Enhance Learning with Alternatives for Audio Module Icon

Enhance Learning with Alternatives for Audio

This module will address strategies for providing alternative options for auditory content (i.e., closed captions, transcripts) as a way for instructors to proactively support learners and enhance their learning experience. These strategies are relevant whether instructors teach using fully asynchronous online courses, blended learning experiences, or simply use audio/video materials in or out of class. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

While it is inherently clear that people with auditory disabilities (e.g., deaf, hard of hearing) and other relevant disabilities (e.g., auditory processing disorders) would benefit from having alternative options for audio, many people are unaware of how powerful such options may be for all learners, including college students without disabilities.

For example, in their 2016 study, Dallas, McCarthy, and Long found in their longitudinal study that students who were provided access to captioning for videos used for instruction outperformed peers who covered the same content in the same context without captions in terms of information recall and grades. Importantly, Dallas and colleagues also noted that the presence of captions had no negative impact, which has implications for showing videos (with captions) live in class. Gernsbacher, in her (2015) review of the literature, additionally highlights the substantial gains text-based options for audio provide for English language learners (language development as well as content comprehension) and college students with and without disabilities (with benefits including gains in attention, retention, and comprehension for everyone).

This module will address strategies for providing alternative options for auditory content (i.e., closed captions, transcripts) as a way for instructors to proactively support learners and enhance their learning experience through video and audio content. These strategies are relevant whether instructors teach using fully asynchronous online courses, blended learning experiences, or simply use audio/video materials in or out of class.

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.

Authors/Creators
Eric J. Moore

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Writing for the Right Audience Module Icon

Writing for the Right Audience

In this module, Jon Pope describes how he implements multimodal experiences in the classroom that are not only engaging, but also incorporate numerous types of writing for diverse audiences. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link 

Summary

After three and a half years of teaching Composition and Rhetoric at Appalachian State University, Mr. Jon Pope identified a recurring challenge in his students’ work: he was the only targeted audience member. To address this challenge, he decided to implement multimodal experiences in the classroom that were not only engaging but incorporated numerous types of writing for diverse audiences. 
 

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.

Authors/Creators
Jon Pope

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 11, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

When Lecture is Necessary Module Icon

When Lecture is Necessary

This module discusses the use of multiple means of representation within the confines of a PowerPoint lecture by highlighting patterns in information, encouraging information chunking, and enhancing understanding through pictorial depiction. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

Dr. Christine Leist, MT-BC is a professor of Music Therapy in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. When asked about her teaching style, she began with a disclaimer: “I think most people teach how they were taught. I think it’s funny sometimes when you’re teaching in higher education with no training in how to teach. So when I went into teaching, I taught the way I was taught, which was lecture based.” Her experiences in the first two years of teaching made it clear to her how many different types of students exist; she “learned that everybody was different. You know that’s true, that everybody learns differently, but it was really brought home to me.” In the course of two semesters, she had radically redesigned her lectures into experientials based on students’ requests

Her classroom experiences led her to the concepts of Universal Design for Learning. “People started talking about UDL. I’m like, ‘UDL? What is UDL?’ And reading more about it, it makes so much sense. It doesn’t mean it’s easy to do, but it makes so much sense.” UDL radically changes the higher education relationship between sagacious professor and passive learner, often supporting alternative learning experiences to lectures. However, some information in the college classroom is most efficiently represented through lecture with PowerPoint presentations; the challenge is how to make them effective.

Backed by her studies and experience in Special Education and UDL, Dr. Leist actively transforms her PowerPoints to represent the curriculum when lecture is necessary. Her organized content and color coding aid in students’ activation of prior knowledge and highlight patterns and relationships. She imbeds images and graphs as alternative representation of grouped information, and links out to additional resources aimed at making the PowerPoint an interactive document for students to engage with in and out of the classroom.

Dr. Leist’s PowerPoint design integrates essential UDL guidelines that truly exemplify multiple means of representation in the classroom when lecture is necessary.

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.

