PSI 4
To the best of your ability, ensure that the classroom is physically accessible and usable by all students and plan for accommodations for students whose needs are not fully met by the instructional design
Semester Timing: Pre-Semester Aspire Alliance Category: Identity
Difficulty Level: Easy Class Modality: In-person, Online synchronous, Online asynchronous
Resources
Below are resources the research team have gathered to help you implement this strategy in your classroom.
Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction (link)
by Sheryl Burgstahler (2017)
A checklist for inclusive teaching as part of the Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) framework which includes the design of teaching and learning products and environments for use by all people without the need for specialized adaptation or design. See page 3 for guidance on physical classroom environments and products.
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Accommodating Students with Disabilities in STEM: Findings from Research and Practice for Middle Grades through University Education (link)
by Moon et al. (2012)
A book that harnesses a resource database of publications on science and math accommodations as an extension of SciTrain: Science, Math, and Technology for All, an NSF-RDE sponsored project
(Award No. 0622885) designed to train high school math and science teachers to become more effective instructors for students with disabilities. This book harnesses that database, but goes much further to survey the extant scholarly literature on the accommodation of STEM learners with disabilities from the middle grades through postsecondary education.
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Barriers and facilitators to students with physical disabilities’ participation in academic laboratory spaces (link)
by Jeannis et al. (2019)
This study provides empirical evidence on learning barriers and facilitators in instructional science and engineering laboratory settings from a national survey on students with physical disabilities (SwD-P), finding that barriers remain for students with disabilities in laboratory environments specifically in science and engineering. The work also highlights facilitating accommodations such as elevators, ramps, accessible course materials and peer assistance.
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Beyond Ramps and Signs: Rethinking Support Structures for Engineering Students with Disabilities (link)
by Alvarez et al. (2018)
This study aims to identify gaps in support structures that are unique to engineering students with disabilities and to develop strategies that engineering colleges can implement to support this marginalized group of students and ensure that all people can have access to engineering education. Using aggregated data from campus centers, the study developed four recommendations for supporting engineering students with disabilities.
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Improving Accessibility for Students with Visual Disabilities in the Technology-Rich Classroom (link)
by Michael A. Taylor (2016)
This article examines the development of political science courses through the perspective of Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) with a focus on visual disabilities and educational technology. The author provides interpretation of UDI principles as they relate to students with visual disabilities and shares examples of potential actions to overcome barriers that span course topics and disciplines.