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Universal Design for Learning
The Action & Expression Principle

Options for Physical Action

The UDL guideline “Provide Options for Physical ActionOpens in a new window” prompts us to provide accessible materials with which all learners can interact.

Provide Options for Physical Action2:01 min
Reflect

Feel free to write, draw, or audio record your thoughts on this prompt. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your ability to access and use technology-mediated communication? What have you noticed about how your learners express themselves using technology-mediated communication?

Technology and Action & Expression

Technology can both enable and hinder access to action and expression. We explored some of these barriers in terms of the digital divideOpens in a new window in Module 3Opens in a new window.   Many of the technologies we enjoy today are a result of disability innovation. For example, text-to-speech has allowed individuals with learning disabilities to record their ideas effectively. This same disability innovation has allowed smartphone users to easily send messages to friends while carrying groceries, or writers to record ideas while riding transit, or everyone to avoid more screen time in an already screen-heavy day. However, technologies that increase accessibility and creativity for some may present barriers to others. For example, Adobe SparkOpens in a new window allows learners to express their knowledge visually and creatively but does not, as of yet, allow the author to add alternative text (“alt text”) to images and photographs, making these inaccessible to screen readers. It’s important that we model the use of accessible technologies and encourage our learners to use technologies that are accessible to their peers. Luckily, there are various guidelines available to support this tool and technology selection process, including this rubricOpens in a new window from the University of Western Ontario (UWO). In addition, your e-learning department can offer expertise in recommending technologies that serve your learners and learning goals, as well as audit any tool you are planning to use for AODA and Web Content Accessibility Guide (WCAG) 2.1Opens in a new window compliance.

Allowing students to choose the format and tool for their online assessment, when possible, helps to mitigate potential barriers – especially when the technical skills required are irrelevant constructsOpens in a new window – while still attending to the course outcomes and assessment objectives. Online assessments may also require students (and educators) to develop new technical skills. Just like content-related knowledge and skills, these multimodal skills need to be learned and practiced before being assessed for grades. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to optimize our use of technology to engage learners. It does mean we should carefully choose which technologies we use so that they: 

  • are accessible to our diverse learners, both in function and cost;
  • facilitate learning outcomes (both for the course and learners’ own goals);
  • foster technical skills development relevant to the field of study; and
  • offer support and practice opportunities for both teachers and students learning how to use the new technology.
Learn More

Dubec’s original concept has been adapted hereOpens in a new window (Word Count: 567) by a group of faculty for all three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

As we examined in Module 3Opens in a new window, one way to critically choose a good option is to focus on a particularly difficult aspect of your course or the service you provide, and enhance options for learners to engage and express through technology in order to master a concept or solve a problem (Miller, n.d.).

Dr. Rhonda Dubec at Lakehead University constructed an informative graphic to help teachers decide what assessment options may fit with their cognitive learning outcomes in an online environment. In the original graphic, Dubec used multiple choice for summative assessments Opens in a new windowat every level of Bloom’s cognitive domain, but we have reduced its application. Multiple choice is not learner-centred. Nevertheless, it is still widely used due to a variety of factors such as: managing workload, large class sizes, and preparing learners for licensing exams. Historically used by the U.S. Army to quickly sort troops into intelligence categories, multiple choice has since been adopted as an assessment method throughout higher education across the globe (Ramirez, 2013). Multiple choice can become more learner-centred by:

  • engaging learners to co-create the questions
  • utilizing multiple choice as a formative assessment
  • encouraging students to utilize resources (such as readings and case studies) to answer higher-level (apply) multiple choice questions
Next sectionOptions for Expression and Communication