Assessing the I Want to Work workbook for the principles of Universal Design for Learning

Assessing the I Want to Work workbook for the principles of Universal Design for Learning

Dana Yarbrough

Graduate Student, George Washington University

Universal Design for Learning

Too often, students with and without disabilities are expected to learn in a one-size fits all approach – read a text book chapter on Abraham Lincoln and write an essay on the chapter, for example. Coyne et al. (2006) stated that Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an “approach to creating more flexible teaching and learning experiences” for all students. Using a UDL approach (goals methods, materials and assessments), students may, depending on how they best comprehend information (i.e., visually, verbally or tactilely), read the book chapter on Abraham Lincoln, watch a video of his life, or visit a museum featuring Lincoln exhibits, and then have an option of assessments to share what they learned (e.g., taking a written quiz, having someone reading questions to them and recording their spoken answers, or developing a portfolio of photos, timelines and information).

To provide students with the opportunities just described, UDL is framed by three main principles: 1) support for recognition learning; 2) support for strategic learning; and 3) support for affective learning. As seen from the chart below, incorporated into these three principles of UDL are nine guidelines that CAST recommends for accommodating a variety of learners needing to access, understand and engage with educational materials.

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Under Principle 1 for providing multiple means of presentation that support resourceful and knowledgeable learners, guidelines suggest that information needs to be presented in a variety of modalities (e.g., through touch) and representations (for example, enlarged print)so students can recognize and sort what they see, hear and read.

Principle 2 highlights the provision of multiple means of action and expression for enabling strategic, goal-oriented learners. The guidelines under this principle recommend presenting information in a variety of formats so the student can navigate the content and express what they know about the content in the way they communicate best.

And, finally, Principle 3 addresses providing multiple means of engagement so we have purposeful and motivated learners. Guidelines in this area stress the importance of not only appealing to a learner’s interests to get their attention but that also challenge the learner and prompt him to interact with others for support so we maintain the learner’s interest and attention.

In a nutshell, this is what we learn, how we learn, and why we learn.

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UDL and Transition Assessments

For this class assignment, I schose to assess a tool (used for gathering information for employment) against the principles and guidelines for UDL. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that students with disabilities receiving special educations services and supports be assessed (beginning at age 16) for their preferences and needs related to post high school goals. The assessment process should be on-going, age-appropriate, and include formal and informal tools to gather the student’s dreams for things like college, vocational education, independent living, community participation, and employment. UDL provides “an opportunity to develop a self-determined youth who is an expert in his/her own transition journey.” (Smith & Karger, 2012)

To identify a career interest, “the employment process should begin with a getting-to-know-the-job-seeker phase.” (Trach & Shelton, p. 9). Two philosophies or approaches are often used in this identification process – person-centered descriptions and discovery.

The development of person-centered description helps a person get a better life, according to how he defines it; recognizes the gifts and talents the person brings to the community; puts intentional focus on what is important to him; helps family members, educators, employers and professionals better support the person; is the foundation on which to build friendships, relationships and belonging in the community; and guides the development of education, employment and life goals.

Person-centered descriptions can be developed using a variety of tools. Most common are PATHs (planning alternative tomorrows with hope), ELP (essential lifestyle planning), and MAPs (making action plans). PATHs start in the future and work backwards to beginning steps which are possible and positive to meet that goal in the future. ELP is a snapshot of how someone wants to live today and a blueprint of how to support that person tomorrow. MAPs is about listening to a person’s dreams, acknowledging their nightmares, then building a rich portrait of their gifts and talents to the person and their support team can focus on simply daily actions.

Discovery is a process used to customize employment for an individual with a disability. Instead of beginning with a review of existing job openings, a team supporting the individual instead starts with getting to know him in terms of his interests, preferences, support needs, abilities and contributions and then custom tailoring a job for him. “Without this critical up front information gathering, along with the engagement of the person and their natural supports, long-term job sustainability is difficult if not impossible.” (Supported Employment: laying the groundwork through discovery and confirmation, 2012).

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The I Want to Work workbook (2012), developed by staff and volunteers (with disabilities) at the Partnership for People with Disabilities located at Virginia Commonwealth University, was designed to “assist people with intellectual and other disabilities to assemble information that they can use to obtain employment.” The book can be found at http://www.personcenteredpractices.org/pdfs/want_to_work_workbook.pdf.

