Welcome to the inaugural edition of #3ThingsWorthSharing from the Academic Technology and Course Design Team. You can read more on our blog #thingsworthsharing
1. What is Universal Design for Learning?
Academic Technology and Course Design staff employ some core theories when assist faculty in creating their courses. Most prominent is Universal Design for Learning. Per CAST “Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.” Good course design, accessibility, and teaching are based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning or UDL.
When you meet with an academic technologist or explore a course with an instructional designer, they are actively working with you to find ways to first Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression.
2. Shortcut: Everything is broken/fixed with CTRL+Z
Computers can be forgiving (except around water). If you accidentally messed up a sentence, or deleted a section of the text, try the keyboard shortcut:
- CTRL+Z" (PC) or "COMMAND+Z" (Mac)
This is the universal shortcut for Undo, or "go back one action." This can be a powerful way to speed up your editing and updating of content and doesn't require a mouse.
This shortcut works in products from Adobe, Microsoft, Google, and Apple, and in all web browsers.
3. On incremental improvement and growth mindsets:
"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"
Anne Lamott “Bird By Bird” (Available from the Kathryn A. Martin Library)
About #3ThingsWorthSharing
#3ThingsWorthSharing is curated and created through conversations with instructors and support staff from the UMD Teaching and Learning community. This edition is written by Adam Brisk, UMD ITSS Academic Technologist, and Karen Jeannette, UMD ITSS Instructional Designer. Share your own #ThingWorthSharing with us.
Learn more Things!
- Find the latest systemwide workshops, webinars, and courses listed at UMN Teaching Support.
- Book an appointment with a member of our ITSS Academic Technology and Course Design team.