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Professional development for teachers to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners
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Professional development for teachers to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners
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Content
Professional Development for Teachers to Meet the Needs of Neurodiverse Learners
by
David Freemark Derin
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 2023
© Copyright by David Freemark Derin 2023
All Rights Reserved
The Committee for David Freemark Derin certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Alison Muraszewski
Helena Seli
Kenneth Yates, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2023
iv
Abstract
Neurodiversity in learning is the understanding that the different neurological development of
students impacts their learning. In adopting a neurodiverse approach to education, educators shift
the paradigm from being focused on student deficits to highlighting students’ strengths. Many K-
8 independent schools do not have explicit programs or services to support neurodiverse learners.
Teachers are often at a loss as to how they can best support their neurodiverse learners. Their
lack of proper training in this realm has led to a focus on students’ deficits, rather than
supporting student strengths. To address this problem, a professional development course for
educators in K-8 independent schools is proposed. The design of the training is informed by the
guided experiential learning (GEL) framework, cognitive load theory (CLT), and the four-
component instructional design (4C/ID) model. Conducted twice a month, these sessions will
address the involvement of parents, building relationships and rapport, maintaining high
expectations for all students, implementing universal design for learning, chunking content into
manageable units, and delivering content through diversified modalities. Participating educators
will maintain a reflective journal during the course to facilitate the educators’ reflection upon
their usage of supportive strategies, and the potential benefits of integrating such strategies into
their classrooms. A full implementation of this curriculum is described, as well as an evaluation
plan that measures the success of the instruction contained in the curriculum. With the utilization
of the knowledge gleaned from this course, educators will be better situated to support their
neurodiverse students.
Keywords: neurodiversity, supportive strategies, professional development, K-8
education, independent schools
v
Dedication
To Dori Vita, who opened the door to a whole new universe of meaning. It is my hope that all of
your needs are always met and that the doors to learning are always open. There is nothing I
would not do for you. I love you fully, I love you with everything.
To all of the students I have been privileged to learn with, and all those yet to come. I hope to
always meet your needs and help you accomplish your dreams.
vi
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my committee members for all of their guidance and support in
designing this curriculum to support the needs of neurodiverse learners in independent school
settings. Your encouragement and validation that this is important work that will benefit the
learning of some of our students in need have helped me continue to move forward with the
writing of this curriculum. Thank you for your time, commitment, and sharing of your expertise
in order to make this curriculum as strong as possible.
Thank you to all the professors I have had over the past three years who have opened my
eyes and expanded my horizons. The time we have spent learning together has allowed me to see
the educational landscape from perspectives I would not have been able to consider if it were not
for you. Thank you for forever changing me, both professionally and personally.
Finally, this work could not have been completed if not for the love, support, and
encouragement of my family and friends. Thank you to my parents, Bonnie and Greg, for
showing me what it means to be a lifelong learner. If not for your belief in me and your support,
I would not be where I am in life. Thank you to my siblings for your support and understanding
regarding all of the socializing I have missed over the past three years. To my daughter Dori, I
am sorry that I have been so exhausted recently. Thank you for always putting a smile on my
face at the end of a difficult day. Finally, I am eternally grateful to my wife, Sarit, for always
believing in me and encouraging me to continue moving forward when I did not think it was
possible. I love you all!
vii
Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………… iv
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………… v
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………… vi
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………... ix
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………….. x
Chapter One: Overview of the Project and Needs Assessment……………………………... 1
Problem of Practice………………………………………………………………….. 2
Evidence for the Problem of Practice……………………………………………….. 3
Importance of Solving the Problem…………………………………………………. 4
Instructional Needs Assessment……………………………………………………... 5
Overview of the Curriculum Design………………………………………………… 10
The Learning System / Environment………………………………………………... 14
Potential Issues with Power, Equity, and Inclusion…………………………………. 15
Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………….. 16
Organization of the Design Blueprint……………………………………………….. 16
About the Author……………………………………………………………………. 16
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature…………………………………………………….. 20
Prior Attempts……………………………………………………………………….. 20
Analysis Of Prior Attempts………………………………………………………….. 20
The Content of the Curriculum……………………………………………………… 21
Summary of the Curriculum………………………………………………………… 32
Chapter Three: The Learning Environment And The Learners……………………………. 40
Description of the Learning Environment………………………………………….. 40
viii
Learner Characteristics……………………………………………………………... 44
Implications of the Learning Environment and Learner Characteristics for Design. 50
Chapter Four: The Curriculum………………………………………………………………. 52
Cognitive Task Analysis (Information Processing Analysis)……………………….. 52
Major Steps………………………………………………………………………….. 53
Course Learning Goals………………………………………………………………. 53
Course Learning Outcomes………………………………………………………….. 55
Overview of the Units……………………………………………………………….. 60
List of Units and Terminal Objectives (Evaluation Level 2)………………………... 60
Visual Overview of the Units……………………………………………………….. 63
Scope and Sequence Table…………………………………………………………... 64
Delivery Media Selection……………………………………………………………. 65
General Instructional Methods Approach…………………………………………… 74
Chapter Five: Implementation And Evaluation Plan………………………………………... 78
Implementation Plan………………………………………………………………… 78
Evaluation Plan……………………………………………………………………… 80
References…………………………………………………………………………………….. 101
Appendix A: Course Overview……………………………………………………………….. 107
Appendix B: Lesson Overviews……………………………………………………………… 114
Appendix C: Lesson Plan Activities, Design, and Materials………………………………… 134
Appendix D: Evaluation Administered Immediately Following the Program Implementation 239
Appendix E: Evaluation Administered Delayed for a Period After the Program
Implementation………………………………………………………………………………..
241
ix
List of Tables
Table 1: Summary of Organizational Mission and Goal, Outcomes, Curriculum
Purpose, and Learning Goals
13
Table 2: Major Steps and Learning Outcomes 35
Table 3: Major Steps and Learning Goals 54
Table 4: Learning Goals and Learning Outcomes 55
Table 5: Scope and Sequence 64
Table 6: Key Considerations for Media Selection 70
Table 7: Media Choices in Professional Development for Teachers to Meet the
Needs of Neurodiverse Learners
72
Table 8: Indicators, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 82
Table 9: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation 84
Table 10: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 87
Table 11: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program 92
Table 12: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 94
Table A1: Instructional Activities 108
Table C1: Unit 2a learning activities table 139
Table C2: Unit 4a learning activities table 176
x
List of Figure
Figure 1: Flow of the Units and Modules of the Curriculum 63
Figure 2: Increased Success of Neurodiverse Learners With Increased Parental
Involvement
97
Figure 3: Educator Comfort With Meeting the Needs of Neurodiverse Learners 98
Figure 4: Comparison of Utilization of Neurodiverse Supportive Strategies 99
Figure 5: Stakeholder Testimonials 100
Figure A1: Visual Overview of the Course 113
1
Chapter One: Overview of the Project and Needs Assessment
Neurodiversity in learning is the understanding that students’ neurological differences are
to be honored and spotlighted, in the same way as any other personal characteristic (Armstrong,
2015; Kuepper-Tetzel & Horlin, 2021). A focus on neurodiversity shifts educators’ paradigm
from one focused on deficits to one focused on individual strengths (Armstrong, 2017). In the
United States, schools which are a part of the public education system are required to house
learning support programs which meet certain standards set forth by the federal government.
Independent schools are not beholden to such requirements. While certain aspects of independent
school curricula are in line with that of public institutions, the requirement to take steps by which
neurodiverse learners are supported is not necessitated.
Educators, both those in independent and public schools, enter the field seeking to
support the students sitting in their classrooms. In the United States neurodiverse learners often
become a marginalized group within our educational system. Because of the perceived extra
work required of general education teachers to meet these students’ needs, they are often
transferred to separate segregated and specialized programs that do not always allow them to
flourish academically. Without learning support many students fall through the cracks. Often this
does not occur due to malicious actions taken by educators, but because teachers are at times
ignorant about how to support these students. These educators either do not know where to begin
in supporting all of their students, or they do not have the tools in their teaching arsenal to do so.
This study provides a design of a curriculum for educators to acquire and develop the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively teach neurodiverse learners in K-8 environments.
2
Problem of Practice
Many independent K-8 institutions do not currently offer explicit programs or services to
support their neurodiverse learners (Linden, 1995; Katsiyannis & Maag, 1998; Sopko, 2013).
Without proper teacher training, such learners do not receive the support they need from
educators in general education classrooms, often falling by the wayside. This occurs because
students’ deficits become the focus of teacher planning, rather than spotlighting the strengths of
each learner. In shining a light on those areas in which a student excels, the learning process
becomes one oriented towards thriving instead of error correction and skill remediation.
(Armstrong, 2017)
When independent K-8 institutions focus on their neurodiverse students thriving, they
become situated to provide their students with tools which will allow them to be successful
lifelong learners. This focus can range from providing academic supports to creating
opportunities to encourage parental involvement. By not meeting the needs of this significant
student population, independent schools not only fall short of their mission as it applies to
helping these students be successful, but also in regards to facilitating a learning community
which encompasses all members of the institution.
American public schools are federally mandated to provide support for their neurodiverse
learners. This work will focus on independent K-8 schools, which are not beholden to such
requirements. While K-8 institutions are made up of constituencies such as the school board,
administrators, teachers, students, and parents, the stakeholders which will be the focal point of
this curriculum will be the educators. In particular, the focus will be on general education
teachers who do not themselves have a special education background, but have neurodiverse
learners in their classrooms.
3
Evidence for the Problem of Practice
From a qualitative perspective, I have observed this problem first hand. Teaching in an
independent K-8 school I have seen, and heard expressed by coworkers, that teachers are at a
loss of how to support their neurodiverse learners. Some of this sentiment is of the educators’
own design. Educators have limited time in which to prepare for their lessons, and when they
perceive that extra work is being requested of them or that they are being asked to do something
outside of their purview, they are often not eager to complete such tasks. Due to factors such as
these, neurodiverse learners become the victims and their learning suffers.
Based on an environmental scan of the author’s school and other similar schools, another
factor which has led to this problem of practice in independent K-8 institutions has been the
perception of school boards. Many independent institutions are vying against one another in
terms of national recognition of their academic rigor. Because of this, school boards of
independent schools want their students supported without having official programs in place,
fearing that they will become labeled as special education schools (O'Brien, 1989). One of the
reasons this has become a prevalent issue is that the voice of neurodiverse individuals is often
missing from conversations regarding their education (Denhart, 2008). When the voices of these
students are silenced, those creating policies cannot adequately meet the needs of every single
student, only those individuals that most neatly fit into the box dictated by mainstream society.
Additionally, this heightened fear can be traced back to educational policies being made solely
upon scientific evidence (Thomas et al., 2019).
The integrative literature review conducted by Mirfin-Veitch et al. (2020) provides
evidence that the needs of neurodiverse learners are not being met in the current and traditional
education system. In presenting the supportive literature, this study provides strategies tackling
4
five key themes that are currently under addressed, if at all. The mere fact that, in order to
support neurodiverse students, research indicates a need to prioritize and value relationships,
develop student agency, support students understanding and management of their own behavior,
creating fully inclusive environments, and utilizing inclusive teaching strategies (Mirfin-Veitch,
et al., 2020) indicates that this problem of practice is present in and affecting the learning
landscape.
