclusion as a value is by incorporating some of the universal design principles during the backwards design process of curriculum planning. Originating from the field of architecture, the concept of Universal Design refers to an evidenced-based approach to teaching that reduces barriers in learning by making it more accessible to the diverse learning needs of all students. This instructional approach helps maximize student growth for all by providing appropriate accommodations and avoids retrofitting; not to mention the neurological foundations of the UdL approach which consist of 1) recognition: visible learning; 2) skills and strategies: teaching students ‘how to’ develop skills; 3) affective: the emotional connection to learning.

Out of the 9 principles of universal design, there are 2 in specific that I constantly think of during the curriculum design process, they are: 1) simple and intuitive and 2) tolerance for error. By keeping my lessons simple and intuitive, I aim to keep my instruction straightforward and predictable for everyone in the class. For example, I find it incredibly useful to include the KUD in every powerpoint as a way of managing my students’ expectations throughout the lesson. Making sure my instructions and success criteria are clearly visible on the rubric also allow my students to use it as an effective instructional guide. The other principle relating to ‘tolerance for error’ is equally important for me, as it shows students that I encourage risk taking throughout the learning process and that I want them to learn from their mistakes. I also find it incredibly powerful to include lots of opportunities to recode the material followed by a formative assessment in every lesson.

References

Fisher, Douglas. (2016) Visible Learning for Literacy, grades k-12: Implementation of the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Chapter 1: Laying the groundwork for visible learning for literacy. Pp 1-34. Corwin/Sage Publications Ltd.

Hutchinson, N.L. (2002). Educating exceptional students: The Canadian experience. Pp. 2-30