How can you ensure equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners in K-12 open and distributed learning contexts? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?
In my past year of my Elem. BEd program we talked about, studied, and created lesson plans using the UDL principles in multiple classes, as well as using it in our most recent Pod Equity Assignment. I’m am becoming increasingly familiar with it, which is really great.
In Basham et al.’s chapter, they went over some of the primary issues arising with the changing environment of k-12 in open and distributed learning, especially with regards to UDL principles. They include:
- “The variability of K-12 students engaged in online learning, their abilities/disabilities, their native languages and cultures of origin, and their prior learning experiences is steadily increasing.” (Basham et al., 2018, pg. 477)
- “Elementary and secondary students with higher levels of variability enrolled in online learning are demonstrably less successful than their brick and mortar counterparts.” (Basham et al., 2018, pg. 477)
- “Online curricula including goals, assessments, methods, and materials designed for a hypothetical āaverageā student are often insufficient to address the variability of todayās learners.” (Basham et al., 2018, pg. 477)
- “On a whole, online learning can provide an efficient and effective vehicle for individualizing learning trajectories, based on real-time student progress data, that leads to student-centered decision-making.” (Basham et al., 2018, pg. 477)
- “Online learning offers unique affordances for supporting and extending UDL aligned implementation practices.” (Basham et al., 2018, pg. 477)
Something I found particularly interesting was an observation talking about how the new practice of online learning is actually providing an environment that most closely follows UDL guidelines. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about it like that, but when I continued reading, it became clear that it is because open and distributed online learning offers a large range of avenues for students to best demonstrate their learning. It’s easy to get caught up in the perceived “negatives” and isolating factors of online learning that it’s easy to overlook a lot of the positive resources and platforms it offers to students with differing learning patterns and needs. Checkpoint 7.1 of the UDL elaborates on providing choices for students in a multitude of ways in order to allow them the best opportunity for academic success and growth. Online learning designs can offer opportunities that the traditional “brick and mortar” design cannot. This isn’t to say that online learning designs are inherently “better,” but there is something to be said about the increasingly large amount of methods in which students can use online.
Something I was curious about while working on my Assignment 2 (password “equity”) was how the UDL was going to be adapted into the new open and distributed learning environment. This article showed a really competent approach to adhering online open and distributed learning to the competent UDL principles. I look forward to continuing to learning how to implement in this eventually into my own teaching practice.
As mentioned in Kral and Schwab’s article and Dr. Roberts’ topic 3 blog post, there are 8 valuable design principles meant to act as safe learning spaces for Indigenous peoples. They provide spaces that promote cultural safety, empowerment, communal socializing, and deeper inquiry into their heritage including language and cultural revitalization. I think these principles are incredibly important, especially in remote areas where Indigenous people face large amounts of racism and discrimination. It’sĀ soĀ important for Indigenous peoples, especially youth, to have a place where they feel like they belong. In some cases, it may be the only place where Indigenous youth feel safe to openly embrace their culture in a community where those around them can relate and contribute.
In Selwyn’s article about digital competence regarding COVID-19, it addressed a lot of things I was thinking about the new shift to online as of March 2020. The sudden mandatory switch highlighted the increasing need to delegate research how to further increase our “digital competence,” as we continue to hastily try to adapt our ways in the midst of this global pandemic. There is also the topic of technical failure/unexpected disruptions (such as distributed platform failure and “zoom-bombing) that highlight the fact that not every single problem can be prepared for, and that problems will arise spontaneously regardless of prep.
As far as how I ensure equitable access to necessary learning environments for K-12 learners in open and distributed learning environments, reading these articles have enlightened me on the need for adaptation, customization, amalgamation, and fusion of effective past learning principles (eg. UDL, FFPL, Culturally-responsive practices, etc) to the newer open and distributed learning practices/platforms. Necessary principle practices in tradition brick-and-mortar environments need to be customized to online learning in order for students to still benefit from the diversification of learning avenues they offer/facilitate. With the changing methods presented by COVID, we can’t afford to skimp on the necessary principles our students need, or their education will suffer.
References:
Basham, J.D., Blackorby, J., Stahl, S. & Zhang, L. (2018) Universal Design for Learning Because Students are (the) Variable.Ā In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learningĀ (pp. 477-507). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.
Kral, I. & Schwab, R.G. (2012). Chapter 4: Design Principles for Indigenous Learning Spaces. Safe Learning Spaces. Youth, Literacy and New Media in Remote Indigenous Australia. ANU Press. http://doi.org/10.22459/LS.08.2012 Retrieved from: Ā Ā http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p197731/pdf/ch041.pdf
Selwyn. N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachersā ādigital competenceā in light of COVID-19.[Weblog]. Retrieved from:Ā https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2020/04/30/1380217/online-learning-rethinking-teachers-digital-competence-in-light-of-covid-19