By Sara Baron

Mary Brady is a well-known advocate for teaching with technology and online learning for all. Brady, who works in the Center for Social Research and Development and teaches in the Graduate College of Education, believes meeting the learning needs of diverse students is something that should lead naturally from curriculum development. For Brady, she starts with what needs to be covered in class and from there weaves a universal design for learning throughout the course.

Universal design for learning is a concept based in architecture to meet the needs of people with and without disabilities. Curb cuts on every corner is one good example of the concept. It not only allows people in wheelchairs to navigate easily but it is also useful for others–people with strollers, carts, or heavy loads. When faculty incorporate universal design in their classrooms, it helps students with disabilities, as well as the entire classroom, learn. Brady believes it is important to incorporate universal design principles into the curriculum at the early stages of development, so as to immediately recognize the needs of learners from a variety of backgrounds and a variety of abilities.

Brady uses technology in a variety of ways to help students learn. She co-teaches a graduate level course called "Technology, Computers and Special Education" with Charlotte Corbett, web master for the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). Brady and Corbett begin by giving their students on online skills assessment exercise, which helps them determine the classes' technology skills levels. Students sign a contract with the professors stating they will learn the skills they need, either at their home institutions or in the Graduate Research Computing Lab on campus.

The course also has a web site in Prometheus, where all lectures, notes, assignments, tutorials, and links to other information are posted. The web site allows students multiple ways to interact with the course content. One aspect of technology the students learn early in the course is tracking changes in word documents. All assignments are sent electronically to Brady and Corbett, who make suggestions with track changes and return the assignment electronically within 48 hours. Students also use technology in responding to discussion questions posted on the course's web site. Brady notes that posing questions in an online discussion forum allows students to respond to each other directly and build off each other's insights. Furthermore, the discussions provide students with immediate feedback that they can apply in their own classrooms.

Students are required to take one class with Brady and Corbett online, which helps prepare them to feel more comfortable with online professional growth opportunities later in their career. The class also teaches technologies to accommodate students with disabilities in the K-12 sector. Students learn the latest technologies in text-to-speech, speech-to-text, graphic organizers, and other tools that allow for customization. The course presents a comprehensive view of using technology to teach, learn, communicate, and share ideas. By incorporating a universal design for learning into her own course, Brady illustrates its value to new teachers. For more information, please visit www.cast.org.