UDL Fellows Program

Overview

Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for course and curriculum development that supports a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for all learners. The UDL Fellows Program will support faculty and staff to develop expertise in UDL through a cohort-based professional development program. It will be comprised of a series of facilitated workshops, online modules, and a project-focused set of activities to help participants use UDL principles to redesign their courses to be more inclusive and accessible. Courses impacted by these projects will benefit students from all backgrounds, not just those with accessibility needs, by providing more options and flexibility through the design of resources, tools, and course delivery.

The goals of the UDL Fellows Program are to:

  1. ‏‏‎Identify and address systemic barriers to equitable learning opportunities, to create and sustain equitable and inclusive campuses (supporting UBC Strategic Plan Strategy 4: Inclusive Excellence and enhancing the accessibility of physical and virtual spaces for students, staff, and faculty).
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  2. ‏‏‎Improve access and inclusion in on-campus, online and hybrid teaching and learning environments with a focus on barriers for students with disabilities or other accommodations.
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  3. ‏‏‎Cultivate a network of practitioners with expertise in applying UDL approaches in the design and delivery of courses across a range of disciplines and who will promote awareness of UDL amongst faculty and staff across UBC.
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  4. ‏‏‎Develop a range of strategies and resources to help increase support for accessibility in UBC courses and on its campuses.
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View the full Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding (TLEF) description of this program.

Nomination Process (From CTLT)

The 2024 Faculty Fellows Program is limited to 15 project teams from the UBC Vancouver campus. Nominations for the Program will be made by the Associate Deans Academic. Each Faculty will be asked to nominate a project team with a description of the course being proposed for a UDL redesign and a rationale for why the project team and the course have been nominated for the UDL Fellows Program.

Ideally, each faculty project team will include an instructor and a support staff member (from a Faculty Instructional Support Unit or departmental support unit) and have an identified course or learning context around which their project will focus. However, if participation by a Faculty support staff member is not possible, CTLT will provide support for the project.

All project teams who participate in the UDL Fellows Program will commit to implementing UDL approaches in the identified course during the 2024/25 academic year (i.e., Winter Session 1 starting September 2024 or Winter Session 2 starting January 2025).

Faculty of Education Internal Deadline

Submit proposals by 4pm, January 5th, 2024.

Faculty of Education Submissions and Ranking Process

  1. The Faculty of Education invites applications from all instructors; we particularly encourage instructors/coordinators of courses with significant reach (e.g., undergraduate and graduate multi-section courses).
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  2. The Provost’s Office has invited only one nomination from the Faculty of Education and has indicated they will fund the project we nominate.
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  3. Proposals will be ranked by the Faculty of Education TLEF Internal Review Committee.
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  4. The TLEF Internal Review committee will make a recommendation to the Dean’s designate (normally the Associate Dean, Academic).
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  5. The successful proposal will be nominated for the UDL Fellows Program. Provost’s deadline is January 25, 2024.
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  6. Those proposals not nominated for the UDL Fellows Program will be considered for LDDI support.

Application Guidelines

Submit a statement (up to 500 words) outlining the following:

  1. Your team’s previous work with UDL.
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  2. An overview of how your team intends to achieve the goals of the UDL program (see goals listed above).
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  3. Rationale for proposing the course:
    Why is the proposed course a good candidate for this initiative?
    What is the prospective audience? How will students benefit?
    How broad is the reach of this course? Will there be reach/impact beyond the course?
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  4. A plan for sharing what is learned with colleagues in the Faculty of Education.
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  5. Submission link

Evaluation Criteria

  1. The proposal provides a clear rationale and methodology.
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  2. Objectives align with the fellowship’s goals:
    1. Identifies and addresses systemic barriers to equitable learning opportunities, to create and sustain equitable and inclusive campuses (supporting UBC Strategic Plan Strategy 4: Inclusive Excellence and enhancing the accessibility of physical and virtual spaces for students, staff, and faculty).
    2. Improves access and inclusion in on-campus, online and hybrid teaching and learning environments.
    3. Has the potential to develop a network of practitioners with expertise in applying UDL approaches in the design and delivery of courses across a range of disciplines and who will promote awareness of UDL amongst faculty and staff across UBC.
    4. Develops a range of strategies and resources to help increase support for accessibility in UBC courses and on its campuses.
  3. The proposal articulates project outcomes that are well defined and achievable.
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  4. The proposal will lead to resource development or activities that actively engage aspects of equity, diversity, and inclusion, with consideration of strategies to address equitable participation for all students in the implementation of the project.
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  5. There is evidence of the project team’s previous work with UDL and inclusive education strategies.
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  6. The proposal targets enhancement of teaching and learning that benefits a significant number of students directly (e.g., multi-section courses).
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  7. Evidence of value for enrolled students.
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  8. Clear plan for sharing what is learned.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Teresa Dobson