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##  Teaching College Students with Learning Disabilities. ERIC Digest.           

During the last quarter century, the concepts of mainstreaming,                 least restrictive environment and inclusion encouraged public                   schools to serve more students with disabilities in K-12 general                education classes, and there has been a corresponding increase in               the number of students with disabilities who attend college. At the             college level, issues in educating students with disabilities are               often different than those affecting K-12 education, and the                    instructional climate is changing. Taken together, these trends call            for a more systematic method of accommodating diverse learning                  needs. This digest presents the issues and offers a practical                   approach to improving instruction for students with learning                    disabilities (LD). DISABILITY LAW AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL IS NOT AS              PRESCRIPTIVEAt the college level, the prescriptive Individuals              with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is not applicable. While two             civil rights laws, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and            the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), provide for equal access             for "otherwise qualified" students with disabilities, exactly how               equal access applies to instruction is less clear (Brinckerhoff,                McGuire & Shaw, 2002). THE INSTRUCTIONAL CLIMATE IN HIGHER                    EDUCATION IS CHANGINGTraditionally, many college professors have            emphasized content over pedagogy, raising concerns about their                  knowledge of effective instructional strategies, especially for                 students with disabilities. In the 21st century an increased                    emphasis on pedagogy in higher education is creating opportunities              to improve instruction for college students with LD. A high rate of             faculty turnover has been projected for this decade (Magner, 2000),             offering an opportunity for new faculty to enter academia at a time             when teaching skills are valued. Additionally, information                      technology can support instructional approaches previously not                  feasible in the college classroom. Effective instruction by faculty             is now viewed as a critical element in the accessibility of learning            environments (Scott & Gregg, 2000). In many colleges a major role of            Disability Services personnel is to collaborate with faculty to help            students become self-determined, independent learners (Shaw & Dukes,            2001). 
With more students with LD attending college and a mixed               level of pedagogical expertise among faculty, expecting faculty to              make individual modifications and accommodations can be problematic.            A more systematic method of meeting the needs of diverse learners is            required, and Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) is such a                  model. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR INSTRUCTIONThe general concept of             Universal Design (UD) includes a specific set of principles to                  systematically incorporate accessible features into a design instead            of retrofitting changes or accommodations. As applied in the field              of architecture, UD results in the creation of environments and                 products that are as usable as possible by a diverse range of                   individuals. Building on the framework of UD and its                            principles (Follette, Story, Mueller, & Mace, 1998), UDI anticipates            the needs of diverse learners and incorporates effective strategies             into curriculum and instruction to make learning more accessible. By            focusing on methods and strategies that promote learning for all                students, UDI embraces an inclusionary approach that enables                    students with disabilities to overcome some of their barriers to                learning. 
When the principles of UD are adapted to reflect the                instructional practices that have been acknowledged as effective                with students with LD, a more inclusive paradigm for teaching                   emerges. UDI provides a conceptual framework for thinking about                 access and inclusion for diverse individuals. PRINCIPLES OF                   UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR INSTRUCTIONThe UDI framework (adapted from             Principles of Universal Design for Instruction by Sally Scott, Joan             McGuire and Stan Shaw (2001). Center on Postsecondary Education and             Disability, University of Connecticut. Users of this digest may copy            and disseminate this information with the provision that they credit            Scott, McGuire and Shaw) consists of nine general principles to                 guide faculty in thinking about and developing instruction for a                broad range of students. 
1. Equitable use-Instruction is designed             to be useful to and accessible by people with diverse abilities. It             provides the same means of use for all students, identical whenever             possible, equivalent when not. Example: Using web-based courseware              products with links to on-line resources so all students can access             materials, regardless of varying academic preparation, distance from            campus, etc. 
2. Flexibility in use-Instruction is designed to                 accommodate a wide range of individual abilities. It provides choice            in methods of use. Example: Using varied instructional                          methods (lecture with a visual outline, group activities, use of                stories, or web-based discussions) to support different ways of                 learning. 
3. Simple and intuitive instruction-Instruction is                  designed in a straightforward and predictable manner, regardless of             the student's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current                concentration level. It eliminates unnecessary complexity. Example:             Providing a grading scheme for papers or projects to clearly state              performance expectations. 
4. Perceptible information-Instruction              is designed so that necessary information is communicated                       effectively, regardless of ambient conditions or the student's                  sensory abilities. Example: Selecting text books, reading material,             and other instructional supports in digital format so students with             diverse needs can access materials through print or by using                    technological supports (e.g., screen reader, text enlarger). 
5.               Tolerance for error-Instruction anticipates variation in individual             student learning pace and requisite skills. Example: Structuring a              long-term course project with the option of turning in individual               project components separately for constructive feedback and for                 integration into the final product. 