While there has been a tremendous amount of research regarding the brain and
neurological development, much of it has been relegated to the fields of psychology and
neuroscience. The study of neuroscience, of brain mechanisms, has been shown to have a direct
impact upon education, whereas the behavioral understandings derived from psychology have
more indirect implications for education (Thomas et al., 2019). This, in conjunction with the
challenges posed when trying to integrate educational neuroscience into schools, has led to
difficulties when it comes to supporting neurodiverse students. The cause of these difficulties is
the fact that classroom teachers do not have a deep understanding of how the neurological
development of their students with different strengths can, and need to be, addressed.
Importance of Solving the Problem
It is critical that the field of education address this problem so that all students can be
successful, not only those who most conform to the structure of and compliance requested in our
educational institutions (Tucker, 2011). The current structure of the American educational
system, which seeks uniformity and conformity, does not meet the needs of all students. In order
to combat this and meet the needs of all students, this structure must be disassembled. Once this
occurs, it must be reconstructed so that K-8 independent schools provide multiple access points,
5
so that each learner can utilize their personal strengths to find an entry point into the material
being learned.
As presented by Denhart (2008), if the support of neurodiverse students continues to go
unaddressed, these students will never develop their own voices, which in turn will continuously
lead to barriers which they must overcome. Furthermore, there will be self-imposed barriers
which will be encountered by these students with varying strengths. Due to their struggles with
accessing their learning, neurodiverse students will struggle to truly understand themselves, for
they are not represented in the learning taking place in their classrooms, which often leads to
self-labeling with terms such as stupid (Denhart, 2008). By supporting all of their students,
educators will begin down the path of removing these barriers, both self-imposed and societal,
which are standing in the way of individuals' successes.
If this problem of practice is not addressed in independent K-8 institutions, the
educational system will continue to produce students fitting into the same limiting model we
have been graduating for decades. By not meeting the needs of the increasingly marginalized
neurodiverse learners in our classrooms, students will not be gaining skills which will allow
them to be successful, and thereby be best equipped to contribute to society. In undeserving, if
serving at all, this population of students, our institutions are perpetuating the stories these
students have been told about how they are incapable of being successful, both in school and life
beyond.
Instructional Needs Assessment
In order to determine whether new instruction must be developed to meet organizational
goals, Smith and Ragan (2005) suggest that a needs assessment be conducted. According to
Smith and Ragan, if the goals of an organization are already being met, conducting a needs
6
assessment is unnecessary. This section will discuss the implications of a needs assessment and
how they impact the curriculum’s design. The recommendation is that needs assessment and
summative assessment be constructed simultaneously (Smith & Ragan, 2005). To this end, this
section will present the organizational mission and goal, the purpose of the curriculum, internal
and external outcomes of the curriculum, motivational factors, learning goals, and learning
objectives and assessment.
Determination of the Learning Need
There are three conditions that would necessitate a needs assessment according to the
Smith and Ragan (2005) system: there is a problem, learners need to learn something new, or an
organization is seeking to determine whether its learning/training is meeting the goals which
have been outlined. Regardless of the conditions that necessitate that a needs assessment be
conducted, there is a multi-step diagnostic process utilized to conduct the appropriate needs
assessment. This curriculum will address the problems which present themselves when the
organizational goal of supporting neurodiverse learners goes unmet.
As previously stated, the problem which has been identified to be addressed by this
curriculum is that K-8 educators in independent schools are unequipped to meet the needs of the
neurodiverse learners in their classrooms. The goal of SSAS is to provide all of its educators
with tools and strategies to support its neurodiverse learners within the span of a year. This goal
has been set by the instructional designer with the support of the school’s leadership in order to
enable faculty to support the institution’s neurodiverse students. In undertaking this goal within
the timeframe of one year, students will ultimately graduate having had a full middle school
experience with the supports enabled by this curriculum’s training.
This curriculum is designed to provide K-8 educators with tools and strategies to support
7
neurodiverse learners. School teachers experiencing professional development sessions is by no
means a new phenomenon. However the current professional development options that are being
presented to educators at SSAS are currently not meeting the organizational goal of supporting
all enrolled students academic achievement. Due to this fact, a needs assessment will be
conducted utilizing Smith and Ragan’s (2005) discrepancy model. This model begins by
recognizing the instructional goals of the institution, determining how well those goals are being
achieved, determining the difference, or gaps, between “what is” and “what should be”, using
criteria to prioritize the order in which gaps will be addressed, and finally deciding which of the
identified instructional gaps can be addressed appropriately though design of instruction (Smith
& Ragan, 2005).
The instructional system of SSAS seeks to support a wide variety of students with
differing academic needs within a purely general education setting. To this end, the institution
has one set of standards and expectations which all students are expected to meet. However,
many students are not meeting these goals. Educators are often expressing frustration at the
challenges students are having in their courses, going as far as describing some students as
incapable of being successful in the current learning environment. This is in direct conflict with
SSAS’s goal of ensuring that all students are able to be successful academically, regardless of
their learning needs.
In addition, this curriculum will make use of a needs assessment using the innovation
model proposed by Smith and Ragan (2005). As presented by the authors, this model examines
changes to the learning of an organization and determines if new learning goals should be added
to those already in place (Smith & Ragan, 2005). This model is utilized by 1) determining the
exact innovation, or change, which must be implemented, 2) deciding what learning goals
8
accompany the innovation, 3) assessing whether these goals are appropriate and high enough
priority to be implemented in the learning system, and 4) analyzing the learning environment
(Smith & Ragan, 2005).
By implementing the innovation model, this curriculum will be providing a previously
untouched aspect of teaching practice in SSAS’s professional development, namely how to
effectively support neurodiverse learners. To accomplish this, the institution will need to
implement policies centered around the new and specific language that a neurodiverse approach
to education has become a priority. This innovation will be supported not only through these
novel policies at SSAS, but through the new training provided and the support given to
classroom educators once training sessions are completed.
External Factors
SSAS is accredited byWestern Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the
California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). Every seven years, SSAS goes through a
reaccreditation process through both of these organizations, which consists of a week-long visit
from an accreditation committee. This visit is conducted after the institution has spent a year
conducting an internal self-study which results in the writing of a report which is shared with the
accreditation committee prior to their visit. During the last reaccreditation process undergone by
SSAS, during the 2019-2020 school year, the joint report from WASC and CAIS indicated that
the institution needs to spend time creating an infrastructure which better supports the learning
needs of students.
Internal Factors
There are numerous internal factors which must be considered as SSAS strives to meet its
mission and goals. In order to maintain high standards of quality education, SSAS must ensure
9
that all staff members are satisfied with their employment and feel that they are supported in
fulfilling their given role. Additionally, SSAS is held accountable to the institution’s Board of
Directors. While the Board of Directors does not dictate academic decisions, in the capacity of
this role individuals support and help to guide the institution in a way that will ensure not only
continued feelings of success within the institution, but will continue to lay a foundation upon
which there can exist steady and regular growth. Finally, SSAS is held responsible to an
incredible degree by the parent and community constituencies. If these two constituencies do not
feel that their needs and those of their children are being met by SSAS, they will leave the
institution to seek out one that they feel will meet their needs. In order to be as successful in
meeting the organization’s mission and goals, SSAS must consider these internal factors on a
regular, if not daily, basis.
Motivation Factors
When the needs of students are not being met, learners not only struggle to internalize
material and cultivate crucial learning skills, but there are often behavioral considerations which
begin to manifest themselves. Often times not meeting these needs is not caused by
maliciousness on the part of the teaching staff. Rather, a lack of knowledge on the part of faculty
often stymies attempts to bolster students and help them to reach their maximum potential. By
meeting the needs of all learners, faculty ensure that all those in their classrooms have entry
points into the learning and a foundation upon which they are able to build and cultivate further
learning. It is often when students feel that they are not able to access their learning that
behavioral issues arise, as an expression of frustration. By achieving the learning need addressed
in this curriculum, SSAS will not only better meet the needs of students, but will consequently be
in an improved position to counterbalance other obstacles which may arise.
10
Overview of the Curriculum Design
As shown in Table 1, this section provides an overview and a summary of the curriculum
design. As part of this summary, the mission and goals of the organization SSAS will be
identified, as well as a description of how successful implementation of this curriculum will be
measured by internal and external outcomes. The purpose of the curriculum addresses why the
aforementioned problem of practice must be addressed in order to meet the goals of SSAS. The
section addressing learning goals addresses what learners will be capable of doing upon
completion of instruction. The organization’s success in meeting its goals will be determined by
assessments, as described below. The evaluation of this curriculum will follow the plan as laid
out by Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) New World Model. The purpose of the evaluation
plan is to improve the curricular program.
Organizational Mission and Goal
The organizational mission and goal of SSAS have been identified through the needs
assessment conducted and are described earlier in this chapter. As summarized in Table 1, SSAS
seeks to provide students with an educational environment that fosters independent and critical
thinking, lifelong learning, self-awareness, and compassion. Subsequently, in order to achieve
this mission, SSAS has set the organizational goal of meeting the needs of all students during
their K-8 tenure in the school, while maintaining a high level of academic rigor.
Outcomes
Outcomes will be understood through leading indicators, which are observations and
measurements that provide insights into whether the program is achieving its goals (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016), and will be utilized to determine the achievement of organizational
mission and goals. As summarized in Table 1, there are particular outcomes which are expected
11
as results of this curricular program. These outcomes can be divided into two categories, internal
and external, and will be measured as Level 4 Results, as described by Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016). Internal outcomes are those which are identified within the “four walls” of
the organization, while external outcomes are those measurements of the organization’s ability to
meet its stated mission and goals which are conducted by those not working within the
organization itself. The indicators presented in Table 1 and their measures will be described in
detail in Chapter 5.
Purpose of the Curriculum
The needs assessment which was conducted indicated that in order to accomplish SSAS’s
goal of meeting the needs of all students, educators’ professional development must be
reworked. By providing educators with evidence-based knowledge, skills, and attitudes, they will
be better prepared to meet the needs of their neurodiverse learners in a general education setting.
If this curriculum is successfully implemented, SSAS’s identified problem of practice will be
addressed, as indicated and measured by internal and external outcomes.
Learning Goals
Learning goals are statements which clarify the purpose and intentions of instruction.
Specifically, they shed light upon those things which learners will be able to do upon completion
of instructions (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The learning goals for this curriculum were initially
generated by the bootstrapping process described by Clark et al. (2008), which included a review
of literature and a task analysis conducted in conjunction with subject matter experts. A review
of this literature will be provided in Chapter 2, while Chapter 4 will describe the process and
results of the task analysis. As summarized in Table 1, a list of learning goals was produced by
the aforementioned task analysis, which in turn inform the objectives and content that must be
12
included in instruction (Smith & Ragan, 2005). Behaviors are understood as those things which
can be observed as measures in order to determine the degree to which learners are
demonstrating that which they learned upon completion of instruction (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). For the purpose of this curriculum, there will be an equation of learning goals
and behaviors. As the most important of the levels in the New Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
Model (2016), Level 3 Behavior identifies what it looks like when behaviors are achieved, and
lead to the realization of the outcomes defined as part of Level 4 Results.
