A
seemingly simple invitation that could spell pain. Imagine yourself with arthritis in your hands. All doorknobs might look like this.
Now
the door welcomes all visitors with a pain-free invitation!
This
is an example of a concept called Universal Design. First applied primarily to architectural decisions,
it refers “to the idea of designing
spaces, products, services, and more in a way that makes them as functional as
possible for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds” (Spina, 2017). Since
Ronald L. Mace proposed the idea of Universal Design in the 1990s, there is an
emphasis placed not on fixing the world for the disabled, but instead on
improving usability across the board, for every human. And we use the word “human” purposely, as
does Don Norman, the author of The Design
of Everyday Things, in this video about the bad doors he finds everywhere.
As teachers and librarians, how can we apply
this principle to our students?
Remember, every single one of them is human! Since 1974, updates to the Americans with
Disabilities Act have ensured that students with disabilities are educated in an
inclusive setting, with minimal restrictions.
However, even with this law, some students struggle with assignments and
assessments. Non-native English speakers
are not identified as disabled simply because they struggle to understand and
be understood in their new language. The
easily distracted, the nervous test taker, the slightly immature student that
skipped a grade – all these students could be helped by the idea of designing lessons,
activities and assessments that consider the seven principles of Universal
design:
1. Equitable Use
2. Flexibility in Use
3. Simple and Intuitive Use
4. Perceptible Information
5. Tolerance for Error
6. Low Physical Effort
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use
I would like to propose one technology tool in
particular that will help both non-disabled and disabled students; a tool that specifically
exhibits equitable use, flexible use and tolerance for error. Rather than a written paper, or a test, which
can be difficult for ELL students, anxious students, or students with cerebral
palsy and other motor difficulties, teachers can use a free recording tool called
Screecast-o-matic.
click to link:
The online Web 2.0 tool has both free and pay accounts, but the free option has a great deal to offer. Students have the ability to record the computer screen, use a webcam or do both at the same time! Take a look at an example of students at Burlington High School using the program to create tech tutorials for teachers!
Or watch Rachel give her own weather report for the Bronx. (click to link)
Applications
for this technology are truly unlimited.
In place of the paper-pencil test, students can create a movie demonstration of their
understanding of a concept. Here is a
film where a student explains her understanding of a food web.
Having the ability to create a script over time reduces the anxiety of a
timed test. A student with motor
limitations can move at her own pace to complete the perfect submission. (click to link)
The free version of the program is robust enough to include simple editing like trimming the beginning and end of a movie, as well as some free music to serve as a "bed" during the movie. The finished video can be uploaded to YouTube or saved to a computer or flash drive.
This tutorial will give you an excellent start. (click to link)
Resources:
Spina,
C. (2017, May 5). How universal design will make your library more inclusive. School Library Journal.
Hehir,
D., Grindal, T., Freeman, B., Lamoreau, R., Borquaye, Y., Burke, S. (2016,
August). A summary of the evidence on inclusive education. Instituto Alana.
Vox. 2016, Feb 26. It's not you. Bad doors are everywhere [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY96hTb8WgI
Great tool! I'm becoming a real fan of video presentations. My SLIS program has caused me to learn so much about creating videos with PowerPoint, PowToon, and Flipgrid, and virtual learning has me exploring other tools like Google Meet as a video recording tool. I've heard of Screencast-o-matic but haven't tried it.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of opportunities for alternative response! Providing students with chances to respond without ever touching a pencil and paper excites them, and it has helped me focus on the purpose of my learning objectives and assessments. (Am I assessing their ability to write words, or am I assessing their understanding of the material?) I have found that students are more open to making mistakes and accepting constructive criticism through the conversational tone of FlipGrid and Marco Polo, as opposed to getting a paper back with a grade on it. It is also nice to be able to correspond with them verbally, because it is easier for me to share my thoughts in video form than write everything on their papers. As with any written communication, quick notes and comments are easily misinterpreted without context. Videos allow me to efficiently convey my thoughts with the intended tone. I have also seen students who struggle with fine motor skills, language learning, and attention deficits produce incredible responses that I would have never gotten on paper. I use a similar program, Screencastify, so much that I purchased a subscription so I could enjoy the full collection of tools. (Amy Misenheimer)
ReplyDeleteI use Screencastomatic daily during the pandemic. It is an excellent tool to use for young students and students that struggle with reading and comprehension. I enjoyed reading your blog.
ReplyDeletei have used Screencast-o-matic several times in my MLIS classes and as you said, the free version has features such as editing and trimming in the free version that enables the user to produce a professional product easily. I had not thought of students using this tool before, but with so many virtual lessons and projects, I think it would be great for students with varying abilities. (Suzanne Spearman)
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, Thanks for the post on Screencast-o-matic! I've heard of it, but never knew how it was used, especially in education. I can see how students would not only use Screencast in a lot of different ways, but I think they'd really enjoy it as well. Most of my students preferred tech over writing any day -- that is, writing a few paragraphs or an essay versus making a Screencast video, they'd choose Screencast almost every time. Allowing a student to film a video instead of standing up in front of the class is a nice option for students with anxieties re: public speaking (me when I was younger). Screencast is something I'll keep in mind for presentations for myself as well, instead of PowerPoint. Thanks for sharing! - Janna Palliser
ReplyDeleteI actually just used screencast-o-matic for a project in another class yesterday! It's a neat tool and I never thought of ways that it could be used to assist students with disabilities. That's a great example of a technology that is not an "assistive device" but could sure be used as one. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete