The Universal Design for Learning Framework aims to optimise learning by acknowledging the diversity of needs and preferences of learners.
The core principles of UDL are designing for multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. These are broken down into subcategories, considerations and suggestions.
Below you can find one suggestion for each principle, along with an example of how this could be implemented in a Blackboard course.
The WHY of learning – multiple means of engagement
Example: ‘Offer feedback that emphasizes effort, improvement, and achieving a goal rather than on relative performance.’ (Consideration 8.5).
The WHAT of learning – multiple means of representation
Example: ‘Present key concepts beyond representation via text (e.g., an expository text or a math equation) with another or multiple formats (e.g., an illustration, dance/movement, diagram, table, model, video, comic strip, storyboard, photograph, animation, or physical or virtual manipulative).’ (Consideration 2.5).
You can build complex resources with text, images, embedded videos and activities as well as quick knowledge check quizzes in Blackboard Documents.
The HOW of learning – multiple means of action and expression
Example: ‘The use of accessible materials and assistive and accessible technologies and tools strengthens opportunities for every learner to experience access, participation, and progress in the learning process.’Consideration 4.2).
It’s worth looking at the UDL guidelines when you are designing or reviewing your course or learning activities, to ensure a good learning experience for students.
Scaffolding has been widely applied as an effective educational strategy and has been shown to have a large and statistically significant effect on learning outcomes in online environments (Doo, Bonk, & Heo, 2020). As described by Jumaat and Tasir (2014, p.74): ‘In education, scaffolding has teachers instructing students in the early stages of learning, and gradually lessening their supports as the students gain mastery (Palinscar, 1986). This reduces difficulty of complex learning and at the same time, let the students focus on constructing knowledge and higher-order demands like thinking critically (Way & Rowe, 2008).’.
Scaffolding categories
It may be helpful to think about scaffolding through the four categories distinguished by Hannafin, Land, and Oliver (1999):
Conceptual scaffolding
Helping the student to identify essential themes and related knowledge.
Example: When facilitating online discussion, instead of asking one broad question, you can provide prompts guiding students in formulating a comprehensive response. See the Blackboard Discussions guide.
Meta-cognitive scaffolding
Helping the student to monitor and reflect on the learning process.
Example: Organise learning materials into smaller sections which build on each other. Make sure the progress tracking is turned on and explain to students how to use it to monitor their advancement through the content.
Strategic scaffolding
Provides the student with alternative ways of completing a task.
Example: Where possible, you may want to give students a choice of format in completing assessments and activities. Instead of writing an essay, could they meet the intended learning outcomes by creating a podcast, a video or a poster?
Procedural scaffolding
Helping the student to use resources and tools for learning, such as providing an orientation to system functions and features.
Example: You could consider creating a video tour of your unit introducing students to its structure, explaining what they can find in each section and how you expect them to use this space. You can use the Mosaic app to record and share it in your unit.
Turn on the Student Preview and imagine you are entering your Blackboard unit for the first time as a student. What is your experience like? How scaffolded is it? Is there anything that could help you at each step?
References
Doo, M. Y., Bonk, C., & Heo, H. (2020). A Meta-Analysis of Scaffolding Effects in Online Learning in Higher Education. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(3), 60–80. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i3.4638
Hannafin, Michael & Land, Susan & Oliver, Kevin. (1999). Open Learning Environments: Foundations, methods, and models. In Reigeluth, C., M. (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models (Volume II). A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory (pp. 115-140). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Jumaat, Nurul & Tasir, Zaidatun. (2014). Instructional Scaffolding in Online Learning Environment: A Meta-analysis. Proceedings of the IEEE. 74-77. https://doi.org/10.1109/LaTiCE.2014.22
The Self-determination theory (SDT) is one of the most comprehensive and empirically supported theories of motivation. Past research indicated that SDT predicts a variety of learning outcomes, including performance, persistence, and course satisfaction (Deci & Ryan, 1985). The SDT-based strategies may apply to a variety of educational settings including online learning environments (Kuan-Chung & Syh-Jong, 2010).
In line with the SDT, when students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met, they are more likely to internalise their motivation to learn and be more engaged in their studies. Below are some examples of how each of the components could be fostered in your Blackboard courses.
