Episodes | Think UDL

Teaching Interculturally with Irene Theodoropoulou

Irene Theodoropoulou is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at Qatar University and a Visiting Associate Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University in Qatar. This conversation is filled with ancient wisdom for modern problems and illustrates practical ways to apply UDL principles in culturally diverse classrooms. We talk about language, linguistics, varying format and content (and paying attention to both), happiness and creativity, and how to leverage learner diversity and variability to create rich and rewarding educational experiences for both students and instructors.

New Paradigms in Course Design with Lee Skallerup Bessette

Dr. Lee Skallerup Bessette is the Assistant Director for Digital Learning at CNDLS, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University. She also co-hosts the podcast “All The Things ADHD” and is an active presence on Twitter as @ReadyWriting. In fact, one of Lee’s Twitter threads prompted this conversation about assumptions we make about students, learning, universities, and course design. I wanted to bring a UDL lens to this discussion and talk about what those assumptions are, what options and pitfalls we might have, and just dream of a few solutions with Lee. This episode captures that conversation and pushes at the boundaries of UDL, current course design, and institutional policies. We don’t have all the answers, but we do wonder aloud what these new course designs might look like.

Culturally Responsive Choices with Courtney Plotts

Today we talk about the intersection of Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching, how to create a culturally inclusive environment both in person and online, the difference between collaboration and cooperation, invitational teaching, and the “Dos and Don’ts” of starting your journey in Culturally Responsive Teaching.

Teach to Reach with Mary Ann Tobin

Today’s conversation takes us into a discussion about how to “sell” UDL to faculty, administration, and others on campus, how to present UDL if you want to get university buy-in, who to befriend, and why and how this might be beneficial to your faculty and your school as a whole. Along the way, we talk about how important UDL is for today’s students and how UDL has become the solution to problems we didn’t even know we were going to have!

Mindful Technology with Jenae Cohn

In this episode, Jenae and I talk about using technology in the classroom and outside the classroom. What choices should we make for ourselves? And what choices can we give our students? This thoughtful conversation will help you think about the ways that tech can help you and your students more fully engage with materials and each other. We take a look at what has changed in the last decade or two and how, when, and why we can leverage tech tools to enrich the learning experience, or perhaps when not to use them, either!

Professors at Play with Lisa Forbes and David Thomas

In today’s episode, I talk with Lisa and David about how we as instructors can infuse play and playfulness into our college courses and what benefits this might bring. This leads us to discuss creating communities of trust and building relationships with students, what skills are learned through play, and how vulnerability, laughter, joy, novelty, anxiety, fear, stress, and feelings of belonging and connection all play out within a course and how these feelings can be mitigated through play.

Reflection Makes the Implicit Explicit with Erik Blair

In today’s conversation, we discuss what reflection-based activities are, how to incorporate reflection activities into your classes, what different kinds of reflection activities there are, and what might work in different circumstances. We also talk about the benefit of incorporating reflection-based activities for students and instructors alike.

Relational Cultural Theory and UDL with Harriet Schwartz

As the episode title implies, we will be talking about RCT, or Relational Cultural Theory, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We discuss several ways instructors can engage students through the lens of Relational Cultural Theory, and that leads us into a discussion about authenticity. We also talk about the role the instructor-student relationship plays in sustaining student effort and persistence, and how power and relationships within the learning environment affect student learning.

Engaging Ungrading with Susan Blum

In this episode, Susan and I explore the connections between “Ungrading” and Universal Design for Learning principles, especially focussing on how “Ungrading” engages students, reduces threats and distractions (yes, grades are distractions to learning) and fosters community. Ungrading can also provide multiple options for action and expression, so we will be covering quite a number of the UDL guidelines today.

Minding Bodies, Senses, and Perception with Susan Hrach

In today’s episode, we talk about the content of her Minding Bodies book as it relates to perception, specifically the UDL guideline to provide multiple options for student perception which often include alternatives for auditory and visual information. We also talk a little neuroscience and brain efficiency, multi-sensory learning, how emotions influence learning, how important really noticing is, and questioning or interrogating our own perceptions.

Ethical and Accessible UDL with Ann Gagne

In today’s conversation, we talk about accessibility on social media and in educational settings, and I really appreciate that she gets into both the “how” and the “why” of these things. In fact, she has provided a ton of great resources about Alt-Text, and making your own accessible documents that you can find on our resources page for Episode 62 on ThinkUDL.org. So listen in now and check out the resources to find out how, why and what it truly means to be accessible.

But How Does UDL apply to Nursing? with Jen Wallace

Jen Wallace is an Assistant Professor in Nursing at Lawrence Memorial Regis College in Medford, Massachusetts. She has brought us some really great resources that she mentions during our conversation today and all of these are on our ThinkUDL.org website, so please be sure to check those out on Episode 61’s page.

Researching Accidental UDL with Kirsten Behling

In today’s podcast, Kirsten and I discuss the research project she has undertaken since the pandemic began when university classes switched to a predominantly online format. Kirsten has been looking for and has found many examples of instructors implementing Universal Design for Learning principles in their rapid switch to online, and she has asked instructors to reflect on their teaching during this time.

Purposeful, Humanizing, and Inclusive Instruction with Brett Christie

In today’s episode, I have the absolute pleasure to talk with Brett Christie. Brett is the Director of Learning Design at O’Donnell Learn and formerly introduced UDL to the entire California State University system. Brett and I discuss what he is doing to create purposeful, humanizing, inclusive instruction.

UDL Evolution with Lindsay Masland

Lindsay Masland joins me today to have a frank discussion about the evolution of UDL. Not only will we talk about how UDL is discussed in academia, but how it is often introduced and how it can be viewed today. We will get to see her perspective as a social scientist and as an educational psychologist to talk about what UDL is now and how we can frame it in our conversations in Higher Education today.

Neurodiversity and Public Relations with Jess Nerren

In today’s episode we talk about the PR makeover that neurodiversity needs and is getting with UDL and the continued shift we need to make in higher education and in the workforce to better serve all of our students, clients, and our world. I met Jess serendipitously on social media when we both were offering a colleague some ideas to help neurodiverse students in the classroom and I was immediately impressed by her generous and thoughtful answer.

Emotion Science and Online Learning with Flower Darby

In today’s conversation, Flower and I first talk about her concept of “Roundabout Design,” and how it differs from backwards design. And then we talk about her forthcoming book The Spark of Online Learning: How Technology and Emotion Science Invigorates Every Class where we will discuss many aspects of emotion and online learning, including how we can establish teacher presence and help students persist in their courses.

Advancing Online Teaching with Kevin Kelly and Todd Zakrajsek

Today’s conversation will focus on how to help you infuse Universal Design for Learning into your online course, support your learners with facilitations techniques, and assess both your own teaching and your students’ learning in the iterative process of online teaching.

Supporting Indigenous Culture with Liz Stone

Today our conversation touches on Edward Hall’s cultural iceberg as it relates to teaching and learning. Additionally, we will discuss emotion and experience and discuss how and why we should value things such as holistic learning in which we engage the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional parts of our brain. We will talk about the importance of intersectionality, stories, relationships, and the environment to our constant state of learning and also about credentials and what they might mean and what we value and why it matters.

Inclusive Practices Include UDL with Amanda Jungels

In today’s mega-episode, we get a really great understanding of how UDL is so important for and intertwined with equity and inclusion work. We will talk about learning as as social act, what engagement means through an equity and inclusion lens, and we will also bring in some educational tools. Then we will look at representation and talk about vulnerability, culturally responsive strategies, bringing context to content, why metaphors matter, examine the language we use and even explore what that means in various disciplines from STEM to art history.