Overall, I believe this workbook includes many features of UDL. It is very person-centered and could be used to begin the discovery process. Keeping in mind that it is just one of many evaluation tools that can be used to assess a transition-aged student, the chart below provides examples of what worked/didn’t work with this tool as aligned with some of the guidelines from the three UDL principles, and includes a sample timeline of when activities for consideration to improve the tool might be accomplished:

Guideline/Principle

Provide Multiple Means of Representations

What works

What could be improved

By when

1: Provide options for perception

1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information

1.2 Offer alternatives for auditory information

1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information

The I Want to Work wookbook was developed as a powerpoint for on-line management and can be printed as full page slides and bound into a hard copy workbook. The formatting as a powerpoint allows for customizing what’s on a page if the supporter helping the student wants to change words, questions, etc. or add or delete pages

Because it has an electronic format (powerpoint), font size, graphics, colors can be easily changed

It allows for the tool to be shown on the wall as a powerpoint during a team meeting or individual pages printed and given to individual team members for completion prior to the meeting

There is concern that reader software (text to speech) might not work with a powerpoint format. The information may need to be placed into boxes with alt tags and converted to a pdf format. This might also not allow the person to use it on-line as originally intended – a fillable form

Try tool with at least one speech reader software (Oct 2012)

Discuss possible formats (accessible with this type of technology) with an IT specialist (Nov 2012)

Develop an accessible screen reader format (Dec 2012)

2: Provide options for language, mathematical expressions and symbols

2.1 Clarify vocabulary and symbols

2.2 Clarify syntax and structure

2.3 Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols

2.4 Promote understanding across languages

2.5 Illustrate through multiple media

The workbook contains many symbols that emphasize or relate to text on the page (i.e. an icon of a school house symbolizing education, a smiley face representing things that make me happy/I like)

The workbook also uses simpler words

The workbook is not text heavy in the first sections

Again, there is concern that a powerpoint layout may not work easily with reader software

There is no tactile feedback, unless the workbook was made available in Braille

The workbook is only available in English

Some of the symbols are confusing and do not seem representational (e.g. man with 6 arms)

The tool only uses text and graphics – there are no videos (a fireman discussing what he likes/doesn’t like about his job) or realistic images (photo of someone playing with dog and photo of someone cleaning up dog poop to show the good and not so good parts of a job)

Although the workbook is not text heavy in the first three sections, there may be terms that need defining

Explore software that automatically translates websites into different language to see if the same concept works with an on-line powerpoint (Nov 2012)

build in a glossary of terms (Nov 2012)

Bring together a couple cultural liaisons to discuss translation options (should the workbook be translated into Spanish (at a minimum) or would using the on-line translator software work so the workbook remains flexible (Dec 2012)

Add video and/or photos on some of the pages (Jan 2013)

3: Provide options for comprehension

3.1 Activate or supply background knowledge

3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships

3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation

3.4 Maximize transfer and generalization

By its very nature, the tool, as a workbook, allows for answers to questions to be turned into a resume by chunking and scaffolding information that builds on prior pages (in a sequential order)

The workbook primes and cues the student with key employment related questions and concepts (e.g., paid or volunteer activities I have done, supports that work best for me, things I am interested in. These help him/her to make the logical jump to generalizing activities as achievements, supports as accommodations, interests as possible career choices)

Chapter 3 incorporates from the discovery process prompts for students to share what supports they may need in a work environment

There is a facilitators guide that accompanies the workbook that includes prompts, sentence starters

There are some resources that could be embedded (i.e.. A Life 4 Me, the 411 on Disclosure, the JAN website) to further content knowledge

Include a resource page with hyperlinks to sites for further career exploration and employment concept building (Dec 2012)

Add video and/or photos on some of the pages (Jan 2013)

Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

What works

What could be improved

By when

4: Provide options for physical action

4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation

4.2 Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

As an on-line tool, a student can use a keyboard or joy stick to navigate.

As a hard copy tool, the student can turn the pages

As mentioned previously, having the workbook designed using Powerpoint may not allow the use of text to speech or speech to text software

Try tool with at least one speech reader software (Oct 2012)

Discuss possible formats (accessible with this type of technology) with an IT specialist (Nov 2012)

Develop an accessible screen reader format (Dec 2012)

5: Provide options for expressive and communication

5.1 Use multiple media for communication

5.2 Use multiple media for construction and composition

5.3 Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance

There are spaces provided on almost every page for recording answers (typing them into powerpoint or writing them on hard copy page)

There is a facilitators guide that accompanies the workbook that includes prompts, sentence starters.