Objectives and Assessment
As the purpose and intent of instruction are clarified by the learning goals, these goals
can be understood through their subparts, or learning objectives. These learning objectives are
defined by Smith and Ragan (2005) as statements which inform learners what they should be
able to accomplish when they finish each module of instruction. At the end of each learning
event, an assessment of whether learning objectives were met is conducted, indicating to
instructors if progress is being made towards curricular learning goals. For the purpose of this
curriculum an analysis was conducted in order to determine the learning objectives for each
curricular unit.
The learning objectives of a curriculum, as presented by Smith and Ragan (2005) are
associated with Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) Level 2 Learning. The evaluation of Level
2 Learning is defined as the extent to which participants have gained the anticipated knowledge,
skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment through participation in training (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). While it is recommended that there be both formative and summative
assessments during this phase of instruction, the majority of Level 2 evaluation is by nature
formative (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 1 summarizes the objectives and assessment
13
of this curriculum, which are further described in Chapter 4.
Evaluation
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) is the framework
which will be utilized to evaluate this curriculum. This model is ideally suited to evaluate this
curriculum, as it focuses on the demonstration of learning and seeks to understand how to best
improve the instructional program. Evaluation of this curriculum will be expanded upon in
Chapter 5. Table 1 summarizes the curriculum design process and components previously
described.
Table 1
Summary of Organizational Mission and Goal, Outcomes, Curriculum Purpose, and Learning
Goals
Organizational mission
SSAS seeks to provide students with an environment which fosters independent and critical
thinking, lifelong learning, self-awareness, and compassion.
Organizational goal
SSAS emphasizes the ability to meet the needs of all students in the school during their K-8
tenure, while maintaining academic rigor.
14
External outcomes
Increased matriculation of neurodiverse
learners.
Increased student and family satisfaction with
the rigor of students’ learning.
Increased student preparedness for success in
independent high schools.
Internal outcomes
Increased success of neurodiverse learners in
general education (mainstream) classrooms.
Increased confidence of educators in
supporting their neurodiverse learners’
needs.
Increased usage of neurodiverse supportive
strategies by educators.
Decreased behavioral issues for neurodiverse
learners, due to increased engagement.
Curriculum purpose
The purpose is to develop a curriculum for K-8 independent school educators that will provide
evidence-based knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare them to meet the needs of their
neurodiverse learners in a general education setting.
Learning environment
The curriculum will be delivered during a series of blended in-person and remote, synchronous
professional development workshops. Asynchronous modules will be provided for educators
to continue their development after the workshops have concluded.
Learning goals
When interacting with and teaching a new group of students, educators will create
neurodiversity profiles for students, utilizing the resources provided by the school (such as
the results of testing which families may have had conducted).
Educators will provide a wide array of resources and materials in every class in order to best
support the success of all students and their various needs.
When preparing new lessons, educators will create lesson plans that reflect the neurodiversity
of learners as a way of supporting student success.
When preparing curricular units, educators will create assessments that reflect the
neurodiversity of learners as a way to ensure the success of students.
The Learning System / Environment
According to Smith and Ragan (2005), the learning system is made up of those factors
15
which affect and are affected by the learning program. As this program will take place within the
organization and aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives, the learning environment
will be non-formal. It is anticipated that the learning will be delivered in a blended manner, with
face-to-face live instruction and continued asynchronous access to supplementary materials for
further training. Chapter 3 will examine in greater detail regarding the learning system and
environment in which this instruction will take place.
Potential Issues with Power, Equity, and Inclusion
While the purpose of this curriculum and its subsequent instruction are to increase
inclusion of neurodiverse students within independent K-8 educational institutions, there are a
few potential areas of concern regarding issues of power, equity, and inclusion. The
asynchronous aspects of this curriculum pose potential issues of power, equity, and inclusion. It
is possible that educators do not have access to a device or internet which would properly equip
them to access and utilize learning resources. An additional source of potential issues around
power, equity, and inclusion can be found in the realm of race and ethnicity. While it is with the
best of intentions that SSAS seeks to meet the needs of all learners, there is the possibility that
those from various cultural backgrounds have different approaches and understandings of what it
means to support neurodiversity, which may not be in line with the goals, mission, and objectives
of SSAS. Further, utilizing this curriculum within the organization can pose potential challenges,
as it can be difficult to get school teachers to be fully invested and participatory in professional
development after a day of teaching. It is a commitment of SSAS that while training its teachers
to support its neurodiverse learners, educators themselves will be supported not only in the
implementation of their learning, but in the completion of instruction itself.
16
Definition of Terms
● Neurodiversity is the understanding that individuals’ neurological differences are to be
honored and spotlighted (Armstrong, 2015).
● Neurodiverse learners are individuals who interact with and understand the world in
unique ways (Morin, n.d.).
● Learning supports “are the resources, strategies, and practices that provide physical,
social, emotional, and intellectual supports intended to enable all pupils to have an equal
opportunity for success at school” (UCLA, n.d.).
Organization of the Design Blueprint
This curriculum design will be presented in five chapters. Chapter 1 presents the problem
of practice which will be addressed through instruction, namely that independent K-8 schools do
not offer explicit programs or services to support the neurodiverse learners in their institutions.
This chapter also includes a description of the instructional needs, an overview of the curriculum
design, and key features of the learning environment. Chapter 2 presents literature relevant to the
development of this curriculum. Chapter 3 provides an analysis of the learners and the learning
context. Chapter 4 will detail this curriculum’s learning experiences, including modular
overviews, learning objectives, opportunities for practice and feedback, and continuous
asynchronous support. Chapter 5 presents the implementation and evaluation of the learning
program laid out in this curriculum.
About the Author
In undertaking a work such as this curriculum, it is critical that I, as the author,
understand not only my own positionality and intersectionality, but how they impact me and the
work which I complete. I particularly find Villaverde’s (2008, p. 10) definition of positionality as
17
“how one is situated through the intersection of power and the politics of gender, race, class,
sexuality, ethnicity, culture, language, and other social factors” (as cited by Douglas & Nganga,
2015, p. 60) to have been of great assistance as I reflect upon the power I hold and how it affects
the my work. That said, my positionality is that of a Jewish, Israeli, white, cis-gender, middle
class male who is a father, husband, son, brother, uncle, educator, veteran, and general seeker of
knowledge.
While in certain environments there are aspects of my identity which have caused me to
be marginalized, namely being Jewish, Israeli, and a veteran, having an understanding of my
lived experiences has greatly impacted not only my understanding of the world around me, but
the way I approach my work. As Douglas & Nganga (2015) point out, the “amalgamation of the
social, political, and historical dynamics of lived experience.” (p. 60) makes up one’s
epistemology. Through knowing what we know, our epistemological lens, we are better situated
to conceptualize not only what we do and do not know, but the reasons why or ways in which we
come to gain knowledge.
With this in mind, it is of critical importance to make one’s positionality and
epistemology known, as these factors influence how we interact with the world around us and
those with whom we come into contact. When explaining something new to students or peers I
am leading, I am only able to do so from the perspective of the positionality which has been
presented above. Despite my best efforts to understand the positionalities of those constituencies
with which I work, this can only be done to a certain extent.
I have not always been successful in recognizing how my privilege plays out, having
grown up in a bubble. However, as the years have passed I have come to recognize the ways in
which opportunities have arisen based solely on my race and gender. In rather painful ways, I see
18
these same privileges playing out daily in my classroom and regularly feel helpless to stop this
vicious cycle. Teaching in a homogenous school setting, my students are exposed to very little
diversity, coming from families which choose to keep them isolated. In my role as a classroom
teacher, I do my best to expose my students to things which they would never encounter in their
bubbles. My positionality as a white man, as somebody who looks like my students and has
similar life experiences, has allowed me to relate in a meaningful way to my students and forge a
relationship which fosters an environment in which they feel safe dipping a toe out of their
bubble. I dream of the day I can rip those bubbles wide open.
The author has been influenced by Disability Studies in Education (DSE), as presented by
Connor et al. (2008). This theory “works to create and sustain inclusive and accessible schools.”
(Connor et al., 2008, p. 442). With the emergence of DSE over the course of the last 20 years,
the conversation regarding students needing additional support has transitioned from the realm of
special education to more inclusive and wholesome environments. The idea of inclusion of our
neurodiverse learners as a goal for which our academic institutions should be striving has had a
great impact upon the author. It is not enough to provide neurodiverse learners with educational
opportunities. They must be provided opportunities of the highest quality and caliber.
The fact that the scholarship in the realm of DSE includes that social construction of
disability (Taylor, 2006 as cited by Connor et al., 2008) is a core belief held by the author. While
there are disabilities which are labeled as the result of medical diagnoses and extensive testing,
the way these labels are received is largely a societal construct. The following are the four
central tenets of DSE:
● “contextualize disability within political and social spheres;
● privilege the interests, agendas, and voices of people labeled with disability/ disabled
19
people;
● promote social justice, equitable and inclusive educational opportunities, and full and
meaningful access to all aspects of society for people labeled with disability/ disabled
people; and
● assume competence and reject deficit models of disability.” (Connor et al., 2008, p. 448)
The rejection of a deficit model when working with neurodiverse learners has consistently been
at the forefront of the author’s work.
A natural offshoot of DSE which has been influential is Dis/ability Critical Race Studies
(DisCrit). As presented by Annamma et al. (2013), DisCrit is made up of six tenets, half of
which have had tremendous impact upon the author. One of the tenets of DisCrit posits that the
identities of individuals classified as having a dis/ability are multidimensional. Another tenet
which has influenced this work is that which states that race and dis/ability are social responses
to that which differs from the norm (Mirza, 1998, as cited in Annamma et al., 2013) and
therefore unduly and unfairly exert power upon the educational opportunities of these identified
individuals. Finally, the privileging of marginalized populations’ voices by DisCrit is held in
high regard by the author.
While Annamma et al. (2013) present the tenets and concepts of DisCrit, they bring to the
forefront systemic issues in the realms of race and dis/ability. The intersectionality of these
identities, which often compound one another, has had a great impact on the author. The
overrepresentation in special education referrals of students of color and from non-dominant
groups has been greatly troubling to the author for many years. By employing the theory of
DisCrit, the author has not only seen an avenue by which this issue can be addressed, but a lens
which provides a broader perspective than that which the author’s positionality allows.
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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
This review of the literature will be presented in two parts. In the first section there will
be a brief description of prior attempts to disseminate the knowledge this curriculum presents as
a means of addressing the problem of practice. The second part of the chapter will review the
literature which has informed the development of this curriculum’s content. This section will
include the declarative “What”, “Why”, and procedural “How” knowledge that will be taught to
middle school educators in independent K-8 schools in order to achieve the learning goal.
Prior Attempts
A recent study (Doyle, 2020) found that 15-20% of the population is classified as being
neurodiverse. While this is by no means a majority of the population, it represents a significant
number of our schools’ students. The question of how to best train our educators to support the
needs of our neurodiverse learners is by no means a new one, and there have been many attempts
to answer this question. The work of the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development,
Learning and Education (CANDLE), affiliated with USC Rossier School of Education, has been
working to provide educators with resources to best support the learners in their classrooms
(Characterizing Effective Teaching – CANDLE, 2020). Their approach has been to provide
educators with resources that could potentially be utilized when supporting neurodiverse learners
in educational settings. In addition, there are many articles and books which disseminate to
educators information regarding the ways in which they can support their neurodiverse students.
