Building off the "Pathways to Inclusion" case studies (read GVSU's "Data-driven Strategies for Inclusive Learning"), Blackboard is facilitating an Ally 2019 Tour: On the Road to IncluCity event at GVSU to continue accessibility conversations across campuses around the world.

The last stop of 2019 is right here at Grand Valley State University!

A key area of focus is to share best practices for implementing Universal Design for Learning principles and driving culture change around course accessibility.

Be sure to sign up for an accessibility workshop and join in on the conversation as GVSU focuses on providing inclusive education for all students!

ABOUT the BLACKBOARD ALLY and UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING WORKSHOP
Supporting Diverse Needs through Inclusive Design and Learner Preference
Accessible content authoring is not only essential for students who use assistive technologies, but it also results in more usable, flexible content that can adapt to diverse student needs and devices. During the workshop, we’ll discuss some of the key terms and research around inclusive learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the different ways Ally’s alternative formats and instructor feedback help support those learning goals. Participants will then form teams and work on a series of accessibility and UDL challenges, focused around content authoring, content remediation, multimodal literacy, and curriculum design. At the conclusion of the workshop, each participant will leave with one strategy or idea to make their learning environment more inclusive for all their learners.  

ABOUT JOHN SCOTT
Product Manager, Blackboard Ally
John Scott is a Product Manager for Blackboard Ally. Prior to joining the Blackboard Ally team, John completed his PhD in Learning Sciences and New Media at the University of California Berkeley, where he designed, taught, and researched online learning courses focused on collaborative learning, multimodal literacy, and Universal Design for Learning. He spent 4 years as a literacy and arts teacher in New York City public schools, earning a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and specializing in technology-mediated literacy and learning. He has published and presented at professional research conferences on digital literacies, networked learning, and global education. He is passionate about working with instructors in adopting new technologies in the classroom through research-backed pedagogy and critical design.