Selected Assignments

Included here are a subset of assignments from the Spring 2020 FMN, Exploring UDL with BIOMAAP. Full assignments and responses were posted to the Forum bi-weekly. These have been made public as part of BioQUEST's presentation at the 2021 Digicon.

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Assignment 2

For our activity this week, we are asking that you generate a mapping between one of the BIOMAAP modules you are implementing and the UDL Guidelines. The goal of the activity is for you to continue to familiarize yourself with the UDL guidelines, using BIOMAAP materials for context. 

Task

• Create a mapping between the UDL guidelines and the materials from one BIOMAAP module you have implemented or plan to implement. 
  • You can work through the mapping in any way that works for you. Some examples and templates are available in our shared Google Drive space using Reflective Writing.
    • Mapping in Google Docs using highlighter
      • Example from Monday
      • Example from Thursday
    • Using a spreadsheet that links out to each UDL guideline
      • Blank template of the spreadsheet. To use for yourself, click "File" and then "Make a Copy"
      • The Reflective Writing example is in the second tab
    • Mapping using a straightforward bulleted list
      • Reflective Writing example
    • You do not have to use any of these templates either! Feel free to print the material, mark it up, cut it up, rearrange it, employ a swarm of sticky notes or anything else that will help you work with the guidelines and material
• Share your mapping back to the group by the evening of Wednesday, February 5th
  • This sharing can be anything from a file (you can attach to your forum post or put in our Google drive for this activity), a link to a google doc, spreadsheet, or other online resource, a picture of what you did, or something else.
• In the Forum post, provide both a summary of your mapping process and key takeaways and insights. 
  • You have the option to type this or maybe try an audio recording (throughout the network we will point you towards some tools to try out if you choose)
• By the evening of Sunday, February 9th comment on someone else's activity
  • In your comment, start with a statement sharing why you choose to respond to this person's post. Maybe you are implementing the same module, teaching a similar course, are at similar institutions, different institutions - it could be any reason, just be sure to share!
  • Then, compare and contrast your mapping process and insights with theirs.

Assignment 4

Over the next two weeks we will work on our implementation plans, revisions, reflections that will inform final products for the network. As a reminder, the final product of the FMN will be sharing an adaptation of the BIOMAAP module(s) you implemented. Adaptations can be quite variable, ranging from teaching notes to additional or modified activities for a module. As this network is focusing on both BIOMAAP and UDL, your final product should include information about how you incorporated UDL into the module (how you plus-one'd it). You will share this adaptation on QUBES as an open educational resource, available for other instructors to use. 

Task

• Review a previous BIOMAAP participant's adaptation to a module you are implementing. To see adaptations, go to the selected modules page, click the title of the module you are implementing, and then click the tab that says "Adaptations."
  • Take a look at the adaptations and choose one to focus on reviewing. 
  • Think of at least one question you have for the author - about their modification, about the class setting, their implementation, anything else you would like to know about the adaptation. 
  • Your post should include a link to the adaptation you reviewed along with your question. 
• Begin to draft the pieces for your final product. There are many ways you can do this:
  • Use the provided Implementation Plan 
  • Write something of your own; something less formal than the guide is fine
  • Record your thoughts verbally using Speak Pipe voice recorder. 
  • Walk us through your implementation or modification by recording your screen
    • Some tool options: 
      • Zoom: With a free account you can open a meeting by yourself, click share screen, and record
      • ShareX
      • Open Broadcasting Software
    • Then post the file with your forum post or upload to YouTube as an unlisted video and share the link with us. 
  • As you work, consider the questions you and others in this network had for past FMN participants and try to address them in your own work. 
  • However you choose to work on your draft, please find a way to share something with us by the evening of Wednesday, March 11th.
    • Provide feedback to someone else's final product draft by the evening of Sunday, March 15th. Feedback could include a question, or noting where you would want more information. 

To reiterate - the draft does not need to be extensive or formal. The goal is to begin thinking about your final product so it is easy to post on QUBES in May. We will continue to work together to revise them throughout the rest of the network. 

Assignment 7

For this week's assignment, we will return yet again to the UDL guidelines, considering which practices are easier to apply in online environments and which are more difficult. We know that it can feel like there couldn't possibly be more to discuss about the UDL framework, but there is value in returning to the guidelines as our perspectives and environments change.

Tasks

• Visit an interactive version of the UDL Guidelines
• Engage with the practices using your new perspective as an instructor teaching remotely
  • When reviewing the guidelines, take some time to click on specific checkpoints. Each checkpoint has additional information about the theory behind it and specific examples of practices that align with the checkpoint. We have found that reading this information can change our understanding of the intent of some checkpoints. 
• Post to the Forum:
  • Two checkpoints that are easier to apply in your current learning environments.
    • For example, "Optimize individual choice and autonomy" is a specific checkpoint within Multiple Means of Engagement
  • Two checkpoints that are more difficult to apply in your current learning environments. 
  • Please include an explanation or example for each
  • Please post by the evening of Wednesday, April 22nd.
• Respond to at least one other person about how your experience has been similar or different to theirs. 
  • Please post your response by the evening of Sunday, April 26th

This discussion will lead us into our next synchronous meeting in which we will share broad practices and strategies for teaching online that have been successful thus far.