Project Design Proposal
Key Frameworks
Creating Accessible Options
Creating accessible options for employees, students, and customers is an issue coming to the forefront for many businesses, government offices, and education systems. For example, in Ontario, the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and in British Columbia, the BC Human Rights Code, have brought examining practices around these issues to the front of mind (Dawson & Keenan, 2009, p. 9). For the educator, this means examining how courses are built from the initial course outline to the final assessment.
Rather than following traditional educational design or barrier free design (targeted to those with a disability), universal design for learning (UDL) aims design to include diversity, “including gender, race and ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, ability, disability, and learning style” (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008, p. 3). This UDL principle began with building and product design and has expanded into education. By implementing principles of Universal Design to instruction, an educator can create courses that are open to learners with a variety of abilities and experiences.
Creating a curriculum that implements Universal Design principles is about creating a course that does not create barriers for students. There are seven principles of universal design that an educator can adhere to when creating their curriculum that reduces barriers for students and in doing so, creates a more accessible experience. Considering the principles of accessibility, flexibility, consistency, explicit instruction, and support into learning, while keeping in mind reduction of unnecessary task and ensuring adequate space, an educator can do their best to create an optimal learning experience for everyone (Dawson & Doyle, 2004. p.7).
Our Focus
Through this project, an online course, focusing on helping educators incorporate the principles of universal design into their online instruction will be developed. This course will be constructed not only to educate about universal design principles, but also to illustrate universal design principles by modeling the principles along the way. By educating faculty, decision makers, educational designers, and developers on best practices of design to improve the quality of education for their clients, and to make courses compliant with possibly applicable legislation, it will assist them with increasing the accessibility to their courses to a larger audience. A number of universities are tackling the issues of creating accessible learning experiences through creating education documents for their faculty and staff. This project will build on the tools that some universities have already by creating an online experience that will not only educate but also demonstrate sound universal design.
Building on Experience
Originally, universal design started as an architectural concept by the founder of the Center for Universal Design, Ron Mace, in North Carolina. Inspired by his own use of a wheelchair, Mr. Mace sought to make products that were useable by everyone.
"Universal design seeks to encourage attractive, marketable products that are more usable by everyone. It is designed for the built environment and consumer products for a very broad definition of user" – Ron Mace (Access to Design Profession, 2004).
The architectural principles put forward in Mace’s work were then interpreted and applied to an educational context by Frank Bowe. By applying the principles of Universal Design to education, Bowe outlined that it was the instructors and educational designers that were responsible for building a learning experience where a variety of learners with a variety of abilities could be successful. Additionally, the ideas of Burgstahler (as cited in Dawson & Doyle, 2004), which apply universal design to working with technology education.
Framing it All
In terms of creating a course on Universal Learning Design, it will be very important to incorporate educational media to provide good examples for course participants to use in their own practice. Through the use of video, audio, and images, we will provide a flexible and accessible environment for participants. One of the features of the course we want to incorporate is the creation of a community of educators to share best practices and to build on each other’s knowledge of Universal Design.
Intentions and Positions
The intention of this project is to assemble, as a team, an online learning resource that addresses the issues that course designers need to take into account around universal design. Through this learning experience, users of the website will not only be educated on universal design, but build a skill set involving universal design principles. With this design project we intend to build a base to establish a strong online community of focus and practice for all users that will foster discussion, collaboration, and support. Another focus of ours is to build a sustainable and reusable model for design and delivery of web supported higher education that can be used by a variety of academic disciplines and business models, as well as other educational providers.
It is important from the beginning of the users’ experience that the learning environment is both supportive and accessible. Having the opportunity for learners to have discussions and share learning experiences on an ongoing basis will help solidify their understanding and promote support for each other in the Universal Design for Learning environment. In order for us to accomplish this goal of a positive and sharing community, “UDL must be recognized as a learned skill, one that is refined over time” (Edyburn, 2010, p.38), for all of the stakeholders involved. By building a strong learning community we will engage users on how to make instructional innovations in both accessibility and effective delivery of education. Edyburn (2010) also states “UDL helps us understand the value of technology for providing access and engagement in learning” (p.39) and by utilizing a number of different technologies within our site, we hope to maximize the learning potential.
By building and creating a model that is both reusable and sustainable, many different types of academic disciplines as well business platforms will be able to access our design project. Edmunds (2003) states that “Many times online learners experience barriers, the stakeholders are unaware and unfamiliar with the methods of solving these problems, and this can diminish the quality of the learning experience” (p.2) With our design project we want to focus on inclusion and accessibility for everyone involved.
When considering counter arguments for our design project, one could say that the initial startup cost for the resource (web design and hosting, discussion forum moderation, IT support, and multi-media) may seem high initially. However, once the resource is operational, it is clear to see the benefit in educating stakeholders in making online learning more appealing and user-friendly, as well as increasing the number of people engaging in online learning and therefore, saving money in the end. A second counter-argument could be the perception by educational/business instructors that this design project is going to be largely time consuming. One of the key benefits to our design project is the simple and easy to follow interface, with many supportive strategies, which will help instructors move further along faster with their online learners with many supportive strategies.
The third counter-argument that could be presented is the concern of some instructors that the design project may oversimplify the course. The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of the educational experience for learners in different environments. By learning principles of universal design by the modeling experience, educators will be able to enhance their courses and make the learning experience that much better.
Universal Design for Learning provides flexibility in meeting the needs of the learner and developing a tailored educational experience that reduces the barriers of instruction. While the Universal Design for Learning digital curriculum has its inherent potential for flexibility and built-in options, it is not dependent upon technology. Universal Design for Learning can ensure accessibility with new media and technology tools; however, it relies upon the application of evidenced-based instruction practices to yield desired results.
Key Concepts and Contexts
Our design project aims for our clients is to develop a clear understanding of the core concepts behind Universal Design for Learning. This conceptual knowledge will root the theory with the depth of research and reasoning upon which it was founded. The procedural aspect of this project is to have students completing their own course design and implementing the conceptual knowledge that they have learned. As our project is designed to be a model of UDL, the course will follow best practice to be rich, varied, and inclusive.
Now, more than ever, UDL is being incorporated into classrooms. New research, pilot projects, and policies are being developed across Canada and around the world. Our project attempts to link these key developments from education to business and into the domain of online learning. We will explore how these physical allowances translate into an online platform and how, by careful planning and preparation, online learning can be more inclusive and accessible to everyone.
This group will use existing literature as a foundation related to our knowledge focus, UDL, and our specific audience of higher education and business. We will follow Burgstahler and Cory’s (2008) suggestion of implementing UDL on both the macro and micro levels ‒ through the whole program, the individual course, and the assignments and activities themselves. Orkwis and McLane (as cited in Burgstahler & Cory, 2008) suggest the following steps to curriculum developers:
Our project is set in the context of the evolving realm of online education. Despite the capability of online websites and courses to be inclusive, many have barriers to those with disabilities. Although studies have proven a similar rate of success for both online and on-campus courses (Allen, Bourhis, Burrell & Mabry, 2002), the factors for failure in online courses do differ. This is why it is important to analyze academic scholarship regarding barriers to online education. In order for our program to be successful, we must identify these barriers so that we can be aware of them in our planning. More so, we hope to utilize existing online technology to plan ways to overcome these barriers and in turn, teach our clients how to plan for inclusivity in their own class.
In looking at barriers to online education, we can apply studies in distance education as they are included under the same umbrella. Galusha (1998) identified key barriers to distance learning to be related to “costs and motivators, feedback and teacher contact, student support and services, alienation and isolation, lack of experience, and training” (p. 8).
For a more modern take, Muilenburg and Berge (2005) identify and rate barriers to success specifically in the realm of online learning. The most important to those surveyed was a lack of social interaction. This was followed up by administrative and instructor issues, both of which continue to parallel the first study. Technology problems and the cost or access to the internet and specific issues related to online education, were found to be less important (Muilenburg & Berge, 2005, p.35). Our group will consider these barriers that would be faced by all students, along with those related specifically to students with exceptionalities in order to craft a well-rounded and dynamic approach to UDL in online learning.
Interactivities
Our training initiative is designed to support the professional development of faculty, instructors, supporting staff, and other educational providers. This proposal outlines a training plan consisting of three separate strategies that will facilitate the execution of recommended best practices in UDL. We are promoting these practices in order to deliver the best learning experience to students and ensure that all online and in-class teaching moves into compliance with AODA standards. It is our expectation that all instructors will implement these practices when they deliver and manage their courses by using the quality assurance tool presented as part of the course. This tool is designed for Program Areas to support their instructors in meeting guidelines defined by AODA while ensuring overall course quality and consistency across the certificate/program.
