Abstract
The decolonization of the curriculum has become a much-discussed process in higher education, and it is particularly pertinent to the inclusion of Indigenous students in the tertiary sector. While the momentum grows for a rapid integration of decolonization of the curriculum into higher education practices, the literature suggests that these efforts so far have tackled content rather than pedagogy itself. Universal design for learning (UDL), on the other hand, appears as a promising framework to support instructors as they engage more deeply with the process of decolonizing pedagogical practices. The chapter explores the phenomenological insights of the author regarding the ways UDL is contributing to this reflection on the inherently Euro-centric nature of classroom practices. The chapter also examined wider repercussions the implementation of UDL to the Indigenous student experience will have on UDL advocacy generally, on higher education reform, and on the future format of support services for this clientele.
TopIntroduction And Context
Universal Design for Learning is a framework for inclusion which has appeared three decades ago in the K-12 field, and has progressively gained momentum in the HE sector (Dalton, Lyner-Cleophas, Ferguson & McKenzie, 2019). It is not unique in its goals, which are to provide students with disabilities inclusive and equitable access to learning. Differentiation, individualized learning and even simple retrofitting - in the form of accommodations – are all frameworks that seek to achieve the same objective and which have been developed in HE since the 1970s (Johnstone & Edwards, 2019). UDL is unique, however, in the sense that it places the focus not on individualized learner differences but on the instructor’s role in creating fully accessible learning experiences (Sari Dewi, Anwar Dalimunthe & Faadhil, 2019).
UDL draws its roots from Universal Design, an architectural movement which started querying, from mid-20th century, architecture’s over-focus on aesthetics (Gonzales, 2018). Instead Universal Design advocates encouraged architects and developers to consider the use the actual occupiers of the building would wish to enjoy (Mortice, 2019); this led to the emergence of the notion of user experience (UX) as a central premise in the design of spaces and products (Skarlatidou, et al., 2019). UDL has adapted this perspective to the classroom; it sees the role of the educator as that of a designer who must seek to increase accessibility and flexibility as optimally as they can in order to include the greatest number possible (Hunt, 2019).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Multiple Means of Representation: This is one of the three UDL principles. It guides instructors to examine the way they offer material, resources, and content to learners. It encourages faculty to inject optimal flexibility in the design of the ways they present information to the student, in order to cater for learner diversity.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was given the mandate within Canada in 2008 to explore and document the lasting repercussions of the Canadian residential schools on the lives and culture of Indigenous people. The Report of the Commission was published in 2015 and offers 94 recommendations regarding the process of reconciliation between Euro-Caucasian settler populations and Indigenous communities.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression: This UDL principle – one of three – supports educators as they examine the ways they are expecting learners to provide content. It can relate to class contribution and participation, the completion of assignments, teamwork, the production of artifacts and original content or messaging. This UDL principle encourages instructors to consider flexible and diverse ways learners can fulfill these expectations.
Decolonizing the Curriculum: A process of reflection which seeks to identify the remnants of colonial domination in the format of instruction, its content, its assessment, the resources used, and the language of instruction. Decolonizing the Academy takes two shapes. It is occurring on a Global North-Global axis when developing countries challenge post-colonialism in their educational institutions, as well as when Global North campuses are led to question their willingness to treat Global South stakeholders as equal partners. It is also occurring in countries where neo-colonialism is still ongoing in the marginalization and oppression of Indigenous communities. Here the work amounts to Indigenizing the curriculum. Indigenization of the curriculum.
Retrofitting: Retrofitting describes an approach to accessibility in the classroom which focuses on removing barriers encountered by students with disabilities, after the facts, through individual support measures. In Higher Education, these measures are often called ‘accommodations. They are legally mandated and go some ways to providing inclusive learning environments, but they are still based on a medical model approach which requires disclosure by the learner and a proof of diagnosis. These measures are never entirely inclusive as they require access to specialized support services, and lead to a degree of stigmatization.
Universal Design for Learning: Is a framework for the management of accessibility which focuses on inclusive design rather than retrofitting or accommodations. It does not place the burden on the individual to disclose a diagnosis and seek services and accommodations, but rather presumes that learner diversity is ever present and that it must be addressed through inclusive design when creating instruction format and assessment or selecting teaching resources.
Multiple Means of Engagement: This is one of the three UDL principles which guide instructors towards inclusive design of instruction and assessment. This principle allows faculty to query the way they interpret ‘learner engagement’ as a construct and helps them detect ways they are being teacher-centric in when they formulate their expectations with regards to this component of learning. It encourages them to inject as much flexibility as possible in their conceptualization of learner engagement and its manifestation in class.