Neurodiversity is a Strength with Gloria Niles

Today Gloria and I talk about neurodiversity and how it is often considered through a deficit model. We will talk about how identity and intersectionality may shape our conceptions of neurodiversity, and we will explore ways to use a strengths-based, talent-focussed approach. This positive, flipped approach helps to promote equity and inclusion for all students!

Indigenous Ways of Teaching, Learning & Being with Libby Roderick

Our conversation investigates multiple ways that instructors can learn how to teach using Native practices, and the benefits that using these techniques bring to all involved. We discuss earth-based pace, observation and non-verbal learning, dance, silence and reflection, experiential learning and storytelling. We also learn what happens when we just stop talking as well.

Mission Possible with Mordecai Brownlee

Today’s conversation focuses on recruiting interest, inspiring students, and engaging them for the long haul in their academic careers, as well as what ways we can support students along the journey. Dr. Brownlee offers faculty some ideas to engage students and sustain student effort and persistence throughout a course, a term, and a college career.

Pauses Make Learning Visible with Melissa Wehler

In this episode, Melissa Wheeler, the co-founder of the Online Learning Toolkit, introduces us to the “Pause Procedure” with which we can help our students with their own self-regulation and executive functioning abilities. She takes us through four different kinds of pauses including learning, cognitive, engagement, and social pauses, each for different purposes. We will look at when to use the “Pause Procedure” in face-to-face and online classes, both in synchronous and asynchronous modalities.

Make My Teaching Life Easier With Travis Thurston

This episode details the four groups of people that all instructors should work with to make their lives easier and their teaching more effective. There are many colleagues at universities who are ready, willing and able to help new and seasoned instructors to find, curate and develop resources, design and facilitate engaging courses, interpret student behavior and feedback, and create effective presentations of content, and Travis is here to tell us who they are and what they can do for you!

Grace-Full Online Teaching with Emory Maiden

Today’s conversation is about moving online and what things we should be mindful of as we plan a course or as we are in the thick of a semester. We will talk about his philosophy behind using tech tools and how online courses really open up our teaching flexibility. We will also go over some things to avoid as you teach online, and Emory gives us some sage advice as someone who has helped hundreds of faculty move their courses online over the years.

Collaborative Learning and Student Engagement in Every Modality with Claire Major

Today’s episode is chock full of collaborative learning and student engagement techniques that can be used in land-based face-to-face or online learning classes. Claire offers the myriad resources of the K. Patricia Cross academy which has helpful blog posts, a video library, and downloadable resources of teaching techniques with in-person and online applications.

Maybe It Doesn’t Need to Be a Video with Clea Mahoney

In today’s conversation, the last of our Summer 2020 series on UDL in online environments, Clea and I talk about multiple ways of representing information in online classes. How can we customize the display of information, offer alternatives for text or auditory information, and guide information processing and visualization for our students? And if that sounds like way too much, we also discuss how to make online teaching simple and sustainable because, well, maybe it doesn’t need to be a video!

Your Humanity is an Asset: Instructional videos & Trauma-aware pedagogy with Karen Costa

In this episode, part of our Summer 2020 series on UDL in online environments, Karen and I discuss what trauma-aware pedagogy is and how instructional videos can help with the effects of trauma on executive functions and self-regulation.

UDL can Save Us All This Fall with Judith Dutill

In this episode, which is part of a Summer 2020 series on Universal Design for Learning in online environments, we talk about how to give space to our students and perhaps give up some control this coming semester, and how to keep our students excited about learning in this new environment.

Whole-Student Learning Online with Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Dr. Michelle Pacansky-Brock, also known on Twitter as @Brocansky, is a noted leader in higher education with expertise in online teaching, course design, and faculty development. Her work has helped online instructors worldwide understand how to craft relevant, humanized online learning experiences that support the diverse needs of college students. She is the author of Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies and has received national recognition for her excellence in teaching and faculty development from the Online Learning Consortium (OLC).