Analysis Of Prior Attempts
While CANDLE and these other sources have provided resources to help educators
support their neurodiverse students, these attempts appear to fall short in that they merely
provide educators with resources which may potentially serve them as they seek to support
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neurodiverse learners. These sources do not provide educators the opportunity to practice
utilizing these resources and strategies or to provide feedback when doing so. All of these
sources merely disseminate information to educators regarding how to meet the needs of these
students without guided practice or feedback of any kind.
The curriculum proposed herein will not only provide educators with this information,
but will show educators demonstrations of how each method presented works and how to
implement it into their own classrooms. Another aspect of this curriculum which will differ from
prior attempts is the context in which it will be taking place. The fact that this curriculum will be
taking place in K-8 independent schools is another perspective where this curriculum differs
from previous attempts. This curriculum will be piloted in the author’s current institution, SSAS.
If successful, the curriculum will be implemented elsewhere. As previously stated, this
implementation of practical knowledge, especially scaled to multiple independent institutions, is
a major divergence from any previous attempts.
The Content of the Curriculum
The content of this curriculum is based upon six major steps. These steps were put
together based upon a process colloquially referred to as “bootstrapping” first with interviews
with subject matter experts (SMEs) (Clark et al., 2008). The “bootstrapping” process was
completed by conducting a regular Google search seeking ways to support neurodiverse learners,
followed by a Google Scholar search to see if the below major steps were replicated. Finally,
through conversation with SMEs, this list of major steps was confirmed and modified. The below
list of major steps is both presented and not presented in the order which this curriculum will
follow. Some of the major steps are presented in the order in which they should occur, while
others which come later in the curriculum are steps which occur throughout. The major steps
22
presented in this curriculum are:
● Build relationships and rapport.
● Maintain high expectations for all students.
● Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
● Deliver content through diversified modalities.
● Chunk content into manageable units.
● Invite parental involvement.
These major steps will serve as a guide for the literature review which follows.
Build Relationships and Rapport
The building of relationships and establishment of rapport have proven to be a critical
foundational step, as educators seek to support their neurodiverse students. There is a fair amount
of literature (Mirfin-Veitch et al., 2020; Lammers et al., 2017; Graziano et al., 2007; Dyrenforth,
2015) that points towards the importance of relationships and rapport in student success. The
existing literature demonstrates that with increased feelings of positive relationships within
institutions and rapport with educators, students seek out opportunities to push themselves and
seek success.
Mirfin-Veitch et al. (2020) discuss the vital role that relationships play within school
settings when supporting neurodiverse learners. This research showed that through the
establishment of positive relationships with peers, teachers, and other constituents, neurodiverse
learners were able to be successful in their educational experience due to a sense of being
genuinely known by the entire school community. Further, it was found that by maintaining a
disposition of happiness, confidence, and energy when interacting with neurodiverse students,
educators have been able to make these students feel valued and welcomed (Mirfin-Veitch et al.,
23
2020). This sense of value in turn led to neurodiverse students feeling an increased sense of
belonging within the school community, which led to increased academic success. In spending
time with neurodiverse students, educators are better situated to respond appropriately to the
specific needs of their learners thanks to active listening and taking notice of all students (Mirfin-
Veitch et al., 2020). By investing in students through committing to talking and observing the
learners as a way of identifying likes and dislikes, as well as background, educators are better
situated to build trust with their students. This trust enables educators to more receptively model
appropriate behavior, both academic and social, for all students, particularly neurodiverse
learners. In turn, this allows teachers to maximize students’ learning and plan class schedules in
ways that help ensure students feel most calm and are best situated to concentrate.
There has been evidence of the importance of teacher-student relationships in the
classroom, especially to combat a sense of defiance and dissonance in the classroom (Lammers
et al., 2017). According to Lammers et al. (2017), those students who perceive higher rapport
with their teachers tend to have more academic and behavioral success than those learners with a
lower perceived rapport. In establishing this rapport, the first impression students form of their
teachers is incredibly important. This is evidenced by the research findings that rapport during
the first few weeks of the semester proved to be indicative of final grades (Lammers et al., 2017).
The establishment of positive rapport between students and teachers plays a significant role in
the overall learning and success of students (Dyrenforth, 2014). With an increase in positive
rapport, Frisby and Martin (2010) found that learner anxiety is minimized, which increases
student participation, social interactions, learning, and a general feeling of a positive learning
environment (as cited in Dyrenforth, 2014).
These higher quality student-teacher relationships have been found to support learners in
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the unique environments in which they must adjust (Graziano et al., 2007). Graziano and
colleagues reference research which demonstrates that such relationships lead to decreases in
aggressive behavior in the classroom (Hughes, Cavell, & Jackson, 1999, as cited in Graziano et
al., 2007). As such behavior decreases, academic success has been seen to increase, as positive
student-teacher relationships have an effect on learners’ motivation to learn (Graziano et al.,
2007). In sum, by building relationships and rapport with students, educators have taken a
decisive first step in ensuring students feel supported in their academic endeavors, both their
successes and the challenges they face. Once educators have established relationships with their
students, grounded in positive rapport, they are better situated to hold their students to high
expectations.
High Expectations for All Student
In supporting all students, it is critical that educators maintain high expectations within
the classroom. Educators must continue to remain flexible and understanding in their
encouragement of learners pursuing the achievement of high expectations (InnerDrive, n.d.).
Badad et al. (1982) discusses both the golem effect and the pygmalion effect. The golem effect is
holding students to low expectations, which leads individuals to meeting those expectations
through poor performance. The pygmalion effect refers to the fact that holding students to high
expectations leads to the meeting of these expectations through better performance.
Tkatchov and Pollnow (2008) acknowledge the fact that when holding all students to
high expectations, there are likely to be students at risk of failure. In this acknowledgement, they
present a number of concrete strategies which educators can implement to aid them in
maintaining high expectations for all learners. It is suggested that as educators are encouraging
and supporting all students, they must make sure to monitor student achievement closely so as to
25
be able to intervene and aid them in meeting the high expectations (Tkatchov & Pollnow, 2008).
To meet high expectations, feedback to students must be clear and provided in a way which
makes it clear how the students can improve and achieve the desired outcomes. By affirming
students’ ability to learn and meet the expectations, the number of students doing so increases
(Tkatchov & Pollnow, 2008). The authors recommend grouping learners heterogeneously, which
will aid educators in differentiating learning, which in turn will help students meet high
expectations (Tkatchov & Pollnow, 2008).
As educators it is important to keep one’s beliefs, particularly if they are negative, about
students’ abilities from becoming externalized. When students become aware of an educator’s
negative belief in their abilities, those views become internalized and tend to become self-
fulfilling, meaning these lowered expectations will be met (Lumsden, 1997). Rather, Brophy
(1986) encourages educators to project the belief that students can learn and meet high
expectations. Brophy goes on to expound that if learners are treated as eager, they are more
likely to become eager learners.
In short, by holding students to high expectations, regardless of previous academic
successes or failures, teachers are able to create classroom environments where students are set
up to rise to the occasion and succeed to the best of their abilities. To help ensure that students
are performing to the best of their abilities, and accounting for the high expectations to which
they are being held, educators should utilize strategies such as Universal Design for Learning
(UDL).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
In preparing curricular units, lesson plans, and learning materials, educators may be
served in their mission of supporting neurodiverse students by employing UDL. Rose and Meyer
26
(2002) identified a disconnect between a standardized curriculum and increasingly diverse
student populations (as cited in Edyburn, 2005). In order to combat this, UDL draws upon the
architectural concept of universal design to focus research and educational practices, as related to
diversity and application of technologies to facilitate learning (Edyburn, 2005). As presented by
Edyburn (2005), the UDL framework is driven by three core principles: multiple means of
representation of information, multiple means by which learners can express and demonstrate
their learning, and multiple means of learner engagement.
Through the implementation of a UDL framework, educators are enabled to take steps
which will help ensure the success of all students, by increasing learner accessibility (Rose &
Meyer, 2002, as cited by Frey et al., 2012). The utilization of a UDL framework allows
educators to proactively take steps to meet the needs of their students, even before a lesson has
taken place (Frey et al., 2012). One such framework has been put forth by CAST (2018), which
provides a number of guidelines which will help in the implementation of UDL. These
guidelines fall into three main areas - engagement, representation, and action and expression
(CAST, 2018). In turn, the utilization of such guidelines are further divided to aid educators in
their implementation to support neurodiverse learners as much as possible. To do this, the CAST
(2018) framework provides guidelines which aid in ensuring the integration of access points
under each of the previously mentioned main areas, opportunities to build upon those access
points, and finally the intentional internalization of content delivered via the main areas of the
UDL guidelines. Incredibly important to the utilization of UDL are the concepts of diversified
modalities of content delivery and means of engagement, which will be discussed in the next
section of this literature review, and the scaffolding of content.
27
The scaffolding of learning is a methodology which provides varying degrees of
assistance to learners, depending on the individual’s needs. The importance of scaffolding comes
to the forefront when considering Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The theory, which places an
emphasis on what Vygotsky termed the zone of proximal development (ZPD), discusses the
critical role that scaffolding plays in learners succeeding in their learning. This is caused by the
assistance scaffolding provides learners in pushing themselves in challenging ways (Schunk,
2020). Over time, as the learner’s abilities improve, the scaffolding is gradually removed until
the student is capable of completing tasks fully independently (Day & Cordon, 1993; Cordon &
Kerwin, 1989 as cited by Chang et al., 2002). This temporary nature of scaffolded instruction is a
critical characteristic of the tool (Van Der Stufy, 2002). As an educator is developing scaffolding
for learners, it is important to keep in mind a number of key factors. Scaffolded instruction
should be presented in a way which reduces a learner’s confusion, based upon educators’
anticipation of problems learners may encounter (Van Der Stufy, 2002). Van Der Stufy goes on
to discuss how, in reducing a learner’s confusion, the scaffolding of instruction helps students to
understand why they are doing the work being asked of them and its importance. Through the
structure provided by scaffolding, learners are more likely to remain on task, as while the
scaffold may allow for different paths to be followed, they each lead to the same conclusion of a
task (Van Der Stufy, 2002). Further, the structure that scaffolding provides clarifies for students
the expectations to which they are being held, and incorporates assessment and feedback as a
means to helping students reach their final goals (Van Der Stufy, 2002). Van Der Stufy goes on
to clarify that, by making the expectations clear and reducing as much confusion as possible on
the part of the student, scaffolding greatly reduces the uncertainty, surprise, and disappointment
which sometimes arise.
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Thus, the implementation of UDL practices helps to guarantee that students are supported
in ways that allow them to be as successful as possible in academic settings. As presented above,
the scaffolding of content is an incredibly powerful tool in utilizing the UDL model. As teachers
implement UDL practices in their classroom, diversifying the modalities by which content is
delivered is an important step for educators to take.
Diversified Modalities of Content Delivery
By delivering content to students through diversified modalities, classroom educators are
better served in their attempt to meet the needs of all students. According to Mirfin-Veitch et al.
(2020), neurodiverse learners are more likely to learn when information is presented in ways
which play to their strengths and interests. In presenting content via diversified modalities, more
students' strengths and interests are touched upon, thereby creating more access points.
Researchers point out that the ways in which neurodiverse learners experience their bodies and
movement in general must be considered when choosing modalities of content delivery so as to
optimize learners’ experiences (Mirfin-Veitch et al., 2020). To this end, Mirfin-Veitch et al.
(2020) suggest seeking out ways to incorporate physical activity and opportunities for movement
into learning. In further considering the ways in which content is delivered to learners, the
research suggests that educators working to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners should try
using methods such as visual aids and gestures, auditory and written instructions, utilization of
games and game mechanics, and certain digital formats (Frey et al., 2012; Reichrath, de Witte, &
Winkens, 2010; Rentenbach et al., 2018, as cited in Mirfin-Veitch et al., 2020). Additionally, the
research conducted by Mirfin-Veitch et al. (2020) and Reichrath et al. (2010) indicates that
technology provides an accessible and cost effective way to support, engage, and motivate
neurodiverse learners, as well as help establish as much uniformity in an educational setting as
29
possible.
The utilization of scaffolded notes, graphic organizers, written instructions, quiet settings,
reading aloud, and working with peers are ways in which to support the needs of neurodiverse
learners (Frey et al., 2012). Such note-taking accommodations have proven to increase
neurodiverse students’ access points to content (Boyle et al., 2015). Beyond note-taking
accommodations such as scaffolded notes and graphic organizers, Boyle et al. (2015) identify
scribe recorded notes and electronically recorded lessons. Further, research has shown that by
combining visual cues in the form of images with printed words, there is an increase in
acquisition of knowledge by students with varied learning needs (Cohen & Demchak, 2018).
Cohen and Demchak found that visual supports proved to be a critical aspect of neurodiverse
learners being able to acquire skills and working towards independence.
As teachers strive to incorporate strategies that increase learner participation and
engagement, neurodiverse supportive strategies have been found to fall upon a continuum
ranging from proactive to reactive (Nagro et al., 2018). Delivering content to learners using
proactive strategies include actions such as learner proximity to the teacher and increased
opportunities for learners to respond to educator prompts (Wehby & Lane, 2009, as cited in
Nagro et al., 2018).
In sum, by providing content to learners via diverse modalities, educators help their
students to more easily, and readily, access course material. As learners have more opportunities
to access course content in meaningful ways, they are more likely to be successful during their
academic careers. Another way that classroom teachers can make course material more
accessible for students is by implementing the practice of content chunking.
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Chunking of Content
In chunking learning materials into small pieces, educators help to increase student
access to and comfort with course material. InnerDrive (n.d.) posits that by providing students
with small and sequential steps, students are better situated to master concepts without
experiencing a feeling of being overwhelmed. As smaller chunks of content create more access
points for neurodiverse learners, this also enables an increasing number of connections to be
made to learning (InnerDrive, n.d.). With smaller chunks of material being dealt with at any
given time, students feel increasing levels of success due to the ability to master small chunks at
a given time, which in turn allows for continued student progression through material
(InnerDrive, n.d.). On the road to mastering content, InnerDrive (n.d.) states that small chunks of
material allows educators to have more access points to ensure student understanding of content.
Finally, chunking text into small pieces allows educators to take steps to ensure students do not
experience cognitive overload (InnerDrive, n.d.).
In avoiding cognitive overload, learners are able to more effectively interact with course
content (Humphries & Clark, 2021). As these interactions occur, learners are able to remember
more material and are better able to store that information in their memory (Bodie et al., 2006).
By chunking material into smaller pieces, it becomes increasingly easier to experience the
repetition necessary to gain mastery (Bodie et al., 2006).
The chunking of material allows for learners to more easily link sequential or related
units with one another, thereby increasing likelihood of information being stored in a learner’s
long-term memory (Lah, et l., 2014; Mayer et al., 1996, as cited in Humphries & Clark, 2021).
These connections allow for learners to more readily recognize connections between material
(Bodie et al., 2006, as cited in Humphries & Clark, 2021). The research conducted by Humphries
31
and Clark (2021) suggests that as smaller chunks of text are interacted with during learning,
students are more likely to be successful due to the increased number of access points to course
material and the subsequent opportunities to form connections to previously mastered material.
Thus, through the chunking of material, educators provide content to students in ways
that help to build success into the very structure of their classrooms. Through these systems,
educators help students to increase their opportunities for interaction with course material. As
educators seek to create systems designed specifically to support the needs of students in ways
that ensure success, parental involvement is a factor which must be considered.
Parental Involvement
Encouraging and helping to inform parental involvement in their child’s educational
experience has proven to support students’ learning and academic success. According to Higgins
and Katsipataki (2015) there are six formats that parental involvement takes: parenting,
communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and community collaborations.
Increasing parental involvement has been identified as a way of closing student achievement
gaps and helping learners maximize and realize their potential (Hill & Tyson, 2009).
Baker and Stevenson (1986) suggest that parental involvement, which helps students
succeed, can range from actions both at home and at the school itself. These strategies for
involvement can include parents being aware of what their child is learning and helping them
with work at home, as well as maintaining regular contact with the school and their child’s
teachers (Baker & Stevenson, 1986). Their research showed there to be a positive relationship
between parental involvement, particularly the mother, and student GPA (Baker & Stevenson,
1986).
32
Driessen and Sleegers (2005) also found that parental involvement had a significant
impact upon the educational success and achievement of their children. Not only has this positive
relationship become evident through research in the realm of academics, but in the social
functioning of students as well (Henderson & Mapp, 2002, as cited in Driessen & Sleegers,
2005). Finally, as has been shown in literature, parental involvement in a child’s learning
increases positive family attitudes towards the school, which in turn leads to increased home-
school partnerships (Tesser & Iedema, 2001, as cited in Driessen & Sleegers, 2005).
In sum, the involvement of parents in their child's learning creates an environment that is
more holistic and helps better situate students to feel supported in all realms of their learning,
and thereby lead to increased success. Creating opportunities for parents to become increasingly
involved can take a myriad of forms. As educators take steps to support the students in their
classrooms, whether through relationships or instructional tactics, learners are positioned by their
teachers to be as successful as possible in their learning environment.
Summary of the Curriculum Content
The content of the curriculum, as described above, has been designed to provide
educators with the knowledge, strategies, skills, and general approaches to meet the needs of
neurodiverse students in K-8 independent school settings. As presented above, this will be
accomplished through six major steps. These major steps can each be described by Gagné ’s
Types of Learning Outcomes, as laid out by Smith and Ragan (2005). The Types of Learning
Outcomes are described below. Table 2 presents the connections between the Types of Learning
Outcomes and the major steps of this curriculum.
Declarative Knowledge
As defined by Smith and Ragan (2005), declarative knowledge consists of the facts, and
33
other information, that one learns through instruction. While the majority of instruction should
not necessarily be focused upon declarative knowledge, there is a place for such instruction.
Declarative knowledge has been shown to provide the foundation students require to learn
complex concepts and complete higher-order tasks (Smith & Ragan, 2005).
Intellectual Skills
When learners encounter new experiences or examples, they draw upon intellectual skills
to be successful (Smith & Ragan, 2005). While this type of learning outcome does require some
of the informational recall found in conceptual knowledge, its focus is primarily concerned with
the application of knowledge. This is described by Anderson (1976) as procedural knowledge (as
cited in Smith & Ragan, 2005). In mastering how to do something new, learners are better
equipped when facing novel situations.
Conceptual Knowledge
Concepts help learners to better understand the environment around them, by simplifying
matters (Smith & Ragan, 2005). In creating groups of like concepts, we as learners are able to
think, and function, more efficiently. Conceptual knowledge can be further subdivided into
concrete concepts and defined concepts. Concrete concepts are the physical attributes used to
generate group classifications, while defined concepts are classified based upon similar or
matching definitive characteristics which are in turn applied to examples previously not
encountered (Smith & Ragan, 2005).
Procedural Knowledge
As stated above, procedural knowledge is the ability to apply knowledge in practical
ways. This form of knowledge often involves multiple concepts working in conjunction to allow
a learner to complete the sequential steps required of a given task (Smith & Ragan, 2005). When
34
working in tandem with declarative and conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge allows
learners to more deeply internalize the results and potential consequences of their learning.
Cognitive Strategies
Cognitive, or learning, strategies are useful tools utilized by learners to help manage their
learning. These metacognitive, affective, self-regulatory, and organizational strategies support
learning across domains and content areas (Smith & Ragan, 2005). Cognitive strategies become
particularly evident when learners are completing complex or problem-solving focused tasks.
Attitudes
Attitudes are the mental factors which lead learners to choose to behave in certain ways.
As described by Gagné (1985), attitudes have cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects (as
cited by Smith & Ragan, 2005). The attitudes held by a learner, whether prior to or caused by
instruction, oftentimes impact the motivation of a student. Much like other aspects of learning,
attitudes can be context specific and can be impacted by a range of factors.
Psychomotor Skills
While declarative knowledge, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, and attitudes
predominantly are internal factors, psychomotor skills generally have intentional and precise
physical, or muscular, movements. As small children, psychomotor skills are part of our natural
development, while as we grow older we choose particular psychomotor skills we wish to
develop (Smith & Ragan, 2005). Physical practice is critical to the development of psychomotor
skills, due to their physical nature. Table 2 below summarizes Gagné ’s Types of Learning
Outcomes, as described above, and how they connect to the major steps of this curriculum.
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Table 2
Major Steps and Learning Outcomes
Major step Learning outcome
Build relationships and rapport Declarative knowledge
Educators will be able to define positive teacher-student
relationships.
Educators will be able to define rapport in the context of
educational settings.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will successfully build relationships with the
students in their classes.
Educators will establish positive rapport with the students
in their classes.
Attitudes
Educators will value the power of relationships and
rapport in the success of students in educational
settings.
Educators will demonstrate positive attitudes towards
building relationships and developing rapport with
students.
Psychomotor skills
Educators will utilize skills, such as playing games during
recess, as a means of building relationships and rapport
with students.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which
they consider how they are building relationships and
rapport with students.
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which
36
Major step Learning outcome
they consider how the relationships and rapport they
have established are helping to support their students.
Maintain high expectations for
all students
Declarative knowledge
Educators will be able to explain why it is important to
maintain high expectations for all students.
Educators will be able to express the dangers in not
holding students to high expectations in learning
environments.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will identify the expectations to which students
will be held.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will apply the steps that need to be taken to
scaffold content for students, so that they receive the
support necessary to meet the high expectations to
which they are being held.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will monitor and design strategies which will
aid students in developing general academic self-
efficacy.
Educators will evaluate and develop opportunities for
students to rehearse/practice tasks which will aid them
in meeting high expectations.
Implement Universal Design
for Learning (UDL)
Declarative knowledge
Educators will know the basic concepts of UDL.
Educators will be able to describe these basic concepts
and their benefits to others.
Educators will identify the ways in which principles of
UDL will be beneficial in their classrooms.