Authors/Creators
Christine Leist

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Utilizing Contemplative Practices to Balance Brains in Honors Education Module Icon

Utilizing Contemplative Practices to Balance Brains in Honors Education

This case study examines the use of contemplative practices in an Honors seminar with eleven first-semester students. Honors students, who exhibit strength in left brain functions, will be challenged to exercise their right brain functions.    

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

This case study examines the use of contemplative practices in an Honors seminar with eleven first-semester students. Honors students are typically strong in verbal, rational, linear, abstract, temporal, rational, and analytic intelligence—their left brains. Students in this course exercise many creative and contemplative practices to strengthen their intuitive, creative, spatial, relational, holistic, unconscious, Gestalt, non-linear, and non-verbal intelligence—their right brains. This includes: visualization, drawing, photography, meditation, and dream analysis. In this context, I refer to right and left-brain intelligence as Bogen (1975, p. 25) and Ornstein (1972, p. 37) have defined these parallel ways of knowing: two modes of consciousness, two types of intelligence, or two cognitive styles.

The Honors College at Appalachian State University typically admits students who are in the top 5-10% of their high school class. High school performance and standardized test scores indicate the high ability and left-brain skills and strength of Honors students. These are high-achieving students who are often also in the gifted education programs. Among high ability Honors students, we are increasingly finding disabilities including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, behavioral disorders, or autism spectrum disorders. These students who exhibit both high abilities and learning differences are twice-exceptional (2e) (Yssel, N. Adams, C., Clarke, L.S., and Jones, R., 2014). They are often not identified (Adams, Yssel, & Anwiler, 2012), yet they do not fit neatly into a single category. By virtue of admission into the Honors College, students are placed in the high ability category, but many need support to accommodate their diverse learning styles. Mindfulness skills developed through contemplative practices aligned with the UDL framework is one of many ways to provide support to high ability and diverse learners.

In this Honors seminar titled Balanced Brains: Integration and Visual, Intuitive Intelligence, students learn about and exercise their visual and intuitive intelligence in order to integrate that with their more commonly exercised left-brained intelligence for whole-mind cognition. Working from the foundation of Williams and Newton’s (2007) concept of “omniphasism,” students come to better value, strengthen, and integrate their many forms of intelligence to be “all in balance.” Through this process, students become more creative, better decision makers, more competent problem solvers and, with whole mind synthesis, better able to engage with and contribute to society.

The need for counseling due to behavioral, emotional, mental health concerns has increased across the college student population (Kitzrow 2003) and is important to consider within Honors education. Honors students regularly take heavy and difficult course loads, often pursue double or triple majors, and participate in numerous extracurricular, leadership, and service positions. Many Honors students are perfectionists who hold themselves to very high standards. Perfectionism can have both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes (Wimberly and Stasio 2013). In its adaptive form, it exhibits as high self-esteem and academic performance and in its maladaptive form as psychological disorders like depression and anxiety (Rice et al 2006). Mindfulness skills could provide the needed support and tools for adaptive outcomes and success.

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.

Authors/Creators
Garrett Alexandrea McDowell

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Using Web 2.0 tools to engage learners Module Icon

Using Web 2.0 tools to engage learners

This module showcases how instructors can use Web 2.0 tools to enable students to express their creativity, understanding, and application of material and learned information. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

Web 2.0 tools are free digital programs that can be used for creating and sharing student-generated projects and products. They are interactive, multi-purpose, easy-to-use digital platforms that encourage students to collaborate with each other or create and share individualized response products.

Web 2.0 tools provide engaging ways students can interact with, and most importantly, learn from course material. They are particularly helpful when aligned to teaching and assessment exercises meant to increase student engagement, require students to summarize information, or verbalize insight into their conceptual understanding through means other than traditional writing exercises.

Web 2.0 tools also provide students an opportunity to interact with others as they share their knowledge. Students can collaborate with classmates to create response products, or they can share completed products with peers in their class, students in other sections, or other learners around the world. Web 2.0 tools create opportunities for students to share what they are learning with a wider audience.

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.

