Think UDL

Welcome to Episode 156 of the Think UDL podcast: Math Choices and Contract Grading with Tracey Howell and Trina Palmer. Dr. Tracey Howell is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Dr. Trina Palmer is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Appalachian State University. In today’s conversation we discuss several UDL interventions in math courses including contract grading and various choices you can give your students in math courses. We will discuss the benefits and types of contracts you could use if you implement contract grading as well as student reaction to contract grading. We also discuss the use of technology and opportunities for choice in math classes and how these were received looking at student feedback. Trina and Tracey have graciously shared their slides from a presentation they gave on this topic and you’ll find it in the resource section just before the transcript on this episode’s webpage at ThinkUDL.org.

Welcome to Episode 155 of the Think UDL podcast: Accessible Initiatives with Carly Lesoski, Courtney Floyd, and Majo Brito Paez. Carly Lesoski is the Learning Innovation Program Manager at the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning. Courtney Floyd is a Senior Learning Designer in the Learning Design and Innovation’s Learning Lab at Dartmouth and Majo Brito Paez is also a Learning Designer in LDI’s Learning Lab at Dartmouth. In today’s conversation we will discuss the free and helpful resources that these brilliant minds have produced that we can now all use to help our faculty and staff incorporate UDL into our learning environments, including fantastic case studies that anyone can use for their own trainings on UDL in higher education, so that you are not left reinventing the wheel at your institution. 

Welcome to Episode 154 of the Think UDL podcast: Slow Pedagogy with Constanza Bartholomae. Constanza Bartholomae is the Interim Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. I’ve worked with her several times and we share a passion for engaging environments and, of course, UDL. Today’s conversation centers on Slow Pedagogy and UDL. You’ll learn not only what Slow Pedagogy means, but also how to implement more thoughtful, deep-learner driven interventions into your teaching practice. And perhaps, give you another way to think about how your students learn and how to go about designing your courses.  You’ll find the resources mentioned in this conversation in the resource section just before the transcript on ThinkUDL.org.

Welcome to Episode 153 of the Think UDL podcast: Designing For Success in Online Learning with Nicole Messier. Nicole Messier is the Associate Director of Instructional Design @ University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) where she leads the instructional design team, manages course development and instructional design projects, facilitates equity-focused workshops, consults with UIC instructors, and collaborates with UIC stakeholders on projects, initiatives, and committee work. Nicole brings her passion for curriculum development and education reform to every course, project, and training including the reason for today’s conversation, a presentation called Designing for Success: Integrating Executive Function Supports and UDL in Online Learning. In today’s episode, we will discuss how small design choices make a big impact on student success. We will explore how to support learners by tapping into the power of executive functioning skills like time management, organization, planning, and self-regulation, and apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies that foster autonomy, reflection, and engagement. We’ll discuss practical, easy-to-implement techniques that help students stay on track, feel empowered, and thrive in online learning environments. Whether you're refreshing an existing course or building something new, you'll leave with actionable ideas to make your design more inclusive, supportive, and success-oriented. You’ll find the resources mentioned in this conversation in the resource section just before the transcript on ThinkUDL.org.

Welcome to Episode 152 of the Think UDL podcast: OER Resources with Carolee Clyne from UDL in 15 minutes. This episode features Carolee Clyne from BCcampus in British Columbia. She shares her passion for Open Education Resources and how they connect with UDL. This episode is a feed drop of another UDL podcast called UDL in 15 minutes, hosted by Loui Lord Nelson, a scholar, author, and UDL advocate and consultant, and also my friend and a fabulously generous person! When I broke my ankle in 2023, she sent me a surprise care package with all the things I needed in my recovery since she had gone through the same thing!  Funny story, Loui and I started our podcasts within a week of one another in 2018 and have been fans of each other’s work since then. Loui’s podcast focuses mainly on UDL in the K-12 setting, while Think UDL focusses on UDL in Higher Ed and beyond. I interviewed her for my podcast (checkout Episode 116, the UDL gears with Loui Lord Nelson, after you listen to this one!) and she has hosted me on her podcast, Episode 126 of UDL in 15 minutes: Using UDL to Design Campus Policies and Procedures. The reason for this feed drop is to make our listeners aware of the quality UDL work going on all over the world on behalf of learners of all ages. Check out the UDL in 15 minutes website to see many more episodes that intersect with UDL in higher Education, mostly in the teacher education area in colleges and universities, but there are a few other gems that are directly related to higher education, too. We want you to gain inspiration, build on the ideas you hear, identify new connections, and increase accessibility, equity and inclusion for all learners. Thank you for listening to the Think UDL podcast.