This workbook could be done individually, individually with a facilitator, or in small group (with peer support)

It is not clear that the student could not only end up with a hard copy resume, but what about those who might need to videotape their resume or would like to post them in some other social media format (e.g., blog, Facebook, chat room)

There are some resources that could be embedded (i.e.. A Life 4 Me, the 411 on Disclosure, the JAN website) to further content knowledge

Add examples besides traditional text-based resumes (Jan 2013)

Include a resource page with hyperlinks to sites for further career exploration and employment concept building (Dec 2012)

Add video and/or photos on some of the pages (Jan 2013)

6: Provide options for executive functions

6.1 Guide appropriate goal- setting

6.2 Support planning and strategy development

6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources

6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

As mentioned previously, the workbook does a nice job scaffolding information. Each page allows for time to think, to discuss, before answering

There are pages for collecting information (feedback about me) from other people

It is clear that information will be collected with the ultimate goal of writing a resume

Section 4 (resume) provides example language for writing job goals, skills, achievements, etc.

The facilitators guide includes several sample resumes

Remembering that this is just one tool of many that can be used in the transition assessment process, the workbook could be improved by providing more information in chapter 2 on how interests link to different careers. For example, if the interests are listening to people, liking to greet people, to help someone feel happy, etc., the student may not know that they could begin career search by learning more about jobs in social work, as a nurse, in human resources or retail management. Many of these careers will require college which is not addressed in this workbook at all

Include a resource page with hyperlinks to sites for further career exploration and employment concept building (Dec 2012)

Add video and/or photos on some of the pages (Jan 2013)

Provide Multiple Means of Engagement

What works

What could be improved

By when

7: Provide options for recruiting interest

7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy

7.2 Optimize relevance, value and authenticity

7.3 Minimize threats and distractions

This workbook should engage a student’s interest because it is relevant to them -- they get to talk about themselves and to set their own employment goals.

This workbook allows them a way to organize information that can easily be updated as interests change, as achievements are made, as new jobs or volunteer activities are held

There are sections in the workbook that allow for self-reflection (e.g., what do I admire about myself, what makes a bad day for me) - they are recognized as experts in their own transition journey

This workbook could be done individually or individually with a facilitator to avoid distractions of working in a group

This workbook was designed with students with intellectual disabilities who were for the most part educated in a self-contained special education classroom. There needs to be some attention to using the workbook with students with higher incidence disabilities, students without disabilities. As mentioned above, college is not introduced at all in this workbook and many careers will require postsecondary education

Test the workbook with students without disabilities and with students with higher incidence disabilities to learn what modifications may need to be made to the layout, sections, information collected (Jan 2013)

8: Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence

8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives

8.2 Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

8.3 Foster collaboration and community

8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback

The workbook includes some questions that require the students to collaborate and collect information/ feedback from peers, teachers, family members, former employers

This workbook provides a facilitators guide. The facilitator could be another student (peer tutor)

The workbook needs some reference to postsecondary education (college, adult education, vocational education) that promotes concept of life long learning – a requirement for successful employment (whether it is on the job training, on-going professional development, etc.)

Include a resource page with hyperlinks to sites for further exploration and postsecondary education concept building (Dec 2012)

9: Provide options for self-regulation

9.1 Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation

9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies

9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection

This workbook should engage a student’s interest because it is relevant to them -- they get to talk about themselves and to set their own employment goals

There are sections in the workbook that allow for self-reflection (e.g., what do I admire about myself, what makes a bad day for me)

While the workbook asks a student to describe what a good and bad day look like, it doesn’t include information on how students can control the number of bad days they have (to be in control of their own behavior and decision-making)

Include a resource page with hyperlinks to sites for further exploration and self-determination concept building (Dec 2012)

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References:

CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author

Coyne, P., Ganley, P., Hall, T., Murray, E. & Gordon, D. (2006). Applying Universal Design in the Classroom. In D. RFose & A. Meyer (Eds). A Practical Reader in Universal Design for Learning. (pp. 1-13). Cambridge Ma: Harvard Education Press.

Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University. (2012). I Want to Work workbook. Richmond, VA: Author

Smith, F. & Karger, J. (2012). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Transition Journey. Retrieved from http://www.sharedwork.org/web/transition/wiki;jsessionid=C842A3B2B6F4445AF6791838CB6CBBFF?p_p_id=36&p_p_lifecycle=1&p_p_state=exclusive&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-1&p_p_col_count=1&_36_struts_action=%2Fwiki%2Fget_page_attachment&p_r_p_185834411_nodeId=58982&p_r_p_185834411_title=Dinner+Presentation+-+UDL+in+Transition+and+Employment&p_r_p_185834411_title=Dinner+Presentation+-+UDL+in+Transition+and+Employment&_36_fileName=FinalUDLPresoTransition.pptx

Supported Employment: laying the groundwork through discovery and confirmation. (2012). Retrieved October 18, 2012, from http://pacs.unt.edu/wise/content/supported-employment-laying-groundwork-through-discovery-and-confirmation

Trach, J. & Shelden, D. (1999). Natural Supports: a foundation for employment. Research to Practice Series (Number 16) . American Association on Mental Retardation

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