Universal Design Beyond the Classroom Digital Badge
Summary
Universal Design Beyond the Classroom Digital Badge: Professional learning programme in Universal Design (UD) for staff working in Student Support and Engagement in Further and Higher Education.
Academic integration/belonging, Personal mental health/well-being, Social integration/belongingOnline program | Training | Off campus | Online & in person (hybrid) | Live and recorded
Time line- Pre-entry
- Entry
- Induction
- First semester
- Second semester
Description
What is the main idea or gist?
Main idea
Capacity building to support the implementation of Universal Design in the institution to ensure that the needs of the full range of students are proactively designed-in to an institution’s processes, systems, and approaches.
What does this initiative/support/project look like?
Outline
The UD Beyond the Classroom Digital Badge is a staff capacity building initiative, one of a number of examples which form part of UCD University for All – an institution-wide systemic change initiative to embed access and inclusion throughout the University, ensuring an inclusive educational experience for all students.
The UD Beyond the Classroom is a professional learning programme with Digital Badge accreditation.
It is a free introductory course on Universal Design specifically created for Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education staff who interact either directly or indirectly with students and learners beyond the reaches of the classroom setting (i.e. their role is not a teacher or lecturer).
The initiative is led by UCD Access and Lifelong learning, in partnership with AHEAD. It is hosted by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.
The programme is designed to provide participants with a strong practical know-how of Universal Design and how to apply it in their roles. It aims to impart practical knowledge and tips to empower staff to make their contribution to the student experience more flexible and accessible to all.
The programme was piloted in September-December 2023 and will be launched nationally in September 2024.
It will be delivered nationally over 10 weeks in a MOOC-style rollout each autumn in tandem with the existing companion programme, Universal Design in Teaching and Learning which is aimed at practitioners in the classroom. The programme will also be available locally in Further and Higher Education institutions. To date, over 3,500 sector-wide recipients have successfully undertaken the Universal Design in Teaching and Learning programme in Ireland.
Goals
Build staff capacity as part of UCD University for All – an institution-wide systemic change initiative to embed access and inclusion throughout the University, ensuring an inclusive educational experience for all students.
What's the target group?
Target group
- Students experiencing educational difficulties
- Students experiencing geographical obstacles
- Students from other communities
- Students from non-academic backgrounds
- Students with caring responsibilities
- Students experiencing obstacles based on ethnic-cultural differences
- Students experiencing socioeconomic obstacles
- Students with (mental) health problems
Obstacles targetted:
- Disability
- Educational difficulties
How are students involved?
Students involvement
Design and Delivery: Programme content includes student video and written testimonials and feedback on the impact of universal design to their learning experience.
Other: Student feedback is sought by participants on their programme assignment (a redesign activity to design and implement a change to their practice)
What underlying constructs or ideas inspired the design?
Inspiration and evidence
Evaluation feedback from participants of the UD Teaching and Learning Digital Badge that there was a need for a Universal Design professional learning opportunity developed specifically for those working in further and higher education but not as teachers/lecturers.
Evaluation and effectiveness
What the success criteria and the points of attention?
Success criteria
Key elements which drive success:
- Peer Group support
- Flexible – online, self-directed content
- Inclusion of student voice and practical video case studies
Points of attention
Points which will be addressed prior to national rollout following evaluation of pilot:
- Inclusion of more case studies and examples where the practitioner is not in a direct student-facing role.
- Further streamlining of self-directed content.
(How) does the effectiveness get tracked?
Effectiveness
This is a new initiative – pilot phase just completed (Dec 2023).
Will analyse quantitative participant uptake and completion data and evaluate end of course feedback on course effectiveness at meeting learning goals and impact on practice.
Do you feel you can effectively provide the support that students require?
We strongly agree.
Would you recommend this to other institutions?
strongly agree
(How) is this initiative/support/project evaluated?
Evaluation
Yes
Closed pilot phase completed Sept-Dec 2023 with 120 participants. Anonymous feedback on module content, layout, troubleshooting issues collected from participants and facilitators via forms at the end of each of the 5 self-directed online Modules.
End of course anonymous evaluation survey (goals, content, layout, impact on practice) completed by participants and facilitators. Analysis of completion data. Evaluation report compiled and discussed with the Working Group overseeing programme development and rollout and modifications agreed with them in time for full launch in October 2024.
Practicalities
How is it communicated and advertised?
Communication
- Conference and event submission
- Media
- Social media pack (include shareable posts)
- Promotion from minister or government official
- Information Sessions
- Direct email campaigns
- Newsletters, etc.
What is the current and ideal timing and duration?
Timing
Annual national rollout Sept-Dec (led by UCD in partnership with AHEAD and hosted by the HEA National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning).
Local rollouts: An additional add-on Facilitator’s Badge is available – entitling facilitators to organise local rollouts of the programme in their own institutions at a timing which suits their local context. The programme content is available from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, as an open educational resource for use with attribution.
What resources are needed to run this initiative?
Resources
Anyone who has completed the UD Facilitators Badge is entitled to deliver a local rollout in their own institution.
As for the UD in Teaching and Learning programme, the programme content (including templates of communications to participants and a draft schedule) will be available as an open educational resource (OER) from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.
Institutions can use these materials to roll out the programme in their institution (adopting either a peer group or workshop format), promoting it through their normal professional development promotion channels.
What material can be used to learn more and to increase transferability?
Transferability
Is it easily transferrable to other contexts or groups?
Transferability
We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.
Universal design: Yes
All aspects are easily transferable to different groups and contexts. OER materials available for adaptation with acknowledgement – for example to include context-specific case studies and examples.
Institutions would need access to a shared VLE such as Moodle or Brightspace to upload the content.
If rolling out outwith the National Forum, then a mechanism to issue digital badges on successful completion.
Keywords
- outside of the curriculum
- For staff
- Large group 40+
- By staff
- Evidence: Type 1 – Narrative
- Communication targets/is tailored to specific group
- University College Dublin
- Ireland
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