Before we roll out our initiative, it is imperative that each institution designate a set of representatives who will be responsible for ensuring the compliance of recently passed legislation regarding AODA. More importantly, it is highly recommended that each institution hire an Accessibility Specialist who can spearhead and support any initiatives that may materialize as a result of this training.
We will introduce our project with a short promotional video on the major themes and common myths of Universal Design and the use of technology to support higher education pedagogy. The contents of this clip will seek to create awareness on the topic. This short video will feature a 7-10 minute introductory interview-styled documentary "teaser" that will seek to engage the targeted audience and encourage participants to learn more about the subject matter. The ideas presented may inspire faculty members to develop a more inclusive classroom that supports their teaching, regardless of what type of courses they deliver—classroom, flipped classroom, hybrid, or fully online. Universal Design, as a concept, is about good teaching practice and not about segregating any particular group. It is our hope that through this training, educators will be mindful of a more inclusive, all-encompassing classroom and not individual differences.
As an alternative to a linear face-to-face workshop, our design team is also proposing an online, interactive training course as the focus of our design project. This training will not only highlight the principles that guide UDL case scenarios, the recommendations for implementation and opportunities for self-assessment, but it will also model best practices in UDL. The training will first start off with a diagnostic awareness activity so that participants can gauge their understanding of UDL. Topics that will be covered as part of this training include accessing course materials, course delivery, student resources, online delivery, and student assessment (Ryerson University, 2013). This model will assist instructors in establishing protocols for creating a strong library of digital materials that will engage students. By the end of the training course, participants will be able to identify successful strategies and ideas for how to approach Universal Design and accessibility in their own online courses.
Lastly, an online discussion board, Facebook Group, and Twitter account will be created to engage current and past participants in discussions on implementing Universal Design Theory. The UDL Specialist will initiate discussion on topics, provide guidance wherever necessary, and encourage the participation and sharing of experiences of fellow faculty members. This will create a strong community of practice as participants will address the realities of meeting accessibility requirements and, more importantly, how they might design their learning to be more inclusive of all learners. Practical examples of universal versus inaccessible materials will be provided, along with candid discussions around issues that can arise when striving for Universal Design in the development of new online courses and the retrofitting of existing digital offerings.
References
Access to design professions. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.adaptenv.org/ adp/profiles/1_mace.php
Allen, M., Bourhis, J., Burrell, N., & Mabry, E. (2002). Comparing student satisfaction with distance education to traditional classrooms in higher education: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Distance Education, 16(2), 83-97.
Burgstahler, S., & Cory, R. (2008). Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Press.
Dawson, T., & Doyle, T. (2004). Universal instructional design —Creating an accessible curriculum [e-book]. Retrieved from: http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~ability/Publication %20-%20Universal%20Instructional%20Design%20University%20of%20Toronto%20 Scarborough.pdf
Dawson, T., and Keenan, L. (2009). Universal instructional design—Creating an accessible curriculum at the university of Victoria [e-book]. Victoria: First Choice books. p. 9. http://ltc.uvic.ca/servicesprograms/publications/documents/____UVicUIDBook.pdf
Edmonds, C.D. (2003). Providing access to students with disabilities in online education: Legal, technical, and practical considerations. Independent living research utilization. Retrieved from http://www.ilru.org/handhouts/2003/edmonds/ presentation.html
Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would you recognize universal design for learning if you saw it? Ten propositions for new directions for the second decade of UDL. Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(1), 33-41.
Galusha, Jill M. (1998). Barriers to learning in distance education. (S.l.). Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED416377
Muilenburg, L. Y., & Berge, Z. L. (2005). Student barriers to online learning: A factor analytic study. Distance Education , 26(1), 29-48.
Ryerson University. (2013). Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.ryerson. ca/lt/ resources/supporting_students/universal_design/index.html
Creating Accessible Options
Creating accessible options for employees, students, and customers is an issue coming to the forefront for many businesses, government offices, and education systems. For example, in Ontario, the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and in British Columbia, the BC Human Rights Code, have brought examining practices around these issues to the front of mind (Dawson & Keenan, 2009, p. 9). For the educator, this means examining how courses are built from the initial course outline to the final assessment.