An Online Pedagogy of Kindness with Cate Denial

In this episode, which is part of a Summer 2020 series on Universal Design for Learning in online environments, I ask Cate about how she applies the concepts in her 2019 article (and forthcoming book) “A Pedagogy of Kindness” to online courses. In this conversation, Cate explains how her ideas about trusting her students, believing them and believing in them, and employing an ethos of care are utilized in specific online design principles and actions.

Epic Meaning in Online Learning with Michael Kocher

Michael Kocher is a UDL consultant at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. There he has created many faculty development opportunities to introduce instructors to Universal Design for Learning principles and help others implement them in seated and online environments. In today’s episode we talk about how to create “epic meaning” for students in online courses by valuing student choice and autonomy, and creating assessments that are authentic and worthwhile for students.

Radical Hope for Online Teaching with Kevin Gannon

Today’s episode is part of a Summer 2020 series on UDL in online environments and I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Kevin Gannon today. Kevin is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Professor of History at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. His book, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto was released in the spring of 2020 and has already become a “must-read” in academic circles and faculty book clubs throughout the United States and beyond.

Online Faculty Learning Communities with Christina Moore

Christina Moore is the Virtual Faculty Developer at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. In today’s episode we talk about faculty Online Learning Communities, also known as Personal Learning Networks. In this time of separation, how can colleagues come together and share ideas? We will discuss organizing resources around teaching topics with multiple formats that include podcasts, articles, videos, and even people to follow on Twitter, plus “Mobile learning” and accessibility in online environments.

HyFlex Course Design Model with Brian Beatty

Brian Beatty is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University. Brian’s primary areas of interest and research include social interaction in online learning, flipped classroom implementation, and developing instructional design theory for Hybrid-Flexible learning environments.

Design for Learning Equity with Kevin Kelly

Kevin is a Faculty Lecturer in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies & Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University. I talked with Kevin at the Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning Lilly Conference in San Diego, California, February 27-29, 2020. I was so excited to get a chance to sit down with Kevin to talk about creating equity in learning environments, especially in online learning environments.

Transcripts, taxonomies and podcast websites with Bonni Stachowiak

On episode 35, we get to talk with Bonni Stachowiak. Bonni is the host and producer of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, an Associate Professor of Business and Management and Dean of Teaching and Learning at Vanguard University of Southern California. I talked with Bonni at the Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning Lilly Conference in San Diego, California, February 27-29, 2020.

Student Choice Menus with Eric Boyer

I got the chance to sit down with Eric at the Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning Lilly Conference in San Diego, California, February 27-29, 2020. Our conversation hits the high points of multiple intelligences, choice theory, self-determination theory, and reflective journaling.

Engaging Lilly Conferences with Todd Zakrajsek

This episode was recorded at the Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning Lilly Conference in San Diego, California, February 27-29, 2020. This conference is just one of the engaging Lilly Conferences organized by the International Teaching and Learning Cooperative and the fabulous ITLC team. This podcast also kicks off a series of four podcasts from the conference that focuses on UDL conversations that were discussed by participants or speakers that I had a chance to interview while the ThinkUDL team was there. We start out this series with the President and Conference Director of the ITLC, Todd Zakrajsek.

UDL and Culturally Responsive Teaching with Adam Nemeroff

Adam is a Learning Designer at Dartmouth College and has created a very innovative way to share his ideas about Culturally Responsive Teaching and inclusive design by using a Trello Board. This episode will investigate the ways culturally responsive teaching and Universal Design for Learning are related to and also inform each other, and Adam has organized this information using what he calls a “vision board” which he created using the Trello tool.

Inclusive Syllabus Design with Kirsten Helmer

In this episode, we get the chance to discuss Kirsten’s presentation on inclusive syllabus design that is based on UDL principles. There are 6 parts to her presentation that we will discuss in detail and she has graciously provided her handout and presentation slides which are included in our resources section on the ThinkUDL.org web page.

UDL for Faculty Development with Sarah Silverman

Sarah is the Program Facilitator at the Delta Program for Research, Teaching and Learning at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. And we had the opportunity to talk about how she incorporates UDL in her role as a faculty developer to help faculty and future faculty improve their teaching and learning.

