Provide Access: Pinch Points
“Accessibility is about equity. Accessibility is about human rights. Inaccessible teaching and learning environments are exclusionary teaching and learning environments. At teaching and learning institutions, we have a collective and shared responsibility to identify and eliminate barriers to make our institutions more accessible for disabled students and staff” (Niagara College Canada, n.d., para. 1).
Plus One thinking is “proactively providing greater access and choices for every student” (Tobin & Behling, 2018, p. 139). It is about adding one additional access point to your materials throughout the entire course. It goes beyond alternating formats from week to week. For example, if your materials are text-based, instead of ‘mixing things up’ and providing a video one week, add a short video overview to every section. If you have a video introduction, add point form notes below for students who would prefer to skim the information in that way. Keep in mind that all critical details need to be included in both formats as your learners may only choose one of them. In other words, do not mention a step or instruction in the video that is not included on the text version of instructions for the assignment. Not only does providing multiple formats give learners a choice, but it may help to answer common questions about the materials.
Look for “just one more way that you can help keep learners on task, just one more way that you could give them information, just one more way that they could demonstrate their skills” (Tobin & Behling, 2018, p. 134). Pay attention to what works, and what doesn’t and make changes along the way.
Here are some format examples:
- Text plus video
- PDF plus text
- Infographic plus video overview
- Video plus captions
You can also add choice in your assessments. As long as the learner is meeting the learning outcome, ask yourself is there freedom on how they submit their assignment. Here are some ideas:
- Written choice – submit a 2-3 page text submission (bullet points or narrative).
- Video choice – record/create a video presentation.
- Audio choice – record an audio presentation.
- Artistic choice – create an infographic.
- Combined (written, video, audio, artistic) choice – create a narrated PowerPoint presentation, or a video overview of an infographic for example.
A good first step in the Plus One process is to find “pinch points” in your instructing. These are areas where students struggle or need more flexibility. By identifying these challenges, you can focus on making changes that will help students learn better.
For example:
- If students have trouble taking notes, you can instruct them in note-taking skills.
- If you share lesson content as a PowerPoint, also provide it as a Word document and link to a text-to-speech tool.
- Another example is from an instructor who offered both written and audio versions of notes and asked for regular student feedback on what they needed to improve engagement. (Lynch, 2024).
To get started, here’s some prompts to identify pinch points (Biddle & Klug, 2019):
- Where do my students always have questions?
- Where do they always get things wrong on tests/assessments or assignments?
- Where do they always ask for explanation in a different way from the ones I provide?
This will help you find areas to improve and target first.
How can you become a UDL Plus One enthusiast? You may already recognize some pinch points in your courses that could benefit from this approach. Remember, even small changes can make a big difference. The most important thing is to start. You do not have to alter all of your learning materials, just add choice. As you create new materials, put your UDL thinking to work.
References
Biddle, K, & Klug, P. (2019). Universal design learning in your classroom: How to get started. https://www.juniata.edu/student-accessibility-services/media/UDL_getting_started.pdf.
Lynch, M. (2024). Embracing diversity: Navigating universal design for learning in higher education (HE) for first-year undergraduate students. All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J), volume 16, number 2 (Summer 2024)
Niagara College Canada. (n.d.). Accessibility Hub. https://accessibilityhub.niagaracollege.ca/
Tobin, T. T., & Behling, K. T. (2018). Reach everyone, teach everyone: Universal design for learning in higher education. West Virginia University Press.
