Terry McClannon

Universal Design for Learning A Look at What Algebra and Biology Students With and Without High Incidence Conditions Are Saying

This article examines findings on student perceptions of individual interventions based on the principles of universal design for learning (UDL). The examination includes a comparison of the reported perceptions of mainstreamed students with high incidence disabilities (i.e., learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) to that of their general education peers. Findings showed that relative to their other academic classes, both groups of students had high levels of satisfaction and expressed similar themes as to what they perceived to be the best and worst parts of the interventions and ideas for improvement. Both groups also reported near unanimous agreement as to wanting their teachers to use more UDL interventions. The reported perceptions and subsequent comparison forms the basis for discussing the implications of UDL in high school settings.

Career Ambitions A Comparison of Youth With and Without SLD

Participants with and without specific learning disabilities (SLD) provided responses as to background and school features, postschool plans, dream career, and most likely job after completing school. Findings suggest that participant groups are similar across most background and school features, with apparent differences for grade level and repeating of a grade (participants with SLD older and more likely to have repeated a grade), and gender (those with SLD more likely to be male). Participants without SLD reported a pattern of postschool plans that proved significantly different, including higher rates for postsecondary education, than did participants with SLD and a lower rate for direct employment and for being “unsure.” Both groups were comparable in terms of reported “dream or ideal” job, but the pattern proved significantly different for “most likely” job. Implications for future research and practice are noted.

Collaboration through Role Play among Graduate Students in Educational Leadership in Distance Learning.

This project addresses the challenge of preparing educational leaders for future roles in administration in K–12 schools. Through a project-based learning scenario set in a 3-D virtual world, graduate students in school administration and instructional technology worked together in simulated school teams to develop proposals for integrating technology into a fictitious school. The scenario provided parameters within which each team developed a proposal to a superintendent for the use of iPads, which included developing plans for professional development, collaboration among faculty and staff, infrastructure to support the technology, alignment with curriculum, and budgets. Teams worked independently of classes to develop proposals that were then posted in the virtual world for review by instructors and other students. The simulation offered opportunities to develop shared leadership and skills in collaboration outside the usual comfort zone of graduate school classes. Student perception of the value of participation provided insight into the design of the project, which will inform future such collaborative efforts among faculty. Results of student surveys and written reflections are shared as examples of the types of data collected for this project.

Factors Affecting Development of Communities in 3D Immersive Learning Environments

This study is based on survey research conducted in 2010 and 2011, involving graduate students using a 3D immersive environment for their coursework. Investigators examined students’ perceptions of community and presence via coursework offered in the immersive world. Utilizing the Sense of Community II index and the Communities of Inquiry survey, variables examined include students’ time within their graduate programs, time spent in the 3D environment, and their levels of immersion, as well as the relationship between the two instruments. Analysis showed significant results for each of the research questions for both instruments. Factors Affecting Development of Communities in 3D Immersive Learning Environments