For the class I am taking, entitled "Instructional Design," we have to write a weekly blog on the readings. This is my last blog from the class, and it generated the most interest among the faculty I'm taking the class with across our three campuses. I didn't write in all the comments, but enjoy it!
Thanks also to my parents for naming me John with the nickname Jack, as it continues to baffle and be hit or miss in terms of what people call me.
Posted by John Bradley at Friday, July 19, 2013 11:04:05 AM EDT
I've chosen to focus on universal design through the lens of A.D.A.
accommodations and a true story.
The following conversation took place last semester when I was working in the Testing Center at the Wilmington campus.
Me: "Well, S, I know you scheduled to take your test right now, but I don't see anything from your instructor."
S: "Well, today's really the only day I can take it. I told B a couple of times. I thought B would have sent it by now."
Me: "Hey, it's not a problem. Let me call B and see if I can get B to send or bring up a copy. It's only 8:20, so your instructor might not be in class yet."
Me: "Yes, hello? Instructor B? This is the testing center. I have a student here who is scheduled to take an exam for you, but I don't have a copy. Could you please bring one up or email it to us?"
B (grumbling): "Is it S by any chance? Never mind, of course it is. Who else would it be taking a test up there for me? Ugh. I'll be right up." Slam went the phone on the other end.
Me: "B will be up soon, S."
Five minutes later, as I saw B approach the door, I walked out to greet B so B didn't have to come to the back office and S could get the test started right away.
B (shoves the test at me; two other students had walked in behind B, presumably scheduled to take tests at 8:30): "Here."
Me: "Thanks, I appreciate it."
B: "Just so we're clear, this is really inconvenient for me."
Me: "What is?"
B (slightly more agitated): "Having to do this for S every time we have a test. I mean, c'mon. There's nothing wrong with S taking it in class. I swear S does it just to be difficult."
Me (calmly smiling despite my red-hot ears): "You know that S needs a distraction free environment. Thank you for the test."
B (very annoyed at this point): "Distraction free? Oh, why? Because S has a disability? Right. S looks perfectly fine to me."
Me: "Why? Because it's the law, Instructor B. You know that, right?"
B (rolling eyes): "Right. Whatever." B left.
I couldn't believe my ears. B had outed a student with a disability in front of two fellow students. I doubt they cared about anything other than the tests they had to take, but I felt really bad for S, who looked shaken. I apologized, S took the test from me in silence, and sat down.
When I was doing the readings this week, I thought about this interaction I had last year with an instructor who clearly thought that all aspects of their course were easily completed by everyone in the same environment regardless of any other external factors. This instructor was not designing universally.
All courses (parts and design) should be accessible for students at Delaware Tech to take. That includes not only accessibility to the material but also the physical space of the classroom. Can wheelchairs be accommodated safely? Is there a seat for the scribe or interpreter next to a student who requires one, and is it in a reasonable location?
One of the design considerations we have discussed in this course is what type and how many assessments to have. The course in my vignette required several summative assessments. As you all know, via the emails and ADA accommodations for students we receive every semester, not everyone can take summative assessments in class. We need to abide by their accommodations and make sure that we do what we can to enforce both school policy and the law.
In my experience here, there are students who have different types of disabilities, and as teachers we need to make sure our students have the tools to take and ideally succeed in the course that we have.
We are fortunate to have Victoria Chang to help us meet special needs of students, but it is still our responsibility to make sure we do what we can on our end to help these students succeed.
This includes not only honoring their accommodations but also educating our students about the services the school offers. To get accommodations, students need to advocate for themselves.
I referred two students the services of Victoria Chang because these students (in different classes) told me they had test anxiety. I explained that we had an office to help students with disabilities, provided they could advocate for themselves. In both cases I was emailed ADA accommodations after they met with Victoria. The students had no idea we had an office to help them in this way.
That being said, the other thing I think we need to take into account with regard to universal design of classes is that within the course ("The First Sixty Minutes" from CCIT is something that should be incorporated) students should be made aware of such services, including the DVR tutoring we have that is free for students with special needs.
Often times as instructors we get caught up trying to teach everything we need to in our course but we fail to build in any time the first day or the first couple of classes to educate students in terms of what student services that are here to help those who need it. But most importantly, we need to build our courses so that anyone, student or not, can understand them and access what they need to complete the course.