Autonomy
‘I prompt students to research a certain idea to bring back to our synchronous class time. I have found that making students responsible for finding content that guides the discussion makes them highly invested.‘ (Forbes, 2020)
Use a Form or Discussion to ask students what they are hoping to get out of the module.
Make your asynchronous activities flexible e.g. if you ask students to write a blog post, let them choose the topic.
Where possible, offer multiple formats for completing assessments and activities.
Competence
’A central notion is that students will only engage and personally value activities they can actually understand and master.‘ (Niemiec & Ryan, p. 139)
Provide students with a meaningful rationale for each learning activity.
Use Blackboard functions such as progress tracking and release conditions to reinforce the perception of progression and avoid overwhelming students with a large number of activities presented to them at once.
Keep your unit structure simple, easy to navigate and consistent.
Explain how to navigate your module and give students a suggested timeframe for completing activities.
Set clear expectations on how you will be communicating with students and how you expect them to communicate with you.
Provide them with formative feedback which can be applied to their summative assessments.
Relatedness
‘Research has shown one of the greatest challenges for learning institutions and instructors when designing and implementing online courses is to provide a sense of community with constructive feedback and provide open forthcoming communications‘ (Boiling, et al., 2011, p. 123)
Use Blackboard tools which facilitate collaboration such as Discussions.
Use examples that your students can relate to.
Link asynchronous online activities to live sessions.
Create a short introduction welcome video to the unit.
Be an active member of your unit’s online community, e.g., if you set up a Discussion, contribute to it.
How is autonomy, competence and relatedness fostered in your teaching? Could you implement any of the suggestions above?
References
Boling, E.C., Hough, M., Krinsky, H., Saleem, H., & Stevens, M. (2012). Cutting the distance in distance education: Perspectives on what promotes positive, online learning experiences. The Internet and Higher Education. 15(2), 118-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.11.006
Kuan-Chung, C. & Syh-Jong, J. (2010). Motivation in online learning: Testing a model of self-determination theory. Computers in Human Behavior. 26(4), 741-752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.01.011
Niemiec, C.P. & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom. Applying self-determination theory to educational practice. Theory and Research in Education. 7(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878509104318
As described by Dietz-Uhler and Hurn (2016, p. 21,22): ‘Learning analytics can provide insights into what is happening with the learner in nearly real-time. Armed with this information, faculty can make suggestions to students that will help them succeed (Long & Siemens, 2011). For example, if a student has not read a discussion board post for a certain period of time, this may suggest to an instructor that the student needs an intervention or a nudge. Similarly, if a typically successful student suddenly performs poorly on an assignment, the instructor can intervene and seek to determine why the student performed poorly. Or, if a student repeatedly asks questions about the material or about course procedures, an instructor can examine usage data in an LMS and determine if, when, and how often the student has accessed the relevant LMS tools.’
Learning analytics can be a useful tool in supporting student engagement and retention. There are however some ethical considerations related to the use of learning analytics which include discussions around transparency, consent, choice, accountability, privacy and security (see, e.g., Slade and Prinsloo 2013; Pardo and Siemens 2014).
It is important to highlight that the analytics offered by Blackboard (as well as other tools) are purely indicative of the very specific metrics they report on and should not be used to make assumptions about the student. In line with The Open University’s policy on ethical use of learning analytics: ‘Students should not be wholly defined by their visible data or our interpretation of that data.’ (Open University Sep 2014, p. 8).
Blackboard Ultra offers a range of learning analytics which can be broadly categorised into Student Activity Analytics and Assessment Analytics.
Student Activity Analytics
Course Activity
The Course Activity is accessible via the Analytics tab and provide a high-level overview of the student engagement on the course which includes Missed Due Dates, Hours in Course and Days Since Last Access.
You can set Alerts to notify you when a student does not meet minimum criteria for online engagement.
Student Activity
If you click on the Analytics tab and then on a student’s name you will be able to access an overview of their individual activity on the course which includes their Marks, Progress and Activity log. You can also click on the Student Activity button in the top right corner to access more detailed analytics regarding the student’s activity per week (this is also accessible via Gradebook by clicking on a student’s name).