37
Major step Learning outcome
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will differentiate between UDL and other
classroom pedagogic practices.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will implement the principles of UDL when
designing their classroom learning experiences.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will manage the cognitive load of students by
implementing principles of UDL.
Deliver content through
diversified modalities
Declarative knowledge
Educators will be aware of a number of diversified
modalities of content delivery.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will understand how utilizing these diverse
methods will be beneficial for students of varying
needs.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will deliver content to their students through
diversified modalities.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle in which they
monitor their progress in delivering content through
diversified modalities and their success in helping
students access content.
Chunk content into manageable
units
Declarative knowledge
Educators will understand what it means to chunk content.
38
Major step Learning outcome
Educators will understand, and be able to express, why the
chunking of content is beneficial for students.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will know why certain material/content would
be chunked together.
And inversely why it would be inappropriate for
certain content to be chunked with other content.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will be able to implement the steps of content
chunking, regardless of the content area.
Educators will chunk content appropriately during their
lessons.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will utilize the chunking of content to solve
academic problems being encountered by students.
Invite parental involvement Declarative knowledge
Educators will articulate why parental involvement is
important in a child’s learning.
Educators will express the ways in which parents can be
involved in a child’s learning.
Attitudes
Educators will see value in developing relationships with
students’ parents.
Educators will value the participation of parents in their
child’s learning.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will understand the difference between
appropriate and inappropriate parental involvement.
39
Major step Learning outcome
Procedural
Educators will communicate effectively with parents.
Educators will invite parents to become active participants
in their child’s learning.
Educators will be able to teach parents how to engage
their children in an active manner.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle as they
consider what aspects of involving parents in their
child’s learning have been effective and how to increase
that involvement.
40
Chapter Three: The Learning Environment And The Learners
This chapter presents the description of the learning environment of this curriculum and
an overview of the learners. Acknowledging that learning can often be context dependent, in
designing this curriculum it is necessary to analyze the learning environment and learners, so that
the instruction can be as effective as possible. As described by Smith and Ragan (2005), the
learning environment is made up of those factors which both affect the learning taking place and
contribute to the learning experience. In analyzing the learning environment, this chapter
presents the curriculum’s facilitators, existing curricula or programs into which this curriculum
will fit, the equipment and other resources that will be utilized in the implementation of this
curriculum, and the facilities which will be used.
It is critical to also conduct an analysis of the learners. Instructional designers often do
not conduct such an analysis and risk assuming that the learners are like the designers themselves
(Smith & Ragan, 2005). Smith and Ragan (2005) describe the cognitive, social, affective, and
physiological characteristics of learners. By understanding these characteristics, this curriculum
was able to be specifically geared to the primary learning audience at SSAS.
Description of the Learning Environment
This section includes a description of the learning environment in which this curriculum
will take place. In order to provide the necessary context, in the sections that follow there will be
descriptions of the curriculum’s facilitators, existing curricula into which this program may fit,
the available equipment and technology, the facilities in which this curriculum will be delivered,
and the general learning climate. Finally, the culture and characteristics of SSAS and its staff
will be explored and discussed as their impacts upon the delivery of this curriculum and the
media selected will be considered.
41
Teacher/Trainers/Facilitator Characteristics
By necessity, the facilitators of this curriculum will be experienced teachers or
administrators from within the independent K-8 school environment. The ideal candidate for
delivery of this curriculum will be an individual who has proven within their institution to take
steps to ensure the success of all students, taking extra measures to ensure this success for
neurodiverse learners. In addition, the facilitator will be an individual highly regarded within
their institution, by all constituents (administrators, faculty, students, and parents), as an educator
who can be relied upon to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners. Ideally, facilitators of this
training will see it as not only a means of informing independent K-8 educators of best practices
in education, but as a way of maintaining high academic standards while meeting the various
needs of the different students within an institution.
In order to help make the training as accessible and relevant as possible, facilitators will
either be an individual from outside the organization who is highly regarded within the field, or a
member of the institution participating in the curriculum. This will allow for the training to be
adjusted to meet the needs of any further institution in which it will be implemented. To fully
and successfully adjust the program to meet the needs of specific institutions, the facilitators of
this training will need to remain open to different media and the potential of integration and
implementation of varying technologies.
Existing Curricula/Programs
While there are some organizations that provide educators with resources (CANDLE,
2020; CAST, 2018), this curriculum will stand alone in the fact that in addition to providing
resources it will provide an opportunity specifically for K-8 independent educators to practice
and receive feedback. In order to accomplish this, the training presented in this work will be
42
integrated into the existing professional development (PD) program which is already in place at
SSAS. To help educators participating in this curriculum understand that it is not subject
specific, but to be utilized across the entirety of independent K-8 learning environments, it will
take place during all school PD. If deemed to be too large a group by either the facilitator or
SSAS, the training will be integrated into the PD program of the elementary and middle school
divisions separately. Each PD session will last for 60 minutes, and sessions will take place twice
a month for a period of five months. Learners will have continuous access to a Google Drive
with additional resources which can be used for further professional development, on their own
schedule.
Based upon the author’s personal experience as a member of the faculty, at present the
PD program at SSAS is predominantly focused on either the social-emotional learning of
students or faculty presenting their learning from outside PD experiences. While this curriculum
is intended to be integrated into the SSAS PD program, doing so would represent a novel
undertaking by the school. This is reinforced by the fact that, at present, the organization does
not have any kind of learning support program for neurodiverse learners. As such, if successful
and expanded to other institutions, this training will be adapted to meet the needs of each
organization and work in tandem with their current PD programs.
Available Equipment and Technology
This curriculum will be delivered to learners through a blended format, combining in-
person synchronous sessions which will allow for guided practice and feedback and
asynchronous online access to helpful resources both during and after the period of instruction.
The blended nature of this curriculum will necessitate certain equipment and technology. For all
learning, whether synchronous or asynchronous, faculty participating in this training will need
43
access to a computer, whether their school issued device or a personal one. Learners will need
access to an internet connection, as they will be asked to access Google Drive and the other
Google for Education applications.
To enable the facilitator of this curriculum to be successful, they will also need access to
the institution’s internet network. Prior to each training session, the facilitator will confirm with
SSAS that the training site has an overhead projector and the proper cables to connect the
facilitator’s computer. If the institution does not have the proper cables, the facilitator will
provide a dongle to connect the cables to their computer, in order to be able to share slides with
participants and facilitate guided practice of each major step.
Classroom Facilities and Learning Climate
The in-person synchronous content of this training can be delivered in a classroom,
conference room, or the gym at SSAS, depending on how the administration and curriculum
facilitator decide to divide the staff. All participants in this training, both learners and facilitators,
will need access to a wireless internet connection. To assist learners as much as possible, there
should be ample table space for each participant to have both their laptop and a notebook
available. Whatever the physical location (classroom, conference room, or gym), the facilitator
will need access to an overhead projector with cables which can be used with their computer for
the purpose of presentation. All of the materials and resources utilized during implementation of
the training will be available along with additional resources in a shared Google Drive.
Many independent K-8 educational institutions, SSAS included, have been hesitant to
implement learning support programs for their neurodiverse learners, whether those that take
place throughout the school day and are always accessible or as part of PD programs. There has
been concern expressed, at SSAS directly expressed to the author, that by implementing such
44
programs, the organization will begin to be viewed as one catering to special education students,
which in turn would hurt recruitment and retention of students. Due to this bias against such
programs, faculty may prove to be reticent to participate in this curriculum. Combatting this bias
so that faculty are able to learn and meet the needs of their neurodiverse students will be a
critical undertaking of the facilitator. This will be accomplished by the facilitator’s constant
repetition of why this training is critical and the ways in which it will benefit not just individual
teachers and students, but SSAS as an entire organization.
Learner Characteristics
This section is designed to describe key characteristics of the learners who will be
participating in the curriculum. When designing a curriculum, it is critical for the instructional
designer to center the curriculum they are creating around the specific learners who will be
participating (Smith & Ragan, 2005). In this section a discussion of the learners cognitive,
physiological, affective, and social characteristics will be presented. The conclusion of this
section will be a presentation of the implications of the learning environment and learner
characteristics upon the design of this curriculum.
Cognitive Characteristics
As this curriculum was developed, the cognitive characteristics of learners were taken
into account. These characteristics are made up of general characteristics and specific prior
knowledge. As presented by Smith and Ragan (2005), general characteristics are made up of
factors such as learner aptitudes, developmental levels, levels of literacy, processing styles,
cognitive and learning strategies, and general knowledge of the world. Specific prior knowledge
refers to content specific knowledge that learners need to have a grasp of to be successful in
accessing, and understanding, the content of this curriculum.
45
General Characteristics
General characteristics are critical as instructional designers consider how to meet the
needs of the learners engaging with this curriculum. As instruction is designed based upon the
general characteristics of learners, it becomes increasingly accessible, effective, and motivating
for learners. Of the various general characteristics, this curriculum focuses on general aptitudes,
level of varying literacies, and cognitive and learning strategies.
General Aptitudes
As presented by Smith and Ragan (2005), aptitudes are one’s “ability related to
readiness or facility to learn or achieve.” (p. 61) Due to their attendance of the PD sessions
presented in this curriculum, there is the general assumption that learners are willing to further
their own learning and support the neurodiverse students in their institutions. This curriculum
was designed based upon the belief that K-8 educators have the best of intentions and seek to
enable the success of their learners. The content of this curriculum is presented based on the
perceived abilities of participating educators, their backgrounds, and their ability to engage with
the material in effective and meaningful ways.
Varying Literacies
Content of this curriculum is presented in a number of ways, all of which assume
certain literacy on the part of the learner. Due to the digital nature in which materials will be
distributed and made accessible asynchronously through a Google Drive, learners will need to
have a certain level of digital literacy. Learners will need to have a relatively high level of
reading and comprehension to be able to internalize and understand course content. Finally, the
educators participating in this curriculum will need to have a level of visual literacy to interpret
and understand graphics presented as part of the learning materials.
46
Cognitive and Learning Strategies
Due to the nature of this curriculum’s content, having a certain level of knowledge
regarding cognitive and learning strategies will be beneficial for learners. While curricular units
will review those strategies which are presented, having been exposed to specific language in
advance will better enable participating educators to access course materials. By having this
preliminary grasp of cognitive and learning strategies, learners will already be moving in the
direction of mastery, preparing themselves to help their own learners access these strategies.
Prior Knowledge
In creating this curriculum, the instructional designer is aware that the prior knowledge
possessed by the target audience of K-8 independent school educators varies in significant ways.
This prior knowledge ranges from specific content to level of education to experience in the field
of education. Considering this variance in prior knowledge, the instructional designer was
enabled in the task of catering instruction to meet the needs of both the learners with more of a
knowledge base and those who need additional support.
General World Knowledge
The educators participating in this PD curriculum possess a wide range of general
world knowledge. This variance is based upon the fact that SSAS is made up of educators of
different ages, levels of experience in the field, and areas of focus. Some members of the staff at
SSAS have spent their entire careers in education and others have come to education from other
fields. While some faculty may have undergone some PD regarding the support of neurodiverse
students, for other learners this will be an entirely new endeavor. Additionally, it is very likely
that there will be a wide range of experience with neurodiverse individuals in the personal lives
of learners participating in this curriculum. Utilizing a survey prior to the implementation of this
47
curriculum, the instructional designer will gain a sense of learners’ general world knowledge.
