IN-PERSON: Learning. Life. Work

Abstract

Future hybridities of teaching and learning must continue the trend of empowering learners. In the pursuit of this accomplishment, our research group composed a framework called User-Designed Inquiry (UDI), with the aim of promoting consistent, high quality educational practices across our university. UDI encompasses Universal Design for Learning, Competency-Based Education, and backward design as its main principles. It also promotes the implementation of emerging technologies, motivation strategies, and more. This model was developed with a vision of future classrooms in mind. UDI aims to 1) produce varied choices in modality for students as they progress through their programs, 2) promote engaging, productive learning environments rather than punitive ones, and 3) prepare learners for what exists outside of higher education by connecting their classes to professional competencies. The UDI framework is disseminated across campus through a variety of professional development opportunities, including an asynchronous flipped guidebook, a series of informational sessions, classroom observations, a yearly symposium, and one-on-one consultations. This session will delve into the development of our framework, our experiences with its implementation, and implications for future application. Our objectives are to demonstrate and share with attendees how we incorporate the science of teaching and learning into academic research and professional development using the UDI framework. Attendees will explore the UDI framework and apply it to their own contexts as they explore our findings from pilot cases of implementation.