Supporting Students with Disabilities: An In-class Approach

1. Supporting Students with Disabilities:An In-class Approach Darla Benton Kearney Learning Strategist Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

2. Agenda • Purpose • Background • Universal Design for Instruction • Principles • Implementation • Classroom Learning Strategies • Accommodations and You • Resources • Questions

3. Purpose • The purpose of this presentation is to: • Give you support to improve the learning experience for students who have disabilities. • Discuss Universal Design for Instruction principles and how they can make your classroom more accessible. • Give you learning strategies for your students, to improve their independent learning. • Answer questions regarding accommodations. • Is there anything I have missed?

4. Background • Many faculty are looking to address a variety of classroom issues: • Many students are in need of a wide variety of accommodations and trying to make sure all needs are met. • Do you feel as though students in need of additional support has grown? You are not imagining things!

5. Background From Universal Instructional Design in Post-Secondary Setting: An Implementation Guide-Jim Bryson-Georgian College

6. Background • Looking for a solution to these classroom issues lead to me: • Faculty in Disability Services • For almost 5 years • Learning Strategist • Teach only students who have learning challenges. • Teach the Alternative Learning Strategies course for students with learning disabilities • Standard accommodations are not necessary in this course due to UDI principles.

7. Universal Design for Instruction

8. Universal Design for InstructionPrinciples • Universal Design for Instruction is a method of instructional that provides accessible course content to accommodate a variety of learner needs and learning styles. Works for all! Works better for many!

9. Universal Design for InstructionPrinciples

10. Universal Design for InstructionPrinciples • The underlying principle is that all students can have access to whatever they need to learn. • For example: • One student cannot listen and take notes at the same time. • Another student needs to review their notes 3x more often because of a working memory deficit. • Another student cannot pay attention through an entire lecture (even with medication) and is missing portions of their notes. • Solution: • Post lecture notes. This takes care of the three students that need notes due to their disability, and also allows the rest of the class to take the information given and learn it in whatever way they learn best.

11. Universal Design for InstructionImplementation

12. Universal Design for InstructionImplementation

13. Classroom Learning Strategies

14. Classroom Learning StrategiesCourse Outlines and Learning Plans • Teaching Course Outlines and Learning Plans • This will allow you to be explicit about the course expectations, as well as your own. • Detailed course outlines and learning plans = time saved for you and the students.

15. Classroom Learning StrategiesCourse Outlines and Learning Plans • Teaching Course Outlines and Learning Plans • Many students are surprised to hear just how much information is on their course outlines and learning plans. • The majority of students have never heard the following phrases: • Learning Outcome • Learning Element • Assessment Method • Associated Outcome(s)

16. Classroom Learning StrategiesCourse Outlines and Learning Plans • How faculty can support: • Develop a clear learning plan that gives specific due dates. • When giving assignments and tests, reference the learning outcomes and learning elements on the course outline and learning plan. • Refer to your course outline and/or learning plan often to start students using these tools independently.

17. Classroom Learning StrategiesNote Taking • Section Notes • The important information section: • Test and assignment information • Group member information • The lecture note section: • What the professor states in class • Class discussion notes • The diagrams section: • Any images the instructor uses • A visual clue to help students remember information

18. Classroom Learning StrategiesNote Taking • How faculty can support: • Outline what should go in each column as you lecture. This will take the guess work out for students who are concerned they are going to miss something. • Review the “Important Information” section to ensure your students have critical information.

19. Classroom Learning StrategiesStudying • Regular Review Strategy • Step 1:After each class the student is instructed to review his/her lecture notes and handouts. • This will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. • Step 2: That evening, the student is instructed to review all of the class notes from that day. • Step 3:Recommend that students highlight their lecture notes during this time or make notes beside important points. Advise students to place a star beside any material they are confused about. This way they can seek clarification or a tutor early.

