Key Research Findings

• the learning environment is physically accommodating +24%
• course material is available in alternative formats +21%
• course material is available in digital format +24%
• professor respects the diversity of students in the class +21%
• course material respects the diversity of students +15%
• students have access to all parts of the curriculum +14%

There was also a correlation between the implementation of UID principles and academic self-efficacy. In other words, the more UID principles were applied to the course, the greater the students’ confidence in their own ability to succeed. All eight measures of self-efficacy were significantly greater in the post-assessment, including: 

• their ability to achieve appropriate grades +21%
• their ability to make understandable notes +20%
• their level of understanding +19%

• enthusiasm +16%
• pride +16%
• excitement +14%
• feeling active +14%
• irritability -10%

For more complete research results, please contact Jaellayna Palmer

TAs

• …they do seem so obvious and you say “Well, of course the material should be explicit and of course it should be flexible!” but the point is that the courses are not designed that way and that’s why we’re here.
• …I think it will probably always be in my mind a little bit more so than before, just in whatever I’m doing, trying to meet the principles…just thinking about flexibility and the best way to do it - are there other ways?
• …I think just being aware of it is what really makes a difference.

Profs

• Those principles are general enough that you can use them throughout curriculum development at any level
• How many other courses could you start evaluating and looking at what simple things could be changed to therefore make a huge impact ...it gives you direction, it gives you a focus.
• The impact of UID, I think, will take us further.... because once that's established people will tend to follow those principles…if you just do it once, then it can be said "Well, that's too hard, let's do something else.
• What we need to do is to make it long-lasting…Concentrate on the principles, the practical principles of what UID can achieve.
• I would really urge you, the UID program, to continue. That extra little bit of money and extra access to expertise…There is a real aura of legitimacy knowing that Jaellayna is there, other courses are doing similar types of things.
• I would say probably in the past we never gave too much thought to different methods of presentation or alternate methods...it [UID] opened up our eyes and we started looking more towards the students' perspective.
• Definitely I'll be talking to the other instructors and trying to promote some of this.
• One thing that I find really intriguing about UID is that it can be used as a model; not just for accessibility, but used as a model.
• It [the UID poster] makes it simple for somebody to understand, this is what we’re trying to accomplish here. There are some great principles there.
• A lot of students with ADD or dyslexia often end up in the arts...When I read the principles...I think I probably responded to different elements of them.
• It [the UID project] has also been an incentive to learn some new skills for myself that I can apply in the course...I had no idea that that would grow out it.
• We have had a number [of disabled students] over the years, certainly with learning disabilities as opposed to physical…We know about open learning, we know about courses on the Web, but it seemed like a far-away thing that this is something you have to have money to do and certainly you have to have time to do and maybe some help to do...And so this has opened up the doors.