Students with Disabilities as Diverse Learners
Project Description:
The primary purpose is to bring about positive concrete changes for SWD in postsecondary educational environments through the planning, development, and delivery of an organized sequence of professional development (PD) activities aimed at minimizing gaps in faculty and staff members' knowledge, skills, and attitudes concerning SWD. This will be accomplished by focusing upon validated and practical strategies associated with UDL, multiculturalism, and mentoring. The innovative process of this project will extend previous work in these areas by focusing on the interrelated nature of the three concepts. Through their continued use, strategies derived from these concepts will increase faculty knowledge and understanding of the concepts, and become gradually integrated within their teaching approaches. This will in turn, facilitate sustained use of the strategies throughout the wider Postsecondary Education teaching and learning milieu.
The project goals will be accomplished through the development and provision of a series of PD training sessions for faculty, administrators, and staff as a means to improve/increase their knowledge, skills, and attitudes for instructing and interacting with SWD. A rigorous evaluation design will test the effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of these trainings. Specific activities include: (a) assembling existing PD materials including UDL, multiculturalism, and mentoring strategies into a comprehensive faculty/staff PD package; (b) specifically targeting SWD with the highest needs--including students with hidden disabilities, of minority culture, and non-traditional students; (c) delivering PD to faculty and staff at UH System (10 University and Community College branches) institutions of higher education (IHE) as well as locations around the U.S. Mainland and U.S. Pacific Region (U.S. territories and associated states) in years 2 and 3; (d) implementing a quasi-experimental design to measure impact of the PD modules and collect outcome data on faculty and SWD; (e) implementing ongoing evaluation of project activities and adjusting PD modules/materials accordingly; and (f) disseminating validated PD modules/materials through training of PD delivery specialists at campuses across the U.S. and associated U.S. territories as a means of replication in year 3.
Keyword(s):
prof development, UDL, mentoring, multiculturalism, postsecondary ed.
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Other - Assistive Technology, Other - Cultural Diversity, Other
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State, National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