This information will be used to make the PD sessions particular to the participating educators.
Specific Prior Knowledge
The pre-survey mentioned above will also give the instructional designer insight into any
specific prior knowledge held by the participating educators. Specifically, the survey will be
used to gain insight into any declarative knowledge that learners may have that is specific to the
support of neurodiverse learners, particularly definitions of terms. Prior to the implementation of
this curriculum, it is not expected that participating educators have an expert understanding, or
even a novice understanding, of how to support neurodiverse learners. Regardless of learner
background with supporting neurodiverse learners, this curriculum will provide an opportunity to
practice the implementation of support strategies with feedback from the instructor and
continuous access to enrichment materials.
Physiological Characteristics
Among the educators at SSAS who will be participating in this curriculum, there is a
range of physiological characteristics, much like the factors described above. Having been a
member of the staff at SSAS for a number of years, the instructional designer has a base
understanding of the physiological characteristics of the educators within the institution who
would be participating in this curriculum. In particular, learners’ sensory perception and age
have been taken into account as the instruction in this curriculum is delivered.
Sensory Perception
The sensory perception of participants has the potential to vary greatly. In particular,
variances in auditory and visual perception have been taken into account with the design of the
instructional materials for this curriculum. For those with varying levels of auditory perception,
48
accessibility tools will be used to provide captions and transcripts of any video resources utilized
as part of the curriculum. Learners with varying degrees of visual perception will have access to
learning materials in a number of formats. For those whose visual perception requires limited use
of screens, there will be hard copies of any materials that it would be effective to provide in this
manner. For digital resources, there will be access to a digital text reader.
Age
The learners who will be participating in this curriculum span a wide range of age
demographics. This variance in age represents a range of lived experiences, both professional
and personal, of the educators participating in this learning. These different experiences have an
impact upon learners' perception of the content being shared in this curriculum. Learners will be
drawing upon these experiences throughout the course of learning.
Affective Characteristics
The affective characteristics of learners have the potential to impact learning in as
important ways as cognitive capabilities. In particular, this curriculum took into account the
motivation to learn and attitude toward subject matter. By considering these aspects of the
learner, the instructional designer has taken steps to increase learner engagement with the
curriculum.
Motivation to Learn
It is the belief of the instructional designer, based on experience as an employee of
SSAS, that the educators participating in this PD curriculum generally have an interest in
furthering their growth and abilities as educators. The educators of SSAS have the best of
intentions and strive to provide all they can for their students. The instructional designer has
relied upon this desire, of the participants in this PD, to ensure that there is motivation to
49
participate in this curriculum. There is recognition on the part of the instructional designer that
this is not a curriculum into which learners will opt, but rather one in which all members of
faculty are required to participate. This fact may impact motivation to learn to a degree, as there
is not necessarily intrinsic buy in of the learners.
Attitude Toward Subject Matter
There are some educators who do not want to undergo training specifically geared towards
supporting students who may be struggling due to neurodiversity. The reason for this is general
concern that doing so would lead to the institution becoming a special education school. To
combat this attitude, every aspect of this curriculum will emphasize the importance of
implementing support for neurodiverse learners and the risks involved in not doing so. By
ensuring that this is a part of all instruction, the instructional designer hopes to shift learners’
attitudes toward the subject matter.
Social Characteristics
Learning inherently includes social aspects, which means that the social characteristics
of the learners must be taken into account while designing this curriculum. As a majority of
instruction will take place synchronously with other members of the educators’ division
(elementary or middle school) within SSAS, social aspects must be considered. Learners’
feelings toward authority and role models have been considered in the development of this
curriculum.
Feelings Toward Authority
Because participation in this PD curriculum will be mandatory, the learners’ feelings
towards those in positions of authority need to be taken into consideration. If the learners feel
that their supervisors who are dictating participation in the PD do not have the best interest of the
50
learners and their students in mind, it is possible that they will not be motivated to participate
actively. In this case, the likelihood of educators incorporating the lessons of this PD curriculum
into their classes is low. With confidence in those holding positions of authority and their desire
to support students, learners are more likely to be inclined to actively participate in the PD
sessions that are a part of this curriculum.
Role Models
Having the opportunity to see others whom one respects and values serving as role
models can have a great impact upon a learner. By seeing and hearing about the experiences of
their peers with implementing supports for neurodiverse learners in the classroom, participants in
these PD sessions are increasingly likely to see the value in the instruction being given. With this
increased understanding of the value, through the examples of role models, it is more likely that
learners will implement this training in their regular practice as educators.
Implications of the Learning Environment and Learner Characteristics for Design
Analyzing the learning environment in which this curriculum will take place and the
characteristics of the participating learners suggests certain implications for the design. It is
important to acknowledge these implications so that if they arise, the curriculum facilitator is
prepared to address them.
The time constraints of this curriculum’s PD sessions presents its own set of implications.
By instituting the time constraint of 60 minutes, twice a month, there are restrictions placed upon
the learning events and what can take place during each session. As a result, resources will be
available to learners via a shared Google Drive folder, for continuous access and learning
extension. The blended nature of this curriculum has its own implications. To counteract the fact
that certain aspects of the curriculum become inaccessible to certain learners due to potential
51
challenges in accessing the Google Drive folder, the course facilitator will be available to
learners to provide additional support.
In addition to the implications of the learning environment, there are a number of learner
characteristics which have implications for the curriculum’s design. Educators’ attitudes towards
PD sessions which take place after a full day of teaching present possible challenges. As such,
the instructional designer has included activities not only to engage the learners, but to allow for
practical application of the concepts being learned in connection to their personal classrooms.
The diverse and variable characteristics of the staff at SSAS present implications as well. Taking
these factors into account, the learning events in this curriculum have been designed to
circumnavigate potential challenges posed by these characteristics.
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Chapter Four: The Curriculum
The curriculum presented here is designed to enable K-8 educators in independent
schools to better meet the needs of their neurodiverse students. As presented in Chapter 1, by
focusing on students’ neurodiversity, educators are able to shift from a deficit mindset to a
strengths based approach (Armstrong, 2017). At the conclusion of this curriculum, educators will
have been exposed to a number of resources which will aid them in making this transition. In
addition, they will have the opportunity to practice the methods of support which they encounter,
using their own teaching materials as the basis of their work.
This chapter will contain two major components, an analysis of the curriculum and a
lesson analysis. The curriculum analysis begins with a cognitive task analysis (Clark et al., 2008;
CTA) of the main task of this curriculum -- to support neurodiverse students in independent, K-8
schools. This CTA identified major steps to address the problem of practice, which have been
outlined in Chapter 2. These major steps are the basis of the units presented in this chapter,
which themselves inform the lesson analysis conducted herein.
Cognitive Task Analysis (Information Processing Analysis)
The CTA identified the major steps in supporting neurodiverse students in K-8
independent educational settings. The CTA process began by bootstrapping a literature search.
The first step in this process was conducting a Google search with the phrase “how to support
neurodiverse learners.” Once this search was conducted, the same search was run via Google
Scholar to confirm the results of the previous search via substantiated empirical research. The
results from these two searches provided a preliminary list of major steps.
In order to confirm the list of major steps which the bootstrapping produced, interviews
were conducted with two subject matter experts (SMEs). During interviews with the two SMEs,
53
who have more than 13 years of experience in the field, the major steps which were produced by
the described bootstrapping were reviewed. As a part of these interviews, the SMEs helped to
confirm the major steps which had been discovered and to contribute steps which may have been
missing from the initial bootstrapping. These interviews resulted in the final list of major steps,
which was presented in Chapter 2 and is presented again below.
Major Steps
The bootstrapping and SME interviews described above resulted in the following major
steps for “How to teach educators in K-8 independent school settings to utilize tools and
resources to meet the needs of their neurodiverse learners”:
● Invite parental involvement.
● Build relationships and rapport.
● Maintain high expectations for all students.
● Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
● Chunk content into manageable units.
● Deliver content through diversified modalities.
The bootstrapping revealed that some of these steps should be taught in the order in
which they are performed in authentic conditions, while others should be taught first because
they are used throughout the performance of all the steps. As such, the major steps are in the
order that the curriculum will follow. (See Overview of the Units).
Course Learning Goals
According to Smith and Ragan (2005) learning goals are statements which clearly
delineate what learners will be able to accomplish following completion of instruction. Similar to
the concept of learning goals is that of critical behaviors. Critical behaviors, the crucial piece of
54
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) Level 3 of evaluation, are used to not only identify, but to
evaluate changes in learner behavior once instruction has been completed. The course learning
goals which make up this curriculum have each been derived from the aforementioned major
steps. Table 3 presents each major step and its associated learning goal.
Table 3
Major Steps and Learning Goals
Major step Learning goals
Invite parental involvement When presented with a new group of students,
educators will involve parents in their
child’s learning within the first two weeks
of the school year.
Build relationships and rapport When presented with a new group of students,
educators will build relationships and
rapport within the first few weeks of the
school year.
Maintain high expectations for all students When given a group of students with varying
needs and abilities, educators will hold all
students to high expectations.
Implement Universal Design for Learning
(UDL)
Given diverse student needs, educators will
implement the principles of Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) into 3
curricular units during the year in which
this PD curriculum is implemented.
Chunk content into manageable units
When presenting course material, educators
will present the material in chunks so as to
make it more manageable and accessible.
Deliver content through diversified modalities When presenting material to students,
educators will utilize at least two modalities
of delivering content.
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Course Learning Outcomes
As described in Chapter 2, Gagne’s (as cited in Smith & Ragan, 2005) learning outcomes
can be used to analyze learning goals for the types of knowledge and skills required to perform
the goal. Table 4 shows the learning goals and their associated learning outcomes. For definitions
of each type of learning outcome, please refer to the Summary of the Curriculum Content section
of Chapter 2.
Table 4
Learning Goals and Learning Outcomes
Learning goal Learning outcome
When presented with a new
group of students, educators
will involve parents in their
child’s learning within the
first two weeks of the school
year.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will articulate why parental involvement is
important in a child’s learning.
Educators will express the ways in which parents can be
involved in a child’s learning.
Attitudes
Educators will see value in developing relationships with
students’ parents.
Educators will value the participation of parents in their
child’s learning.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will understand the difference between
appropriate and inappropriate parental involvement.
Procedural
Educators will communicate effectively with parents.
56
Learning goal Learning outcome
Educators will invite parents to become active participants
in their child’s learning.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle as they
consider what aspects of involving parents in their
child’s learning have been effective and how to increase
that involvement.
When presented with a new
group of students, educators
will build relationships and
rapport within the first few
weeks of the school year.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will be able to define a relationship.
Educators will be able to define rapport in the context of
educational settings.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will articulate the importance of establishing
relationships and rapport with students within the first
few weeks of the school year.
Educators will successfully build relationships with the
students in their classes.
Educators will establish positive rapport with the students
in their classes.
Attitudes
Educators will value the power of relationships and
rapport in the success of students in educational
settings.
Educators will demonstrate positive attitudes towards
building relationships and developing positive rapport
with students.
