Inclusive by Design: Increasing Access to Education for all Students

(Project completed 2018) Course structures are often not as fully inclusive as they could be for students with diverse learning needs. More specifically, students with disabilities and those who have English as a second language may benefit from practices that make content more accessible (without changing the rigor or learning goals for the course). This is particularly true for courses at the undergraduate level that may include face-to-face, lecture, interactive activities, and online components. Very few faculty members have direct experience with instructional design and the impact of their practices on student learning (outside of the content itself). Furthermore, even fewer members have an understanding of how diverse learner characteristics impact their ability to process information and complete course requirements. The first phase of this project was to collect data on the relationship between inclusive teaching practices and perceived accessibility. Findings were mixed but on the whole supported the impact of inclusive practices with positive student experiences. The study also indicated a need for validated measures of access within the college learning environment. Phase two was a collaboration with the CTL: the project supported production and posting of instructional strategies as a resource for faculty as they build their course syllabi, lesson plans, class activities, assignment rubrics, and assessments.