01 Purpose
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As standardized testing reforms to accommodate
21st-century learners, the need arose for
developing effective practices when delivering
individualized supports to students identified with a
disability at the secondary grade levels. The
complexity of applying and incorporating
accessibility features, accommodations, and
designated supports has shifted considerably with
the inclusion of the Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) framework into curriculums.Unfortunately,
many schools and educators have yet to transition
from traditional instruction to implement the UDL
framework for numerous reasons.
As a result, many students receiving special
education services were unsuccessful at meeting
the passing or progress measurement standards
established for high-stake assessments. The issue
is problematic as these students are expected to
meet the same accountability requirements as
their non-disabled peers (Lai, 2012). Educational
stakeholders need greater insight into the validity
and impact of individualized support and computer
literacy influencing their performance. Perhaps, we
need to investigate further what instructional
strategies could better assist educators in meeting
diverse students' learning needs.
01 Purpose
As an educator servicing special populations,
there seemed to be a lack of professional
development opportunities provided to secondary
educators on UDL and effective practices for
incorporating individualized supports. This
capstone project aimed to conduct research,
design, and develop a learning management
course for secondary educators teaching students
with a specific learning disability. Unboxed
Learning content is relevant to why and how we, as
educators, can meet all learners' needs in the 21st
century. Technology and education are changing
rapidly, so using supportive features helps them
access and attain the knowledge necessary for
long-term success.
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The LMS course targets secondary educators (6-
12 grade levels), as blended learning opportunities
are more significant among upper-grade levels.
The course could be considered a training or
professional development opportunity over a few
weeks to increase proficiency. The course content
delivers valuable knowledge and application to
build competence in implementing UDL with
accessibility technologies. Each module provides
various instructional materials, videos, and other
multimedia applications which address
individualized learning needs. Educators can also
access and utilize the course's digital collections of
resources to promote supportive accommodations,
features, or tools in various instructional settings.