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December 20, 2013

Active Learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in collaboration with Technology

This Vitrine technologie-éducation (VTÉ) laboratory began in February. Enrollment is now closed. However, feel free to join the conversation on the website.

Objectives

This laboratory aims to introduce Active Learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in order to promote student centred pedagogical approaches. The second objective is to make teachers think about the educational technologies’ integration into their classroom in order to get each student’s involvement (including those with handicaps and learning disabilities such as AD(H)D, PDD, ASD, DYSLEXIA, etc.). Post-Secondary teachers and pedagogical professionals from across Quebec, and beyond, are invited to attend! With your collaboration, we will produce a short introduction to Active Learning and Universal Design for Leaning, as well as Do’s and Don’ts for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Integration!

A wide set of partners involved

Supporting Active Learning & Technological Innovation in Science Education (SALTISE) is a consortium originally funded by a Chantier 3 institutional grant from the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, Recherche, Science et Technologie (MESRST) and composed of faculty from Montreal-based colleges and universities such as Dawson College, John Abbott College, Vanier College, and McGill University, and now extending to many more including Francophone institutions. This community of practice will promotes innovative science teaching methods through the development, consolidation, dissemination and sharing of human, material and technological resources, and by creating an infrastructure for continued support. Future efforts will be devoted to the design and the sharing of means and methods of helping teachers use of ICT.

Research Centre for the Educational and Professional Inclusion of Students with Disabilities (also known as CRISPESH) is a new College Technology Transfer Centre in Innovative Social Practices (CCTT-PSN) born out of a partnership between the Cégep du Vieux Montréal and Dawson College. The centre was recognized by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, Recherche, Science et Technologie (MESRST) in October 2010. The mission of CRISPESH is the advancement of knowledge and the development and promotion of social practices that target the educational, social and professional inclusion of people living with disabilities.

Adaptech Research Network consists of a team of academics, students and consumers. Adaptech conduct research involving college and university students with a variety of disabilities in Canada. They are based at Dawson College in Montreal and have been in existence since 1996. They conduct their research bilingually and are funded by both federal and provincial grants. Their goal is to provide empirically based information to assist and inform decision making that ensures that new policies and new information and communication technologies reflect the needs and concerns of a variety of stakeholders, including: college and university students with a variety of disabilities, the professors who teach them, and the campus service providers who make technological, adaptive, and other supports available to the higher-education community.

Inclusive Design Research Centre and Inclusive Design Institute (OCAD University, Toronto) are research and development centres at OCAD University where an international community of open source developers, designers, researchers, advocates, and volunteers work together to ensure that emerging information technology and practices are designed inclusively. The group promotes inclusion in a full complement of activities: growing design and development practices creating tools that others can use and contribute to teach the principles and techniques of inclusive design advocating for inclusion in international standards providing services that match solutions with individuals.

Overview

Curious about inclusive design, educational technologies? We invite you to have a look at these videos:

RSA Insight – Where can technology take us?

Inclusive Design and OER, Colin Clark, IDRC (OCAD University)

Schedule

  • Step 1 – Active Learning: Planning for Student-Centered Pedagogy
    Wednesday, February 5 from 10:00am to 11:30am with Supporting Active Learning & Technological Innovation in Science Education (SALTISE).
  • Step 2 – Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education: Towards Inclusive and Successful Learning
    Wednesday, February 26 from 10:00am to 11:30am with Research Centre for the Educational and Professional Inclusion of Students with Disabilities (also known as CRISPESH).
  • Step 3 – Information and Communication Technology Integration in Postsecondary Education
    Wednesday, March 26 from 10:00am to 11:30am with Inclusive Design Research Centre and Inclusive Design Institute (OCAD University, Toronto).
  • Step 4 – Coaching Session
    Wednesday, April 30 from 10:00am to 11:30am with Inclusive Design Research Centre and Inclusive Design Institute (OCAD University, Toronto).
  • Step 5 – Debriefing Session [Canceled]
    Wednesday, May 28 from 10:00am to 11:30am with Inclusive Design Research Centre and Inclusive Design Institute (OCAD University, Toronto).

In the meantime, don’t forget to have a look at these related articles!

Enrollment

The first three lab sessions were open to curious educators interested in knowing a bit more about these approaches. The final two sessions will be reserved for those who would be looking to go further in depth in terms of discussion around implementation and course redesign.