The following conversation took place last semester when I was working in the Testing Center at the Wilmington campus.
Me: "Well, S, I know you scheduled to take your test right now, but I don't see anything from your instructor."
S: "Well, today's really the only day I can take it. I told B a couple of times. I thought B would have sent it by now."
Me: "Hey, it's not a problem. Let me call B and see if I can get B to send or bring up a copy. It's only 8:20, so your instructor might not be in class yet."
Me: "Yes, hello? Instructor B? This is the testing center. I have a student here who is scheduled to take an exam for you, but I don't have a copy. Could you please bring one up or email it to us?"
B (grumbling): "Is it S by any chance? Never mind, of course it is. Who else would it be taking a test up there for me? Ugh. I'll be right up." Slam went the phone on the other end.
Me: "B will be up soon, S."
Five minutes later, as I saw B approach the door, I walked out to greet B so B didn't have to come to the back office and S could get the test started right away.
B (shoves the test at me; two other students had walked in behind B, presumably scheduled to take tests at 8:30): "Here."
Me: "Thanks, I appreciate it."
B: "Just so we're clear, this is really inconvenient for me."
Me: "What is?"
B (slightly more agitated): "Having to do this for S every time we have a test. I mean, c'mon. There's nothing wrong with S taking it in class. I swear S does it just to be difficult."
Me (calmly smiling despite my red-hot ears): "You know that S needs a distraction free environment. Thank you for the test."
B (very annoyed at this point): "Distraction free? Oh, why? Because S has a disability? Right. S looks perfectly fine to me."
Me: "Why? Because it's the law, Instructor B. You know that, right?"
B (rolling eyes): "Right. Whatever." B left.
I couldn't believe my ears. B had outed a student with a disability in front of two fellow students. I doubt they cared about anything other than the tests they had to take, but I felt really bad for S, who looked shaken. I apologized, S took the test from me in silence, and sat down.
When I was doing the readings this week, I thought about this interaction I had last year with an instructor who clearly thought that all aspects of their course were easily completed by everyone in the same environment regardless of any other external factors. This instructor was not designing universally.
All courses (parts and design) should be accessible for students at Delaware Tech to take. That includes not only accessibility to the material but also the physical space of the classroom. Can wheelchairs be accommodated safely? Is there a seat for the scribe or interpreter next to a student who requires one, and is it in a reasonable location?
One of the design considerations we have discussed in this course is what type and how many assessments to have. The course in my vignette required several summative assessments. As you all know, via the emails and ADA accommodations for students we receive every semester, not everyone can take summative assessments in class. We need to abide by their accommodations and make sure that we do what we can to enforce both school policy and the law.
In my experience here, there are students who have different types of disabilities, and as teachers we need to make sure our students have the tools to take and ideally succeed in the course that we have.
We are fortunate to have Victoria Chang to help us meet special needs of students, but it is still our responsibility to make sure we do what we can on our end to help these students succeed.
This includes not only honoring their accommodations but also educating our students about the services the school offers. To get accommodations, students need to advocate for themselves.
I referred two students the services of Victoria Chang because these students (in different classes) told me they had test anxiety. I explained that we had an office to help students with disabilities, provided they could advocate for themselves. In both cases I was emailed ADA accommodations after they met with Victoria. The students had no idea we had an office to help them in this way.
That being said, the other thing I think we need to take into account with regard to universal design of classes is that within the course ("The First Sixty Minutes" from CCIT is something that should be incorporated) students should be made aware of such services, including the DVR tutoring we have that is free for students with special needs.
Often times as instructors we get caught up trying to teach everything we need to in our course but we fail to build in any time the first day or the first couple of classes to educate students in terms of what student services that are here to help those who need it. But most importantly, we need to build our courses so that anyone, student or not, can understand them and access what they need to complete the course.
Many profs feel that by placing the standard text on the syllabus they have properly informed their class that there are services available (whether they be ADA, or others like tutoring, editing, paper preparation.) This happens where I am. It bothers me as a person that wants to help the students, but can only do so much for them. One can only run the ball so far. This blog has made me think more about educating myself about the services available to students on my campus for both my piece of mind and theirs.
ReplyDelete