Authors/Creators
Joyce Gulley
Jeff Thomas

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Co-Creating Course Syllabi Module Icon

Co-Creating Course Syllabi

This case study features impacts and reflections from co-creating syllabi with undergraduate students. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link 

Summary

This case study makes explicit the connection of personalizing learning and co-creating course syllabi with Universal Design for Learning. It presents the study process and results of my research involving co-creating syllabi with my undergraduate students. 

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.

Authors/Creators
Nikki Logan
Sydney Bueno

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 11, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Using Syllabi to Organize Courses Module Icon

Using Syllabi to Organize Courses

A syllabus can serve as a bridge to all learners and provide options for completing assignments so that students can choose a format that plays to their strengths. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

College students appreciate a detailed class syllabus, presented in a friendly manner so that they are encouraged to do their best in the course. Instructors who write syllabi that convey a welcoming tone may motivate students by conveying an expectation of positive outcomes (Slattery & Carlson, 2005). Students also appreciate the way that a thorough syllabus can act as a guide to the course, assisting them in understanding the course objectives, planning for deadlines and completing assignments. This research supported approach is one way that instructors can organize a course to support student learning. In addition to crafting syllabi that meet the needs of students, faculty often include standard sections that may be mandatory at universities or within academic departments A syllabus can take on several concurrent roles. It can act as a self-management tool for students, helping them approach assignments, gauge their success, and assess where they need to invest more effort (Parkes & Harris, 2002).

The syllabus can serve as a permanent record of class rules and policies, which may prevent students from challenging the grading system by saying that course requirements weren’t communicated clearly (Parkes & Harris, 2002). Often, a syllabus functions as a type of informal contract or agreement between faculty and students, defining their respective responsibilities (Davis & Schrader, 2009; Habanek, 2005; Matejka & Kurke, 1994; Parkes & Harris, 2002; Slattery & Carlson, 2005). The syllabus also can serve as a bridge to all learners. A syllabus that provides options for completing assignments so that students can choose a format that plays to their strengths is practicing the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

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.

Authors/Creators
Carolyn Dunn
Dorothy Muller
Douglas Schneider

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Using Quizzes to Increase Compliance Module Icon

Using Quizzes to Increase Compliance

This module addresses options for quizzing students to increase compliance with assigned readings. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

Many professors affirm that compliance with reading assignments is vital to student learning (Hoeft, 2012). Getting students to comply with assigned readings is no easy feat, since the norm is for students to skip reading altogether. Professors are left, then, to determine how best to compel students to prioritize readings as assigned.

Dr. Melinda Kane, Assistant Professor of Sociology at East Carolina University, implemented weekly quizzes on assigned reading as a part of her pedagogy in 2000. Dr. Kane has perfected the instructional practice over the years. Initially, Dr. Kane chose to give quizzes only in lower level courses, but later expanded use of quizzes to upper division courses as well.

Dr. Kane includes an explicit explanation of the quiz requirement in the course syllabus and discusses the practice thoroughly with students at the onset of the course. Ultimately, using quizzes as a part of instructional practice encourages students to make Dr. Kane’s reading assignments a priority in order to come to class prepared. Students, then, are able to contribute to meaningful class discussion and they affect a key part of their course grade. 

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.

Authors/Creators
Melinda Kane

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Using Organization to Streamline Courses Module Icon

Using Organization to Streamline Courses

This module covers information about well-organized courses. By organizing courses so that students understand what’s expected and are better able to navigate the course, and by presenting lectures in a clear manner, professors can help create an environment that is conducive to learning. 

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

College students give high marks to faculty who organize their classes so that students are well-informed about all aspects of the course including the assignments.

At East Carolina University (ECU), two of the professors lauded by students for creating highly organized courses use different approaches to achieve the same goal: delivering content clearly and consistently to help students succeed. Dr. Douglas Schneider, an accounting professor, has developed his own materials over the years, culminating in photocopied "textbooks"—lecture packets for the course that work in conjunction with the rest of the coursework.