20. Classroom Learning StrategiesStudying • How faculty can support: • Remind students to review their notes. • This is a difficult habit to form. • Provide 10 minutes at the end of class just for students to review and ask questions if they have any. • Give a quick review of main points at the end of the lecture. Then give the same quick review again a the beginning of the next lecture.

21. Classroom Learning StrategiesTest Taking • Multiple Choice Tests • Step 1: Cover the answers and read the question. Students are encouraged to answer the question in their head or on a piece of scrap paper. • Step 2: The student then uncovers the answers and sees if the answer he/she thought of is there. If the answer he/she thought of is there he/she selects it. If the answer is not there, he/she proceeds to step 3. • Step 3: Students are encouraged to mark their first instinct with a small dash at the side of the question. Then, narrow down the possible answers by drawing a line through those answers that he/she knows is incorrect. 

22. Classroom Learning StrategiesTest Taking • Multiple Choice Tests Continued • Step 4: If the student still cannot decide which is the correct answer they are advised to leave the question and move onto the next. • Continue steps 1 to 4 for each question on the test. • Step 5: At the end of the test students go back to the beginning and fill in all of the blank answers. When they come to a question that they still do not know the answer to, they are advised to pick their first instinct and move on.

23. Classroom Learning StrategiesTest Taking • How faculty can support: • Ensure you have enough time for your tests. • Explicitly tell students what you are expecting. • In the case of multiple choice tests students are to choose the best possible answer. • In the case of long answer tests, each point the student makes will be worth a mark, etc. • Review tests with students. • Create as relaxing an environment as you can.

24. Accommodations and Resources

25. Accommodations and You • The basics are these: • Accommodations are determined by the student’s clinical documentation, in consultation with the educational documentation and student. • Accommodations are the student’s responsibility to arrange. • Meaning, if the student does not give a testing form to write their tests with extra time, they have not booked their test and they will be writing in class. • Accommodations outlined on the Confidential Academic Accommodation Plan are items the student requires to make the learning environment accessible to them.

26. Accommodations and You • Student responsibilities: • Students seeking accommodations need to self-identify to Disability Services. • Students are expected to be a partner in their accommodations with Disability Services and faculty. • Students need to comply with the alternative testing procedures • Including completing testing forms a minimum of 5 business days prior to a test. • Students are responsible for providing faculty with a Confidential Academic Accommodation Plan if they intend to access accommodations at the college.

27. Accommodations and You • Faculty responsibilities: • Faculty are to provide the necessary accommodations outlined on the Confidential Academic Accommodation Plan when possible. • Maintain student confidentiality regarding individuals in your class/program who may have disabilities. • Be open to discussing accommodations with students who have disabilities. • Students are encouraged by Disability Services to discuss their needs with their faculty. • Faculty are responsible for providing tests to Disability Services for those students who have booked to write a test with Disability Services.

28. Resources • Faculty and staff are not alone: • Faculty and staff are always welcome to contact Disability Services for support. • In a specific situation • Just general questions • If you have an inquiry about a specific student, contact the student’s Case Manager. • Case Manager information can be found on the bottom of the students Confidential Academic Accommodation Plan.

29. Resources • For students: • Students are encouraged to work with Disability Services to find the accommodations that will best support their learning at college. • A wide variety of accommodations and support persons are available for students with disabilities. • The Alternative Learning Strategies Course offers students with learning disabilities an opportunity to learn individualized learning strategies to support their unique needs. • The course is offered through GAS and meets the requirements for a General Education elective. • For more information students and faculty can go to https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/dept/stdev/Disability/

30. Resources • Disability Services Web Site: • http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/dept/stdev/Disability/DSstrategies.html • Innovation and Applied Research • http://iar.mohawkcollege.ca/ • Universal Instructional Design • http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/dept/stdev/Disability/DSfaculty.html • Information for Faculty • http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/dept/stdev/Disability/DSfaculty.html • Strategic Instruction Model • http://www.ku-crl.org/iei/index.html

31. Questions • What would you still like to know?