Universal Design Resources for Canvas

Supporting Diverse 21st Century Learners through Universal Design for Learning

Dr. John Scott of Blackboard gave the following workshop in fall of 2019 at Utah State University on how to better support diverse online learners as part of the 2019 Ally Road Tour Open External Link :

Accessible content authoring is not only essential for students who use assistive technologies, but it also results in more usable, flexible content that can adapt to diverse student needs and devices. During the workshop, we’ll discuss some of the key terms and research around inclusive learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the different ways Ally’s alternative formats and instructor feedback help support those learning goals. Participants will then form teams and work on a series of accessibility and UDL challenges, focused around content authoring, content remediation, multimodal literacy, and curriculum design.

The presentation can be viewed in 5 parts here

Introduction to the Principles of Inclusive Design Accessibility, and Universal Design

Overview of Alternative Formats Provided by Ally

Using Diverse Forms of Engagement and an Overview of Student Experiences

The Importance of Using Alternate Content and Assessments

Helps Available to Instructors to Make Content More Inclusive


About Dr. John Scott

John Scott is a Product Manager for Blackboard Ally. Prior to joining the Blackboard Ally team, John completed his PhD in Learning Sciences and New Media at the University of California Berkeley, where he designed, taught, and researched online learning courses focused on collaborative learning, multimodal literacy, and Universal Design for Learning.

He spent 4 years as a literacy and arts teacher in New York City public schools, earning a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and specializing in technology-mediated literacy and learning. He has published and presented at professional research conferences on digital literacies, networked learning, and global education. He is passionate about working with instructors in adopting new technologies in the classroom through research-backed pedagogy and critical design.

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