Rather than following traditional educational design or barrier free design (targeted to those with a disability), universal design for learning (UDL) aims design to include diversity, “including gender, race and ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, ability, disability, and learning style” (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008, p. 3). This UDL principle began with building and product design and has expanded into education. By implementing principles of Universal Design to instruction, an educator can create courses that are open to learners with a variety of abilities and experiences.
Creating a curriculum that implements Universal Design principles is about creating a course that does not create barriers for students. There are seven principles of universal design that an educator can adhere to when creating their curriculum that reduces barriers for students and in doing so, creates a more accessible experience. Considering the principles of accessibility, flexibility, consistency, explicit instruction, and support into learning, while keeping in mind reduction of unnecessary task and ensuring adequate space, an educator can do their best to create an optimal learning experience for everyone (Dawson & Doyle, 2004. p.7).
Our Focus
Through this project, an online course, focusing on helping educators incorporate the principles of universal design into their online instruction will be developed. This course will be constructed not only to educate about universal design principles, but also to illustrate universal design principles by modeling the principles along the way. By educating faculty, decision makers, educational designers, and developers on best practices of design to improve the quality of education for their clients, and to make courses compliant with possibly applicable legislation, it will assist them with increasing the accessibility to their courses to a larger audience. A number of universities are tackling the issues of creating accessible learning experiences through creating education documents for their faculty and staff. This project will build on the tools that some universities have already by creating an online experience that will not only educate but also demonstrate sound universal design.
Building on Experience
Originally, universal design started as an architectural concept by the founder of the Center for Universal Design, Ron Mace, in North Carolina. Inspired by his own use of a wheelchair, Mr. Mace sought to make products that were useable by everyone.
"Universal design seeks to encourage attractive, marketable products that are more usable by everyone. It is designed for the built environment and consumer products for a very broad definition of user" – Ron Mace (Access to Design Profession, 2004).
The architectural principles put forward in Mace’s work were then interpreted and applied to an educational context by Frank Bowe. By applying the principles of Universal Design to education, Bowe outlined that it was the instructors and educational designers that were responsible for building a learning experience where a variety of learners with a variety of abilities could be successful. Additionally, the ideas of Burgstahler (as cited in Dawson & Doyle, 2004), which apply universal design to working with technology education.
Framing it All
In terms of creating a course on Universal Learning Design, it will be very important to incorporate educational media to provide good examples for course participants to use in their own practice. Through the use of video, audio, and images, we will provide a flexible and accessible environment for participants. One of the features of the course we want to incorporate is the creation of a community of educators to share best practices and to build on each other’s knowledge of Universal Design.
Intentions and Positions
The intention of this project is to assemble, as a team, an online learning resource that addresses the issues that course designers need to take into account around universal design. Through this learning experience, users of the website will not only be educated on universal design, but build a skill set involving universal design principles. With this design project we intend to build a base to establish a strong online community of focus and practice for all users that will foster discussion, collaboration, and support. Another focus of ours is to build a sustainable and reusable model for design and delivery of web supported higher education that can be used by a variety of academic disciplines and business models, as well as other educational providers.
It is important from the beginning of the users’ experience that the learning environment is both supportive and accessible. Having the opportunity for learners to have discussions and share learning experiences on an ongoing basis will help solidify their understanding and promote support for each other in the Universal Design for Learning environment. In order for us to accomplish this goal of a positive and sharing community, “UDL must be recognized as a learned skill, one that is refined over time” (Edyburn, 2010, p.38), for all of the stakeholders involved. By building a strong learning community we will engage users on how to make instructional innovations in both accessibility and effective delivery of education. Edyburn (2010) also states “UDL helps us understand the value of technology for providing access and engagement in learning” (p.39) and by utilizing a number of different technologies within our site, we hope to maximize the learning potential.
By building and creating a model that is both reusable and sustainable, many different types of academic disciplines as well business platforms will be able to access our design project. Edmunds (2003) states that “Many times online learners experience barriers, the stakeholders are unaware and unfamiliar with the methods of solving these problems, and this can diminish the quality of the learning experience” (p.2) With our design project we want to focus on inclusion and accessibility for everyone involved.
