Technology and Alternative Assessment

I am beginning to feel a little redundant, but one of the opportunities I see inherent in using technology-based methods to assess student learning include the ability to incorporate a variety of student capabilities or multiple intelligences and allow the student to express his or her knowledge in a manner more conducive to the student. Also, the ability to give student choices and develop their abilities in other areas including technology when using technological based methods of assessment.

I also think the use of such methods takes away from the monotony of traditional instructional and traditional assessment. Perhaps the use of non-traditional assessment methods can only give students a chance to be more successful, but can also make the students more motivated and interested because the assignment or assessment presents something new and different.

Related to the chance for students to use creativity, alternative assessments can provide a more in depth look at learning. Going beyond traditional assessments allows students and teachers to beyond surface knowledge and explore and express knowledge and connections that cannot be provoked by pencil and paper assessments.

On the other hand, there are some potential challenges. One challenge is the vagueness or lack of explicit directions and expectations that can come with non-traditional assessment. Given a pen and paper assessment, most students know what to do, regardless of how well they can do. However, given a more abstract assessment such as PowerPoint presentation, e-portfolio, and digital movies, just to name a few, the expectations and directions can easily become clouded. Non-traditional assessments cannot be assessed as easily and readily as traditional assessments where there is usually just one right answer, contrastly, different interpretations of the same object, the likelihood that there is more than one right answer, and having different teachers grade the same project can highlight the differences in expectations and interpretations. Of course, this could be easily be remedied with clear expectations, model projects, and rubrics, this does require an extra step for educators and also requires a more objective mindset.

Nonetheless, to me, the benefits of such non-traditional assessments outweigh the potential costs and or challenges. In an era where assessment and accountability are such hot topics and student ability is more diverse than ever before, the need for non-traditional instructional methods and assessments is heightened. I look forward to implementing such strategies and methods in my classroom and I hope that as non-traditional forms of instruction and assessment become more mainstream, that the benefits will be heightened and any challenges will be smoothed out.

Implementing UDL in the classroom

The incorporation of UDL principles in classroom instruction presents some opportunities and challenges that may or may not be easily overcome. However, if used properly, there is no reason that the use of UDL instruction cannot significantly add to instruction and learning. Also, UDL in the classroom can be a fun and additional manner for ensuring student and teacher success.

Opportunities
Of the first opportunities that came to mind when thinking about incorporating UDL principles in the classroom includes the increased ability to differentiate instruction so as to meet the needs of a wider range of students. As we discussed in class, one PowerPoint presentation can involve many different features, all of which would appeal to learners in different ways. For example, a UDL PowerPoint could include music for auditory learners and pictures and graphs for visual learners. Also, interactive links can be included with the PowerPoint or used as extension activities to supplement instruction and learning.
Another opportunity provided through UDL instruction includes the breaking up of the monotony that can come with traditional classroom instruction. I wouldn’t recommend a UDL activity be used every day and maybe not even every week, but on the occasions when it is used, it would definitely be a welcomed change for students and teachers. It would also reinforce the idea that there are multiple ways to effectively learn and teach.

Challenges
I see three main challenges that could prevent the use of UDL principles and technologies in the classroom. First is the availability of the equipment that would allow a teacher to employ UDL techniques and principles. Because not every school is fortunate enough to have a lot of technological equipment, incorporating these alternate forms of instruction can be nearly impossible. Second, teacher knowledge on how and when to the technology in the classroom could also pose a problem. If the teacher is unfamiliar with and or accepting of the technology, then there is automatically a serious obstacle to using it in instruction. Third and related to the second challenge for UDL instruction is the philosophy of the school and the school environment including faculty/staff expectations and beliefs. If there are certain criteria and expectations placed on instruction and learning, UDL principles may or may not be a welcome addition to the school and classroom environment.

In the classroom
One way I can see using UDL in the classroom would be offer alternate methods for students to view the same material. For example, I can use PowerPoint notes and a movie clip of the same information and allow students to view one or both during instruction. This allows me to address the needs of more than one type of learner and make instruction more interactive.
A second way that UDL principles could be incorporated in my teaching would be through the use of PowerPoints that include many of the various features such as sound, graphs, pictures, and interactive links that will engage students during instruction. Relatedly, while using UDL PowerPoints in my instruction, I can print out student copy of the notes for students to fill in and add to during class. Specific attention could be paid to the points during the presentation when sound, graphs, pictures, and links are present so that students are connecting their learning in a number of ways such as writing the notes, visually seeing the notes, and an auditory portion of the notes. Through this, I am bound to catch the variety of students who learn in different ways as well as reinforcing concepts. A third way I could use UDL in my instruction includes offering UDL options as methods for assessing student learning. This would allow students to use the knowledge gained during instruction and technological knowledge to represent what has been learned. It would also provide a more accurate representation of student learning because through the options, students would be allowed to choose the best fit in accordance with their learning and abilities and use that tool to their advantage.

Conclusion
Overall, I hope to instruct in an environment that is both nurturing and encouraging of UDL principles as well as a variety of other instructional and learning approaches that can be used separately or together. I think if educators keep in mind that the ultimate goal is the success of the student, and then the use of such principles and approaches will not be met with so many obstacles. However, until that time when such acceptance of UDL and similar principles is widespread and the availability of the materials needed to incorporate such technology is available at all schools, educators will continue to challenged with how, when and what to use to ensure proper instruction and student success.

Universal Designs for Learning (UDL)

Universal design for learning is an educational reform approach aimed at improving student learning. The key elements in universal design include accountability standards, teacher accountability to ensure all students succeed, learner differences and effective uses of technology, opportunities to use communication technologies to reach diverse learners, and instilling flexibility to maximize learning for all students. Using this approach, instruction can be structured so that the majority if not all learners are reached on some level. I see it as similar to the multiple intelligences theory, which advocates for instruction that employs different abilities. If a teacher uses the multiple intelligences theory to guide her instruction, then he/she is almost sure to incorporate universal design for learning and likely to help all students learn in ways most compatible with their abilities. This would mean that instruction would include lessons and activities that touch on logical, linguistic, spatial, bodily, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities. Incorporating the use of technology could complement any of these intelligences and be used as a method for reinforcing or adding to the concepts presented. Technology can also be used as the primary tool and one or more of the intelligences can be incorporated to complement the technology and ensure that the student(s) is learning in the method more conducive to their abilities.

PowerPoint can be used as a tool in the universal design for learning because it uses technology and usually does not impose particular or strict boundaries on student creativity. Students can be given an assignment that requires the use of PowerPoint, but as long as the there are no boundaries placed on how or what the students can do with PowerPoint, multiple intelligences and other more personal aspects of learning can be used in the assignment. For example, a musically smart person may choose to use audio in their presentation while a linguistically smart person may choose to use poems, stories, and other written forms of expression in their presentation. Using PowerPoint in combination with UDL principles such as ensuring all students succeed and addressing diverse learners and learning abilities along with multiple intelligences, the instructor can assess student knowledge and comprehension without stifling creativity, but yet highlight individual abilities.