Academic Innovation Blog

ACUE Course Rosters Now Open!

We are thrilled to announce Daytona State College full-time and part-time faculty members may now register for Spring 2024 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) cohorts! This presents an exciting opportunity for faculty members to enrich their teaching practices and foster an environment of inspired learning.

Enroll in an ACUE Cohort

You may learn about each of the different courses in our upcoming January and March cohorts, and enroll yourself using the Daytona State ACUE page. All full-time and part-time faculty will be eligible, but there is a limit to the number of participants. You can (and are encouraged to) sign up for more than one course. To enroll in any of the January 2024 offerings, faculty must register by Monday, January 15, 2024.

Structure of ACUE courses

All cohorts offered through ACUE are fully online and asynchronous. During the course, faculty will think about their own course, attempt to implement new or expanded skills, and reflect on the effectiveness of those changes. ACUE estimates faculty will spend 2-3 hours per week on coursework. Modules (25 in total) are combined into four micro-credential courses. Once all four are completed, you will earn your Certificate in Effective [Online] College Instruction. Most of these different micro-credentials are either focused on the face-to-face classroom or virtual learning environments, but all content is provided fully online asynchronously. The four courses include: 

• Promoting Active Learning
• Creating a Productive Learning Environment
• Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learning
• Designing Student-Centered Courses

Snack, Share, and Seize the Opportunity

We are fast approaching the next Snack & Share event in the Faculty Innovation Center. These Snack & Share sessions are open to all faculty either in person or via Teams. View the event details below, and join us for a discussion on what the fellows and other ACUE cohort faculty members have been learning.

Let's also make it a time to embrace the chance to enroll in the upcoming ACUE courses! Our Faculty Fellows in Teaching & Learning, Aryn Davis and Pat Herndon, will be hosting the Snack & Share and can offer more information during the session. The deadlines to enroll may seem distant for now, but going ahead and securing the path to earning your Certificate in Effective [Online] College Instruction is just a click away.

For more information about ACUE micro-credentials, please visit the ACUE micro-credential courses and content webpage. As always, please reach out to the Faculty Innovation Center if you have any questions, or feel free to schedule a one-on-one appointment with an instructional designer for help. Also, if you haven't done so already please consider subscribing to this blog (top right) to stay up-to-date with the latest tips and news from your friends in the Division of Online Studies!

Koby Klayson
Administrative Specialist, Division of Online Studies
Koby.Klayson@daytonastate.edu
386-506-3638
Division of Online Studies

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning... you’ve heard the term, right? Maybe you remember taking the UDL course during the 45-hour Online Faculty Training Series, or maybe you’ve used the Accessibility Checker in Falcon Online. But, for many of us, it’s been a while since we’ve had a moment to think about UDL and what it means for our students. Well, you’re in luck, because that moment has arrived!
Universal Design for Learning has its roots in architectural design concepts such as flexibility, equitability, and intuitive use. For example, consider curb cuts in sidewalks. These features are designed to create accessibility for those using mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs, but they benefit many other users (parents with strollers, delivery people moving items on dollies, etc.). Similarly, UDL is a design framework that considers diverse users from the start, creating learning environments where all users enjoy increased usability and benefits through expanded accessibility.

Unlike its architectural counterpart, UDL is focused on cognitive access to learning (rather than physical access). UDL is often misunderstood as a tool for accommodating students with disabilities, and it admittedly can be of use to these students. However, it is more appropriate to think of UDL as an educational design framework for all students, rather than an intervention for students with specific needs. Good universal design is baked into all aspects of the learning design, from the development of SLOs through assessment of student learning. Designing from this perspective can help you create a pliable learning environment that adjusts to student needs, rather than expecting students to change regardless of their capability or capacity to do so.

As you might be able to surmise at this point, I’m a huge proponent of UDL as an instructional design framework. In fact, increasing UDL implementation at Daytona State is the central focus of my doctoral dissertation. If you’re interested in learning more about UDL and how it can benefit your students, I’d like to invite you to be part of that work! You can join me by reading the Online Studies Blog (look at you, doing that right now!), joining us at our Snack and Share events in the FIC, or joining me in my upcoming UDL office hours. If you’re interested in one-on-one conversations and support, please fill out the UDL Office Hours Interest Survey so that I can follow up with you.

I can’t wait to dive deeper into UDL as we all work toward more accessible and meaningful learning experiences for all of our Falcons! Happy Teaching!

Aryn Davis, M.Ed.
Associate Professor
School of Education
aryn.davis@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3077