Dr. Carolyn Dunn, an assistant professor who teaches technical writing in the Department of Technology Systems, delivers coursework online in folders, which are posted weekly. Each folder contains a PowerPoint on that week’s lecture. It also includes instructions for a writing assignment, accompanied by an example to help students get started. Students in distance-learning classes receive an extra component—the lecture delivered as a video.

By organizing courses so that students understand what’s expected and are better able to navigate the course, and by presenting lectures in a clear manner, professors help create an environment that’s conducive to learning (Carroll & O’Donnell, 2010). By organizing their courses effectively, Drs. Dunn and Schneider help boost student learning. One research study indicated that university students rank organization as one of the most important traits faculty can possess (Boex, 2000).

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.

Authors/Creators
Carolyn Dunn
Douglas Schneider

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 11, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy

Using Mindfulness to Increase Student Self-Awareness and Self-Advocacy through First Year Seminar Style Courses Module Icon

Using Mindfulness to Increase Student Self-Awareness and Self-Advocacy through First Year Seminar Style Courses

At Appalachian State University, most first-year students participate in a seminar class that emphasizes critical and creative thinking, effective communication, and the examination of a single issue from multiple perspectives.  This case study focuses on assignments from these seminar classes that encourage self-awareness and self-monitoring.    

No votes yet

About

Module Link

This resource was originally developed with resources from the College STAR grant. That grant has ended and the College STAR modules will now permanently reside at the East Carolina University Office for Faculty Excellence.

Module Introduction

Most first year college students at Appalachian State University are required to take a First-Year Seminar course. These courses have a shared set of learning outcomes with primary emphasis on critical and creative thinking, communicating effectively, and examining a single issue from multiple perspectives.  One of the benefits of first-year seminar courses at many universities, is the ability to blend the learning outcomes mentioned above with a topic-specific focus that brings students together who have common interests.  Like other First Year Seminar instructors, I am keenly aware of the need to strike a balance between the topical focus and helping students develop the skills they need for college success.  With this balance in mind, I incorporate some learning activities into my courses that help first year college students transition from reliance on parents to self-reliance. A large part of this self-reliance relates to recognizing and meeting their own needs. This ability to recognize they need help and to ask for that help is something that all students need to develop in order to be successful at asking professors for assignment clarification and support in understanding course content. This is true for any student, and especially so for the topic that binds students in my first-year seminar together – navigating the college transition for students with disabilities.

Whether the student has a disability or not, building a foundation of self-awareness and self-advocacy will be critical for them to accomplish their college goals. To this end, I infuse activities throughout my courses that help students become more aware of their own emotions, thoughts, strengths, challenges, and how they let others know what they need or desire. This case study explores mindfulness and other contemplative strategies used to help students develop the intrapersonal skills necessary to become strong self-advocates. Before students can self-advocate, they must have sufficient self-awareness to:

  1. Notice their physical and emotional selves,
  2. Recognize their thought patterns, desires, and unmet needs,
  3. Consider ways to meet those needs, and
  4. Communicate their needs and desires to others.

Some of the activities and tips included in this case study might be applicable to any first-year seminar, and others would be more appropriate for the students who have various disabilities. As you read the case study through that lens, apply the ideas that would be applicable to your specific situation. I teach two different sections of First Year Seminar. One focuses specifically on the autism spectrum. The other focuses on disability in general.  The FYS focused on disability has been intentionally integrated with students in the Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (a program at Appalachian State for students who have intellectual disabilities- something becoming more common on post-secondary campuses today thanks to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-315). Other instructional practices highlighted in this case study are drawn  from another integrated seminar course I teach for the Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program. That course focuses on whole-person development throughout the transition to adulthood.

In this case study, only the assignments in these seminar courses meant to encourage student self-awareness and self-monitoring will be discussed.  The specific practices offered here can be implemented effectively with students of all cognitive levels and would be useful for any freshman-seminar style class regardless of student population.

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.

Authors/Creators
Rebekah Cummings

Organization/Publishers:

College STAR

Resource Quick Find
Implementation

Resource File Type
Interactive module

Accessibility
WCAG v2.0 A

Share this resource:

Posted date:

November 10, 2022

Resource Fee
$0.00
Buy