6. Low physical                           effort-Instruction is designed to minimize nonessential physical                effort in order to allow maximum attention to learning. Note: This              principle does not apply when physical effort is integral to                    essential requirements of a course. Example: Allowing students to               use a word processor for writing and editing papers or essay                    exams. 
7. Size and space for approach and use-Instruction is                  designed with consideration for appropriate size and space for                  approach, reach, manipulations, and use regardless of a student's               body size, posture, mobility, and communication needs. Example:                 Using a circular seating arrangement in small class settings to                 allow students to see and face speakers during discussion-important             for students with attention problems. 
8. A community of                       learners-The instructional environment promotes interaction and                 communication among students and between students and faculty.                  Example: Fostering communication among students in and out of class             by structuring study and discussion groups, e-mail lists, or chat               rooms. 
9. Instructional climate-Instruction is designed to be                 welcoming and inclusive. High expectations are espoused for all                 students. Example: Creating a statement on the syllabus affirming               the need for students to respect diversity, underscoring the                    expectation of tolerance, and encouraging students to discuss any               special learning needs with the instructor. 
EXAMPLES OF UDI IN                PRACTICE

Example #1: Equitable Use: As Dr. Smith reflected                   onadjustments to her lecture course, she realized that for thelast              three semesters she had had at least one student with alearning                 disability who had requested a note taker. Inplanning for the next              semester, Dr. Smith anticipated thisneed by posting class notes on              the class web site, makingthe notes available in the same form to               all students(Principle #1, Equitable Use). Any student with a                   learningdisability would have immediate access to a complete set                oflecture notes and would no longer need a notetaker.                           Informaldiscussions with students and end-of-semester                           courseevaluations indicated that many students found this a                     usefulinstructional feature, including students whose                           primarylanguage is not English, students with attention deficits,and            students wanting to preview the day's instruction. Thisinstructional            support resulted in a more "usable"environment for students with                diverse learning needs.
Example #2: Flexible Us principles, they               will be able to more effectively teach all students, including those            with learning disabilities, with reduced reliance on accommodations.            To do this, college faculties need support for responding to student            diversity and a means of sharing their knowledge. A web site,                   facultyware.com, is being built to offer such                                   support. RESOURCESBrinckerhoff, L.C., McGuire, J.M., & Shaw,              S.F. (2002). Postsecondary education and transition for students                with learning disabilities (Second Edition). Austin,TX:                         PRO-ED. 
Follette Story, M., Mueller, J.L., & Mace, R.L. (1998).               The universal design file: Designing for people of all ages and                 abilities. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University, The Center             for Universal Design. 
Magner, D.K. (2000, March 17). The imminent             surge in retirement. Chronicle of Higher Education, 46(28), A18-A20.            Scott, S.S., & Gregg, N. (2000). Meeting the evolving needs of                  faculty in providing access for college students with LD. Journal of            Learning Disabilities, 33, 158-167. 
Scott, S., McGuire, J.M., &               Foley, T.E. (2001). Universal design for instruction:  An                       exploration of principles for anticipating and responding to student            diversity in the classroom. Storrs, CT:  Center on Postsecondary                Education and Disability. 
Scott, S., McGuire, J., & Shaw, S. (in              press). Universal design for instruction:  A new paradigm for adult             instruction in postsecondary education. Remedial and Special                    Education. 
Scott, S., McGuire, J.M., & Shaw, S. (2001). Principles            of universal design for instruction. Storrs, CT: Center on                      Postsecondary Education and Disability. 
Shaw, S.F., & Dukes,                  L.L. ( 2001). Program standards for disability services in higher               education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 14(2),            81-90. 
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ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be               freely reproduced and disseminated, but please acknowledge your                 source. This digest was prepared with funding from the Office of                Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), US Department of                   Education, under Contract No. ED-99-C0-0026. The opinions expressed             in this publication do not necessarily reflect the positions of OERI            or the Department of Education.                                              **Title:** Teaching College Students with Learning Disabilities. ERIC Digest.           **Note:** Digest E618. Adapted from the author's book "Principles of Universal            Design for Instruction" (2001), Center for Postsecondary Education              and Disability, University of Connecticut.                                   **Document Type:** Guides---Non-Classroom Use (055); Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Target Audience:** Practitioners                                                                **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Council for            Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA                       22201-5709. Tel: 800-328-0272 (Toll Free); Fax: 703-620-2521;                   e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.ericec.org.           **Descriptors:** College Students, Compliance (Legal), Educational Principles, Higher            Education, Inclusive Schools,  Instructional Design,  Learning                  Disabilities,  Teaching Methods,  Teaching Models                            **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Universal Design                                              
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