Video Link 

Lindsay Masland discusses using Pre-class Menus as a form of Multiple Means of Representation in her classroom.

Transcript

In terms of multiple means of representation. For example, I have pre-class activities - pretty much all professors have that. In a lot of traditional environments that means read the textbook, right? Well for me, what I do is pre-class menus so each kind of mini unit within the bigger units are accompanied by a set of questions. That by the time you're done with this little mini unit you should know the answer to these four things, and it’s different for every unit. Then I give them a menu of ways that they can learn that information. So in the menu is the textbook pages that cover that content. There's also if I can find it, or if I created it, a video of either me or an expert talking the exact thing relates back to those four questions that they need to know the answer to.

There's also a web guide or webquest where they can click through a whole bunch of different websites that if they look at them they can get also get the answer to those questions - and sometimes if it’s appropriate some original sources. So higher level stuff, the original research that these principles that were learning about came from. Then I just say to them, the students, consult as few or as many of the things on the menu as you want to or need such as that you know the answers to these questions.

Support for this Module

Original development of this module was made possible by the College STAR (Supporting Transition Access and Retention) initiative.  College STAR was a grant-funded project focused on partnering postsecondary educational professionals and students to learn ways for helping postsecondary campuses become more welcoming of students with learning and attention differences. Much of this work was made possible by generous funding from the Oak Foundation.