One of the biggest ideas that stood out to me from this week’s readings was that there is really no such thing as an average learner. Every student comes into a learning environment with different experiences, interests, strengths, and challenges. Because of this Universal Design for Learning (UDL) encourages educators to focus on removing learning barriers, rather than expecting learners to overcome those barriers on their own (Kearney, 2022). Connecting this to my group’s interactive learning resource on gender stereotypes in the workforce. Since students will come into the lesson with different backgrounds, perspectives, and levels of knowledge about gender stereotypes, it is important that our resource provides different ways for students to understand information, engage with the content, and demonstrate their learning. 

One of the barriers we considered when designing our resource is that discussions about gender stereotypes can be uncomfortable for some students. Some students might feel nervous sharing their opinions in front of the class, while others may be worried about being judged for their views. Our resource includes Think pair share activities, small-group discussions, as well as individual reflections.

Instead of presenting information only through text, students will interact with a variety of media, including historical advertisements, infographics, discussions, videos, and real world examples. Through presenting information in different forms, students have more opportunities to connect with the content and develop their understanding (Kearney, 2022).

The image from the EDCI 335 Universal Design for Learning post of the fence with people of different heights standing in front of it looking over to the other side really stood out to me. It shows a really good example of how it encourages us to identify and remove barriers that prevent learners from succeeding. 

Another connection I noticed was our resource encourages students to question assumptions about gender, while UDL encourages educators to question assumptions about learners. The Inclusive Design Guide suggests that diversity should be expected rather than treated as exceptions which closely connects with the goals of our learning resource (Inclusive Design Research Centre, n.d.).

References

Inclusive Design Research Centre. (n.d.). The Inclusive Design Guide.

Welcome to The Inclusive Design Guide | The Inclusive Design Guide The Inclusive Design Guide 

Kearney, D. B. (Ed.). (2022). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). eCampusOntario Pressbooks.

Module 2: UDL in Post-Secondary & Technology Enabled Learning Environments – Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) 

EDCI 335 Post, Universal Design for Learning.

Universal Design – EDCI 335