Student Progress
If Progress Tracking is enabled on your course, you can also see student engagement with it. To view progress of an individual, go to the Analytics tab, click on a student and go to the Progress tab. To see an overview of the entire cohort’s progression with individual items and sections, click on the three dots next to them and select Student Progress (this does not include assignments, tests, discussions and forms).
Assessment Analytics
Question Analysis
Go to the Analytics tab to find the Question Analysis functionality which provides analytics on Blackboard Assignments and Tests including statistics on overall performance, assessment quality and individual questions (this is also accessible via Gradebook by going to Markable Items and clicking on the three dots next to an item).
Question Analysis can also be accessed through the content area by clicking on the three dots next to a relevant item.
Items Statistics
Go to Gradebook and access the Markable Items view, click on the three dots next to an item and choose Statistics to access Mark Statistics, Marking Status and Grade Distribution.
Student Activity (with Assessment)
You can also access Student Activity overview for a specific assessment or test through the content area by clicking on the three dots next to a relevant item.
Students’ experience
As argued by Slade and Prinsloo (2013, p.1519), as opposed to students being producers or sources of data, ‘learning analytics should engage students as collaborators and not as mere recipients of interventions and services (Buchanan, 2011; Kruse & Pongsajapan, 2012)’.
Even though the analytics offered by Ultra are not visible to students, it is worth to consider how to involve students as co-interpreters of their own data which could promote its transparent use and support student self-regulation by helping them to monitor their own progress. We would like to encourage you to have an open discussion with your students on how you use analytics to support their learning.
Along with the Student Developers, working on the Blackboard Ultra transition project, we developed an infographic for students which explains what analytics are and how they can be used. The infographic is included in Student Guide to Blackboard accessible from each Blackboard unit.
Pardo, A., & Siemens, G. (2014). Ethical and privacy principles for learning analytics. British Journal of Educational Technology. 45 (3), 438-450. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12152
Slade, Sharon & Prinsloo, Paul. (2013). Learning Analytics Ethical Issues and Dilemmas. American Behavioral Scientist. 57. 1510-1529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213479366
Knowledge check: a multiple choice question in a Document that can help students prepare for, or check their understanding of the content.
Test: a set of questions of various types, such as multiple choice or calculation questions. You can also create Question banks, to easily reuse questions. Tests can help students remember and practice content and help you identify misunderstandings or questions students may have or understand whether they have achieved some of the learning objectives. Tests can also be used for summative assessment.
Journal: a private space for students to reflect on the course, a project or their learning, either periodically or when an activity ends.
Form: a survey which can contain multiple choice, open ended and other types of questions. It can help you learn students’ questions about a topic, get feedback on sections of the course or see how students’ confidence develops.
Discussion: a space where students can discuss with each other a topic you suggest.
Conversation: a space where students can discuss or ask questions about a specific resource or activity.
Activities and interactive resources from other recommended tools
You can add activities and interactive resources from other recommended tools too. Examples include:
H5P enables you to easily create a variety of interactive resources, such as short quizzes for students to practice what they learned or branching scenarios to help them develop their critical and decision-making skills.
Padlet offers a colourful online board for posting comments, images, links, polls and recordings. It can be used for brainstorming, organising and sharing resources, as well as providing a first point of social contact for students or space for them to ask questions about a topic. It also allows instructors to create breakout links for groupwork so that each group can only access one portion of the Padlet.
Mentimeter is polling software that can be used to create live or asynchronous polls, quizzes, word clouds and activities. These can be embedded in Blackboard.
The recommended ways to add interactivity depend on the type, tool and location within the course.
Learning modules and Folders
You can add resources to Learning modules and Folders by opening them, going to the location you would like to add an activity and:
For Blackboard tools, such as Journals, Tests, and Forms, click + > Create then select the name of the tool.
For external tools integrated with Blackboard, such as H5P and Padlet, click + > Course Tools. You don’t have to know which tools are included in this category, you can browse them in the Course Tools list that appears when you select.
For other external publicly available resources, click + > Create > Web Link, add the URL and a meaningful Display Name and Description.