When considering counter arguments for our design project, one could say that the initial startup cost for the resource (web design and hosting, discussion forum moderation, IT support, and multi-media) may seem high initially. However, once the resource is operational, it is clear to see the benefit in educating stakeholders in making online learning more appealing and user-friendly, as well as increasing the number of people engaging in online learning and therefore, saving money in the end. A second counter-argument could be the perception by educational/business instructors that this design project is going to be largely time consuming. One of the key benefits to our design project is the simple and easy to follow interface, with many supportive strategies, which will help instructors move further along faster with their online learners with many supportive strategies.
The third counter-argument that could be presented is the concern of some instructors that the design project may oversimplify the course. The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of the educational experience for learners in different environments. By learning principles of universal design by the modeling experience, educators will be able to enhance their courses and make the learning experience that much better.
Universal Design for Learning provides flexibility in meeting the needs of the learner and developing a tailored educational experience that reduces the barriers of instruction. While the Universal Design for Learning digital curriculum has its inherent potential for flexibility and built-in options, it is not dependent upon technology. Universal Design for Learning can ensure accessibility with new media and technology tools; however, it relies upon the application of evidenced-based instruction practices to yield desired results.
Key Concepts and Contexts
Our design project aims for our clients is to develop a clear understanding of the core concepts behind Universal Design for Learning. This conceptual knowledge will root the theory with the depth of research and reasoning upon which it was founded. The procedural aspect of this project is to have students completing their own course design and implementing the conceptual knowledge that they have learned. As our project is designed to be a model of UDL, the course will follow best practice to be rich, varied, and inclusive.
Now, more than ever, UDL is being incorporated into classrooms. New research, pilot projects, and policies are being developed across Canada and around the world. Our project attempts to link these key developments from education to business and into the domain of online learning. We will explore how these physical allowances translate into an online platform and how, by careful planning and preparation, online learning can be more inclusive and accessible to everyone.
This group will use existing literature as a foundation related to our knowledge focus, UDL, and our specific audience of higher education and business. We will follow Burgstahler and Cory’s (2008) suggestion of implementing UDL on both the macro and micro levels ‒ through the whole program, the individual course, and the assignments and activities themselves. Orkwis and McLane (as cited in Burgstahler & Cory, 2008) suggest the following steps to curriculum developers:
- Provide all text in digital format
- Provide captions for all audio
- Provide educationally relevant descriptions for images and graphical layouts
- Provide captions for all videos
- Provide cognitive supports for content and activities
- Summarize big ideas
- Provide scaffolding for learning and generalization
- Build fluency through practice
- Provide assessments for background knowledge
- Include explicit strategies to make clear the goals and methods of instruction (p.35-37).
Our project is set in the context of the evolving realm of online education. Despite the capability of online websites and courses to be inclusive, many have barriers to those with disabilities. Although studies have proven a similar rate of success for both online and on-campus courses (Allen, Bourhis, Burrell & Mabry, 2002), the factors for failure in online courses do differ. This is why it is important to analyze academic scholarship regarding barriers to online education. In order for our program to be successful, we must identify these barriers so that we can be aware of them in our planning. More so, we hope to utilize existing online technology to plan ways to overcome these barriers and in turn, teach our clients how to plan for inclusivity in their own class.
In looking at barriers to online education, we can apply studies in distance education as they are included under the same umbrella. Galusha (1998) identified key barriers to distance learning to be related to “costs and motivators, feedback and teacher contact, student support and services, alienation and isolation, lack of experience, and training” (p. 8).
For a more modern take, Muilenburg and Berge (2005) identify and rate barriers to success specifically in the realm of online learning. The most important to those surveyed was a lack of social interaction. This was followed up by administrative and instructor issues, both of which continue to parallel the first study. Technology problems and the cost or access to the internet and specific issues related to online education, were found to be less important (Muilenburg & Berge, 2005, p.35). Our group will consider these barriers that would be faced by all students, along with those related specifically to students with exceptionalities in order to craft a well-rounded and dynamic approach to UDL in online learning.