Multiple Means of UDL with Karrie Morin & Dana Sheehan

This episode was recorded on the campus of Goodwin College in East Hartford, CT, on the eve of the 2nd annual UDL in Higher Education Conference on November 8, 2019, with the theme +1, Transformation by design.

Letting Students Lead with Dody Pelts

Dody is the Director of the Jones Learning Center at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas. Dody came to the CollegeSTAR Student Support Network Retreat where Lillian had the chance to talk to her about what the Jones Center is doing to support a variety of students with learning differences.

Please Pass the SALT! with Laurel Grigg Mason

Today Lillian talks with Laurel recently traveled to Raleigh, NC for the College STAR Student Support Summit where Lillian had the chance to talk to her about what she is doing to support a variety of students with learning differences. Laurel is the Director of Bartlett Labs at the SALT (Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques) Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

From “Making Accommodations” to Accommodating All Students with Paula Cocce

Today Lillian talks with Paula Cocce from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. Paula came to a CollegeSTAR Student Support Summit where she discussed how she supports a variety of students with learning differences.

From Accessibility into Inclusivity with Jeremy Olguin

Today Lillian talks with Jeremy Olguin, the Accessible Technology Manager at the Office of Accessible Technology and Services at California State University, Chico. Jeremy and Lillian talk about the long 18-month rollout of Ally at Chico State and the mindset shift from Accessibility to Inclusivity on his campus.

Whole campus UDL buy-in with Bryan Berrett

Lillian talks with Bryan Berrett, the Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence at California State University at Fresno. Bryan and Lillian sat down in August 2019 at the 5th Annual CAST Symposium “Becoming Expert Learners” on the campus of Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to talk about how the whole campus is integrating UDL through not just Blackboard Ally for the LMS, but also online teaching, a new academic policy APM 237 for accessible course materials, Mobile DISCOVERe, and open access resources at Fresno State.

Blackboard Ally for LMS with Jon Rizzo

Today I talk with Jon Rizzo, an Instructional Designer at San Diego State University. Host Lillian Nave and Jon get the chance to sit down at the 5th Annual CAST Symposium “Becoming Expert Learners” on the campus of Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to talk about his work with Blackboard Ally for the LMS, or Learning Management System.

Training Faculty Jedis with Danielle Wilken

Dr. Danielle Wilken is the Provost and Dean of Students at Goodwin College. Lillian gets the chance to talk to her about the training program she has implemented for 45 faculty members to be UDL Fellows (also known as Jedis) at Goodwin. In addition, she has also radically transformed the teaching and learning environment at Goodwin College, an open enrollment college in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Creating Inclusive Space for All with Zach Smith

In this episode I talk to Zach Smith, a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership (Ed. L. D.) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We talk about his efforts to make some broad scale change to educational spaces based on both his family experience and his work in a rural school district in the central valley of California.

Got UDL Credentials? with Steve Nordmark

In this episode I talk to Steve Nordmark, Director of Business Development at CAST. Steve forges partnerships with global educators and entities in the field such as our very own CollegeSTAR network in order to further the knowledge of and implementation of Universal Design for Learning.

Engaging the Brain with Allison Posey

Welcome to Episode 19 of the ThinkUDL podcast. In this episode I talk to author Allison Posey about her book Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotion. Allison works as a Curriculum and Design Specialist at CAST and we had the chance to record this interview just […]

Responding to neurodiversity and shifting campus culture with Elizabeth Coghill

Lillian interviews Elizabeth Coghill, Director of the Pirate Academic Success Center at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Elizabeth outlines what her tutoring center is doing on the campus of East Carolina University to implement Universal Design for Learning strategies in a holistic way that welcomes all students to campus.

Partnering with Students and Faculty with Suzanne Ehrlich

In this episode, Suzanne and Lillian discuss the very interesting research Suzanne and her colleagues are doing with both students and faculty on the use and efficacy of UDL at UNF, the design and delivery of her UDL course in an effort to make area connections with UDL, as well as her role as a faculty fellow to build the UDL mindset with faculty across campus.

