Building on the remarkable success of the introduction of the National Forum professional development short course in Universal Design in Teaching and Learning in 2019, AHEAD and UCD Access and Lifelong Learning, partners in the development of the course, will this year team up with previously trained facilitators to offer this popular course to 500+ participants simultaneously in the further education and training and higher education sectors. This represents the largest national roll out of professional development in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) ever undertaken in Ireland.
UDL is an educational framework based on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, which guides the development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences and cater for the wide range of diversity in our lecture rooms. A recent exploration of lessons learned through the shift to online/remote teaching and learning in spring 2020 highlighted the benefits of programmes of study being underpinned by the inclusive principles of UDL in order to ensure greater equity of opportunity, participation, and outcome for all students.
This online Universal Design in Teaching and Learning professional development short course provides participants with a strong introduction to the UDL Framework and gives them the opportunity to implement UDL approaches within the teaching activities they are currently undertaking. The course is free and involves approximately 25 hours over the 10 week period, averaging 2.5 hours per week with a 5 hour optional add on later in the course for those interested in becoming future facilitators of the open course themselves. Where typically the course would run for about 35 people, thanks to a new model of delivery, it is now open to many more members of the further and higher education communities. The course is available to all staff currently working in higher education or further education and training in the Republic of Ireland.
The UDL short course takes place on 1 Oct – 9 Dec 2020, with registration open on 17 Aug on a first come, first served basis.
Registration details, key course information and dates for your diary can be accessed here.