Interactivities
Our training initiative is designed to support the professional development of faculty, instructors, supporting staff, and other educational providers. This proposal outlines a training plan consisting of three separate strategies that will facilitate the execution of recommended best practices in UDL. We are promoting these practices in order to deliver the best learning experience to students and ensure that all online and in-class teaching moves into compliance with AODA standards. It is our expectation that all instructors will implement these practices when they deliver and manage their courses by using the quality assurance tool presented as part of the course. This tool is designed for Program Areas to support their instructors in meeting guidelines defined by AODA while ensuring overall course quality and consistency across the certificate/program.
Before we roll out our initiative, it is imperative that each institution designate a set of representatives who will be responsible for ensuring the compliance of recently passed legislation regarding AODA. More importantly, it is highly recommended that each institution hire an Accessibility Specialist who can spearhead and support any initiatives that may materialize as a result of this training.
We will introduce our project with a short promotional video on the major themes and common myths of Universal Design and the use of technology to support higher education pedagogy. The contents of this clip will seek to create awareness on the topic. This short video will feature a 7-10 minute introductory interview-styled documentary "teaser" that will seek to engage the targeted audience and encourage participants to learn more about the subject matter. The ideas presented may inspire faculty members to develop a more inclusive classroom that supports their teaching, regardless of what type of courses they deliver—classroom, flipped classroom, hybrid, or fully online. Universal Design, as a concept, is about good teaching practice and not about segregating any particular group. It is our hope that through this training, educators will be mindful of a more inclusive, all-encompassing classroom and not individual differences.
As an alternative to a linear face-to-face workshop, our design team is also proposing an online, interactive training course as the focus of our design project. This training will not only highlight the principles that guide UDL case scenarios, the recommendations for implementation and opportunities for self-assessment, but it will also model best practices in UDL. The training will first start off with a diagnostic awareness activity so that participants can gauge their understanding of UDL. Topics that will be covered as part of this training include accessing course materials, course delivery, student resources, online delivery, and student assessment (Ryerson University, 2013). This model will assist instructors in establishing protocols for creating a strong library of digital materials that will engage students. By the end of the training course, participants will be able to identify successful strategies and ideas for how to approach Universal Design and accessibility in their own online courses.
Lastly, an online discussion board, Facebook Group, and Twitter account will be created to engage current and past participants in discussions on implementing Universal Design Theory. The UDL Specialist will initiate discussion on topics, provide guidance wherever necessary, and encourage the participation and sharing of experiences of fellow faculty members. This will create a strong community of practice as participants will address the realities of meeting accessibility requirements and, more importantly, how they might design their learning to be more inclusive of all learners. Practical examples of universal versus inaccessible materials will be provided, along with candid discussions around issues that can arise when striving for Universal Design in the development of new online courses and the retrofitting of existing digital offerings.
References
Access to design professions. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.adaptenv.org/ adp/profiles/1_mace.php
Allen, M., Bourhis, J., Burrell, N., & Mabry, E. (2002). Comparing student satisfaction with distance education to traditional classrooms in higher education: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Distance Education, 16(2), 83-97.
Burgstahler, S., & Cory, R. (2008). Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Press.
Dawson, T., & Doyle, T. (2004). Universal instructional design —Creating an accessible curriculum [e-book]. Retrieved from: http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~ability/Publication %20-%20Universal%20Instructional%20Design%20University%20of%20Toronto%20 Scarborough.pdf
Dawson, T., and Keenan, L. (2009). Universal instructional design—Creating an accessible curriculum at the university of Victoria [e-book]. Victoria: First Choice books. p. 9. http://ltc.uvic.ca/servicesprograms/publications/documents/____UVicUIDBook.pdf
Edmonds, C.D. (2003). Providing access to students with disabilities in online education: Legal, technical, and practical considerations. Independent living research utilization. Retrieved from http://www.ilru.org/handhouts/2003/edmonds/ presentation.html
Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would you recognize universal design for learning if you saw it? Ten propositions for new directions for the second decade of UDL. Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(1), 33-41.
Galusha, Jill M. (1998). Barriers to learning in distance education. (S.l.). Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED416377
Muilenburg, L. Y., & Berge, Z. L. (2005). Student barriers to online learning: A factor analytic study. Distance Education , 26(1), 29-48.
Ryerson University. (2013). Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.ryerson. ca/lt/ resources/supporting_students/universal_design/index.html