About Us
Meetings and Special Events
Join us for our meetings and other events. At Quarterly Meetings, we gather to discuss topics of interest to the community and to highlight our member contributions. Pop-Up Meetings can be hosted by anyone in the community and are intended to be discussion based and informal. Once you’re a member, you’ll receive invitations to any meetings and special events. A schedule and access to recordings of past events can be found on our Mighty Network online community site.
Digicon
Network & Collaborate
Our Mighty Networks online community space is meant to facilitate the sharing of practical strategies, information, creative ideas, and professional development materials. Join us to network and collaborate with others who are working towards bringing quality, equity, and accessibility to learning experiences in higher education.
Connect
If you are not yet a member, complete this short form to join the UDLHE Network or reach out via email at highered@udl-irn.org. Find us on social media using the #UDLHE hashtag and follow us on Twitter @UDLHE.
Leadership Team
Anne Marie Ristow
Higher Education Freelancer
Cross-Continental
Katja Hakel
Digicon Co-Chair
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Trondheim, Norway
katja.hakel@ntnu.no
Carly M. Lesoski
Communications Director
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH, USA
carly.m.lesoski@dartmouth.edu
Les T. Johnson
Dalhousie University
Nova Scotia, Canada
Abstract
Higher education has a unique landscape that influences the methods of implementing and scaling UDL. In this SIG, we will network to collaborate with others in higher education who are working towards implementing UDL into their systems, practices, and thinking. By developing such a network, we will facilitate sharing of practical strategies, information, and professional development materials.
*For the purpose of this group, “implementation” refers to the intentional development of UDL initiatives to increase quality of learning for the predictable variability of higher education students and faculty today.
Area of Interest and Why it is Important
Within the higher education landscape, there are unique challenges. Some of these include: differing school models and missions, degrees of faculty’s focus on research (sometimes over instruction), the size of classes and campuses, the connections between faculty and students, the lack of education background for many individual faculty, the relationship among faculty and other service providers (e.g., disability services), and the impact of legislative accessibility standards (different for different countries). We also recognize that “Higher Education” is not a monolithic group, but one populated by different types of institutions that serve different populations and have different needs. Together we will support the variability of our members and build a community that co-creates the direction of the SIG. Some topics of discussion may include:
- Curriculum development
- Procurement
- Technology selections
- BYOD
- Identifying and addressing conceptual misunderstandings of UDL in higher ed (e.g., confounding of UDL and accessibility)
- Getting started with UDL
- Effective on-site networking
Activities
- Network UDL practitioners for mentoring or by common interest
- Quarterly member meetings to discuss specific topics of interest
- Annual meeting at the UDL-IRN Summit
- Identify and share talent and foci such that individuals will know where to go for ideas, supports, resources
- Identify and share strategies on “how to get started” on your campus, with recognition of variability in types of colleges/universities and how this variability affects implementation.
- Develop resources that will assist institutions in overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way of UDL implementation.
- NOTE! We are member-driven. Our activities expand and grow per the needs and leadership of our community. If you have an idea, let us all know!