Documents
You can add resources to a Document by opening it, going to the location you would like to add an activity and:
To link to publicly available resources, copy the link, write descriptive text within a Content block in your Document, select it, click the Link icon, paste the link you copied and Save. Please ensure the websites the link goes to is secure.
You may be able to include resources from external tools integrated with Blackboard via + > Course Tools within the text editor, but please note that this doesn’t work well for all tools, so you may need to add them in a different way described above.
This checklist outlines good practices and practical steps that can help you ensure your Blackboard unit course is ready for the start of term. You can click on each item to see the rationale and, where needed, links to relevant resources and instructions.
Course Structure
The structure of my course follows the faculty template.
Why? This ensures that all units include the minimum required content, and that their layouts are easy to navigate and consistent across all the units that a student is taking.
See the template information included in the Guidance and Support for Staff section of your unit.
I populated the placeholder items in the different sections of my course and provided students with all essential information.
In Unit Introduction and Resources, students should be able to find:
Unit aims and learning outcomes.
Links to relevant programme/school information.
Key contacts and ways of communicating.
Guidance on how they are expected to engage with the Ultra course.
In Unit Assessment, students should be able to find:
Instructions on how to submit (a link to instructions for standard submission types will be provided in all units but additional details may be needed if a different submission type is used).
Information on how and when students can access their feedback.
Why? By providing this information you not only minimise the administrative workload related to student queries but also support student competency, self-regulation and increase their chances of success.
See the template information included in the Guidance and Support for Staff section of your course.
There is no empty or outdated content in my course.
Why? This means students won’t be confused or misinformed by incorrect or missing information. This is usually an issue when content was copied over from last year’s unit course.
Each section and item has a clear and descriptive title and a helpful description (if applicable).
Why? Clearly labelling each item can help students navigate your course more easily and support them in understanding the purpose of the content shared. The course search uses item titles to help students locate content.
All content is within a Learning Module, Folder or Document
Why? To maintain consistency and ease of navigation, files and other resources should be organised in Blackboard’s containers, and not be available at the top level of the course.
Teaching and Learning materials
I have used Ally to ensure the learning content is accessible.
A clearly stated rationale for the activity, consistent with the intended learning outcomes.
Instructions on how to engage in the activity and what level of engagement is expected.
Prompts and exemplars where required.
Why? This helps students to feel competent in engaging with the activities you set up, which means they are more likely to meet the activity’s intended learning outcomes.
The appropriate assessment submission types and settings have been configured with or by my school admin team.
Why? The different submission types and settings available can support the pedagogical design of your assessment. Assessment configuration is often bespoke to individual faculty or school requirements.
Why? Seeing your photo and learning how to pronounce your name can make the interactions (especially initial ones) easier.
See the Profile guide on Blackboard support webpages.
I did not delete, rename or otherwise modify the Assessment, submission and feedback folder.
Why? This folder is essential for the integration between SITS and Blackboard used for submission points creation and marks transfer. Any changes to the folder will result in the integration not working.
See the How to Use this folder document in the Assessment, submission and feedback folder in your course.
I checked the course using student preview.
Why? Some content will display differently to students, so we recommend checking using student preview to view the course as a student.
The content students need to see is visible to them.
Why? Some content in your course may be hidden by default. Once you’ve populated, created and checked it, you will need to make the content students need to see visible to them.
Progress Tracking can help your students monitor their progression through the course. Both you and the student can see what content they reviewed, which can help you with keeping track of engagement and them with developing competency as a self-directed learner.
By default, Progress Tracking is turned on in all the unit courses. You can check it by clicking on Course Settings top-right of the page and scrolling down to locate it in the page that opens.
Students will be able to mark items as complete and see a progress bar for learning modules. Each resource and activity such as Documents, Discussions and Links will count as one item on the progress bar.
You can see analytics for Progress Tracking by clicking on the three dots More Options icon next to an item and choosing Student Progress.
From there, you can also see an overview of each student’s progress with all the content in the course by clicking on a student’s name.
The same ‘Progress’ view can be accessed via the Gradebook by clicking on the Gradebook tab on the top menu, choosing a student and going to the Progress tab.