Welcome to Episode 151 of the Think UDL podcast: Conversational Quizzes with Meghan Donnelly. Dr. Meghan Donnelly is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. I had the good fortune to meet her in a UDL course for higher Ed educators and her final project dazzled me and left me wanting to know more about her use of conversational quizzes in her course. I also wanted to get the word out to others who may see this as a useful tool in their teaching toolbox. Of course this works in particular contexts such as in-person, small to medium enrollment courses, but it may be something that sparks a similar type of creative and collaborative assessment in your area. Meghan has also put together a fantastic resource document with instructions on how to replicate what she has done in her class, and you can find that on the Think UDL. org website. This conversation was so fun and creative and I think you’ll enjoy it

Welcome to Episode 150 of the Think UDL podcast: Programmatic UDL in Professional Studies with Erin Lewis. Dr. Erin Lewis is the Director of Professional Studies at Appalachian State University and a trusted colleague on our newly opened Hickory campus. She is also one of the only women I actually feel short around since she and I are right around 6 feet tall and she can still rock the high heels that i gave up on in my youth! For that, and for many other ways she is a dynamo on our campus and for our university, she has attained hero status in my eyes. The professional Studies major is available to all students (traditional and non-traditional, in-person and online) at App State in Boone, Hickory and online. In this episode we will discuss the ways that this major and program have adopted many UDL design aspects to lower barriers for students both on the macro level to degree completion, and in the micro level in some of the courses that comprise the major. It is a discussion of how a university can lower barriers to learning without reducing rigor and by providing a path for learner agency to degree completion and student success. I think you’ll really enjoy listening to the success stories at the end of our discussion as well!

Welcome to Episode 149 of the Think UDL podcast: Advancing Learning with Nicole Parsons. Dr. Nicole Parsons is an Associate Professor and the Co-Director of the Program for Advancement of Learning or PAL at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. I was impressed by the PAL program when I heard about it at a recent conference and also the important UDL research they are doing to advance learning for their students. If you want to learn more about UDL interventions in statistics classes, listen to episode 148 of this podcast: Students Tell Us What Works in Statistics with Jen McNally and Laura Callis. In today’s episode, Nicole Parsons and I discuss the program for advancement of learning (PAL) in general and how this brings down barriers for students at Curry College.

Welcome to Episode 148 of the Think UDL podcast: Students Tell Us What Works in Statistics with Jen McNally and Laura Callis. Jen McNally is a Professor and the Math Area Coordinator in the Department of Science and Mathematics at Curry College. Laura Callis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics. Jen is the PI, or Principal Investigator, and Laura is the Co-PI of the DISCUS-IS (Discourse to Improve Student Conceptual Understanding of Statistics in Inclusive Settings) project which we will be exploring today. Jen and Laura have found that students are often the best collaborators to understand what UDL interventions and applications work best in their particular settings. Their project is particularly focussed in statistics and today’s conversation will explore how to help students learn and even have a little fun in statistics classes using UDL. From flipping pennies to dolphin tricks, this episode has it all. You can also find the resources associated with today’s conversation on the thinkUDL.org website and thank you for listening to the Think UDL podcast.

Welcome to Episode 147 of the Think UDL podcast: Nursing Education with John Gilmore and Freda Browne. Dr. John P Gilmore (RGN FHEA) is an Assistant Professor and Head of Subject - Adult General Nursing, and Dr. Freda Browne, is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the BS General Nursing, University College, Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems. I met with these lovely scholars in Dublin at a UDL conference and wanted them to share what they are doing to bring Universal Design for Learning in nursing education to Think UDL listeners, as folks still ask me often about UDL in STEM fields. Today we will discuss how John and Freda infuse UDL into their nursing education program including how they incorporate student collaborators throughout their program. You can find resources associated with today’s conversation on the thinkUDL.org website.