Decolonizing the Music Curriculum with Andrew Dell’Antonio at the Big XII Teaching and Learning Conference

This episode includes a discussion of the application of UDL principles in music and arts classes as well as how taking a UDL lens to the curriculum causes us to re-examine the overstuffed curriculum as well as the traditional curriculum in the music field. Andrew Dell’Antonio gives us some very interesting ways to think about UDL as a pathway to decolonize the kind of work we do, not just accessibility and content-wise, but as a way to question the way we teach in higher education in the United States so that UDL is considered as a place of practice to question the way we do pedagogy and curriculum.

Diverse Abilities and Flexibility from the BigXII Teaching and Learning Conference

This episode is comprised of two interviews with faculty at the University of Texas at Austin who employ UDL techniques systematically either in the classroom or in programming in order to provide access and flexibility for students.

Information Literacy and UDL from the BigXII Teaching and Learning Conference

Welcome to a special edition of the ThinkUDL podcast LIVE from the 6th Annual Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference in the Texas Union Building here on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. This episode is comprised of three short interviews with librarians who have incorporated UDL into their work with faculty […]

Intention, Tools, and Institutional Change with Danny Smith

Today Lillian talks with Danny Smith, Professor of Marketing at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this episode, Danny and Lillian discuss the ways that Universal Design for Learning principles are interwoven in the fabric of George Brown College, a 30,000 student institution in the heart of Toronto that serves many commuter students in an urban setting.

Integrating UDL in Ontario, Canada, and beyond with Jodie Black

Lillian Nave talks with Jodie Black, a Teaching and Learning Specialist at Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Jodie and Lillian discuss the UDL initiatives she and her colleagues are undertaking at her college and across Ontario.

Assessments, Workforce Interviews, and Training with Bob Dolan!

Today Lillian talks with Bob Dolan, Principal at Diverse Learners Consulting and a long-time CAST collaborator. In this episode, Bob outlines how UDL informs assessments, not just in the classroom, but in hiring new employees, learning a new tool or program on the job, and why understanding the principles of Universal Design for Learning can benefit both employees and employers!

UDL is the Heartbeat of Heartland Community College

In this episode, Lillian speaks with Zach Petrea, Associate Professor of English and a UDL Fellow at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. This episode catalogues how faculty “led from the middle” to change the teaching at Heartland and was even able to include UDL in the strategic plan for the college. We talk about […]

Live at UDL-IRN Summit 2019 with Adria Battaglia and Jen Pusateri

Lillian interviews two guests, Adria Battaglia (University of Texas at Austin) and Jen Pusateri (University of Kentucky) to talk about specific UDL initiatives on these two large university campuses in the United States and also discuss overcoming barriers to implementing UDL in Higher Education.

15 Steps to Group Project Success with Robin Spring

Lillian talks with Robin Spring, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Lillian and Robin discuss her “15 Steps to group project success” which outlines the process to create successful group projects in her undergraduate advertising classes.

UDL for all in Ghana! with Elvis Agah

Lillian talks with Elvis Agah, the President of the School of Design and Technology (SDT), Accra, Ghana, and co-founder of the International Technology and Entrepreneurship Program (ITEP), Miami, FL. Hear how UDL addresses what Elvis calls the “educational national emergency” in Ghana and what steps he has taken to create a different kind of learning in Ghana.

UDL is Looking AHEAD in Ireland! with Dara Ryder

Lillian talks with Dara Ryder, the Digital Media and eLearning Manager for AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access & Disability, in Dublin, Ireland.

“Videos for Student and Faculty Learning” with Tom Thibodeau

Lillian talks with Tom about how he has used videos to circumvent the increasingly over-scheduled lives of students and faculty to get information out to everyone. This leads to a discussion about the role of the instructor, and how that role has shifted in the last several years.