Psychomotor skills
Educators will utilize skills, such as playing games during
recess, as a means of building relationships and positive
57
Learning goal Learning outcome
rapport with students.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which
they consider how they are building relationships and
rapport with students.
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which
they consider how the relationships and rapport they
have established are helping to support their students.
When given a group of students
with varying needs and
abilities, educators will hold
all students to high
expectations.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will be able to explain why it is important to
maintain high expectations for all students.
Educators will be able to express the dangers in not
holding students to high expectations in learning
environments.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will identify the needs of each student in their
classroom.
Educators will identify the expectations to which students
will be held.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will apply the steps that need to be taken to
scaffold content for students, so that they receive the
support necessary to meet the high expectations to
which they are being held.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will monitor and design strategies which will
aid students in developing general academic self-
efficacy.
Educators will evaluate and develop opportunities for
58
Learning goal Learning outcome
students to rehearse/practice tasks which will aid them
in meeting high expectations.
Given diverse student needs,
educators will implement the
principles of Universal
Design for Learning (UDL)
into 3 curricular units during
the year in which this PD
curriculum is implemented.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will know the basic concepts of UDL.
Educators will be able to describe these basic concepts
and their benefits to others.
Educators will identify the ways in with principles of
UDL will be beneficial in their classrooms.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will differentiate between UDL and other
classroom pedagogic practices.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will identify the principles of UDL which are
most applicable to their individual classroom.
Educators will implement the principles of UDL when
designing their classroom learning experiences.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will manage the cognitive load of students by
implementing principles of UDL.
When presenting course
material, educators will
present the material in chunks
so as to make it more
manageable and accessible.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will understand what it means to chunk content.
Educators will understand, and be able to express, why the
chunking of content is beneficial for students.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will know why certain material/content would
be chunked together.
59
Learning goal Learning outcome
And inversely why it would be inappropriate for certain
content to be chunked with other content.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will be able to implement the steps of content
chunking, regardless of the content area.
Educators will chunk content appropriately during their
lessons.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will utilize the chunking of content to solve
academic problems being encountered by students.
When presenting material to
students, educators will
utilize at least two modalities
of delivering content.
Declarative knowledge
Educators will be aware of a number of diversified
modalities of content delivery.
Conceptual knowledge
Educators will understand how utilizing these diverse
methods will be beneficial for students of varying
needs.
Procedural knowledge
Educators will identify the diversified modalities of
delivery which are likely to be most conducive to their
learners’ success.
Educators will deliver content to their students through
diversified modalities.
Cognitive strategies
Educators will engage in a reflective cycle in which they
monitor their progress in delivering content through
diversified modalities and their success in helping
students access content.
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Overview of the Units
As noted previously, the bootstrapping revealed that some of these steps should be taught
in the order in which they are performed in authentic conditions, while others should be taught
first because they are used throughout the performance of all the steps. Each of these learning
goals will serve as the foundation for one of this curriculum’s units. The learning goals, as
revealed by the CTA, are performed in the sequence in which they are listed. Moreover, the first
three learning goals are performed continuously throughout the remaining three learning goals.
The course overview can be found in Appendix A.
The units are chunked into modules to reduce the cognitive load of the learners and to
accommodate the schedule of the participating educators and the time available for professional
development. Some units consist of only one learning module, while others are made up of two
or three modules. Lesson overviews for each unit can be found in Appendix B. Two fully
designed lessons and their materials can be found in Appendix C. A roadmap of these modules
and their terminal objectives are presented in the following section.
List of Units and Terminal Objectives (Evaluation Level 2)
There are units within this curriculum which represent themes which recur throughout all
of the learning, while others build upon the knowledge in previous units. The curricular units
will take place in the following order:
● Unit 1: Invite parental involvement.
○ Terminal Objective: Given a new group of students, educators will involve their
parents in their child’s learning within the first two weeks of the school year, as
evidenced by parent communication records.
● Unit 2: Build relationships and rapport.
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○ Terminal Objective: Given a new group of students, educators will build
relationships and positive rapport with students within the first few weeks of the
school year, as evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
○ Module 2a: Building relationships with students.
■ Terminal Objective: Given a new group of students, educators will build
positive relationships with their students, as evidenced by the educators’
reflective journals.
○ Module 2b: Establishing positive rapport with students.
■ Terminal Objective: Given a new group of students, educators will build
positive rapport with their students, as evidenced by the educators’
reflective journals.
● Unit 3: Maintain high expectations for all students.
○ Terminal Objective: Given a group of students with varying needs and abilities,
educators will hold all students to high expectations, as recorded in their unit and
module plans.
● Unit 4: Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
○ Terminal Objective: Given diverse student needs, educators will implement the
principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into three curricular units
during the year in which this PD curriculum is implemented, as evidenced in unit
plans.
○ Module 4a: Basic tenets and concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
62
■ Terminal Objective: Given exposure to the principles of UDL, educators
will identify which principles are most applicable in their personal
classrooms, as made clear in lesson module plans.
○ Module 4b: Using UDL in your classroom.
■ Terminal Objective: Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators
will identify their curricular units which are already amenable to the
utilization of UDL, as evidenced by their unit plans.
○ Module 4c: Integrating UDL to change your students’ learning.
■ Terminal Objective: Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators
will adjust their instruction to integrate the principles of UDL, as
evidenced in their lesson module plans.
● Unit 5: Chunk content into manageable units.
○ Terminal Objective: Given course content, educators will divide material into
manageable and accessible chunks, as evidenced by lesson module plans.
● Unit 6: Deliver content through diversified modalities.
○ Terminal Objective: Given course content, educators will utilize at least two
modalities of delivering content per learning module, as evidenced in module
plans.
○ Module 6a: Using diversified modalities in your classroom.
■ Terminal Objective: Given course content, educators will identify at least
two modalities of content delivery to be utilized in one of their lesson
modules, as evidenced by the module’s plans.
○ Module 6b: Integrating diversified modalities into your curriculum.
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■ Terminal Objective: Given course content, educators will restructure their
lesson module to include at least two modalities of content delivery, as
evidenced by the modules plans.
Each of these units will be explained in further detail in the sections which follow.
Visual Overview of the Units
Figure 1 provides a visual representation of the flow of the units within this curriculum.
Figure 1
Flow of the Units and Modules of the Curriculum
Based upon the flow of these curricular units, the instructional designer has articulated a scope
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and sequence for the curriculum.
Scope and Sequence Table
A scope and sequence chart is a fundamental tool when preparing a curriculum (Smith &
Ragan, 2005). This tool is meant to provide a visual organization of elements of the curriculum.
Scope refers to the “what” which is being taught (Smith & Ragan, 2005), while sequence is the
order in which instruction is planned. Table 5 presents the scope and sequence for this proposed
curriculum.
Table 5
Scope and Sequence
Learning goals Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Summative
evaluation
Create and maintain
open lines of
communication with
parents.
I R R R M M
Invite parents to
participate in their
child’s learning.
I R R R M M
Build positive
relationships with
students.
P I R R R M
Establish positive
rapport with
students.
P I R R R M
Identify unifying high
expectations for
students.
P I R R R M
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Learning goals Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Summative
evaluation
Provide multiple
means of
engagement with
material.
P I R R R M
Provide multiple
means of
representation of
material.
P I R R R M
Provide multiple
means of expressing
learning.
P I R M
Appropriately chunk
material into
manageable and
accessible units of
material.
P I M
Implement diverse
modalities of
content delivery.
P I, R M
Note.
P = Previewed
I = Introduced
R = Reinforced
M = Mastered
Delivery Media Selection
The main framework used for selecting this curriculum’s media is guided experiential
learning (GEL), as proposed by Clark et al. (2010). By using this framework, the instructional
designer has been able to ensure that the media selected is not only appropriate, but provides for
practice in realistic and authentic settings. Through the implementation of GEL, the instructional
designer has identified multiple media which can be used to perform instructional actions, and
then narrowed that list down to the media that best serve the methods of the curriculum.
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General Instructional Platform Selection in Terms of Affordances
Clark et al. (2010) describe a two-stage approach to the selection of media. The first stage
is to select the instructional methods that will be utilized during a course. Once the methods have
been selected, specific media are chosen that best meet the needs of the learners and the
organization where the learning will be taking place. There are three key affordances which
inform media selection when designing a curriculum (Clark et al, 2010). These affordances are
access, consistency, and cost. Based on a thorough analysis of these factors, instructional
designers are then able to select the media best able to meet the needs of the curriculum and the
organization in which it will be utilized.
In conducting this analysis, the curriculum presented here is of a blended nature. Having
taken the three factors set forth by Clark et al. (2010) into consideration, the actual instruction
taking place during the course will be completed synchronously and in person. The digital aspect
of the course is a folder housed in Google Drive that provides continued access to resources and
materials, some of which are utilized during the course and some which are for deeper
exploration and education should participants choose this path.
Access
The factor of access examines ideas such as who the learners are, how many learners
there are, and where learning will be taking place. Considering the varying aspects which define
the targeted learners, accessibility is a crucial consideration as media is selected. In order to
remove the greatest number of accessibility barriers through the fewest, and therefore most cost
effective means, the PD will take place at the school site of the participating organization. This
makes the participation of teachers easier, as they do not need to travel after teaching a full day
in order to attend. By having the training take place at their school sites, the participating
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educators will be able to use the tools and resources that they regularly utilize in order to help
them overcome obstacles and access their learning. In implementing the proposed PD sessions
from this curriculum in person, the instructor has a plethora of accessibility tools available for
their use. Providing continuous access to this course’s materials via Google Drive, the
instructional designer further removes barriers to accessibility.
Consistency
Consistency examines the importance of delivering the same content and pedagogy to all
learners (Clark et al., 2010). This consistency may apply to the entirety or to individual parts of
the curriculum. While considering the factor of consistency, it is important to keep in mind that
while some content should be delivered in a consistent manner, there are aspects that should be
customized to specific learners.
By providing instruction during full staff PD, all those participating in this curriculum
will be receiving consistent instruction. In taking this approach, not only is a baseline established
within the institution, but there is establishment of a common language which can be utilized
within the institution while implementing the learning in the authentic setting of SSAS. The
digital aspect of this blended curriculum provides the appropriate differentiation for learners.
Cost
As described by Clark et al. (2010), the one-time and recurring costs per student of media
is an important consideration. The authors put forth that once the list of diverse possible media
has been constructed, it is necessary to factor in this per student calculus. Once this step has been
completed by the instructional designer, a decision can be made not only regarding what media
to utilize, but which will be the most cost efficient. The most costly aspect of this curriculum is
that of human resources. As the sessions will be taking place at the school’s site, utilizing the
68
infrastructure which is already in place, paying the facilitator is the largest expense. No new
equipment is necessitated, as learners will be using their school provided computers to
participate in the PD sessions. The digital resources provided by this curriculum will be provided
via the institution’s Google for Education platform, which has already been provided to
participating educators.
Specific Instructional Platform Selection in Terms of Restrictions
When selecting media, there are three key limiting factors, also referred to as restrictions
or constraints, which need to be considered (Clark et al., 2010). These restrictions are special
sensory requirements, conceptual authenticity, and immediate feedback. There are consistent and
regular sensory aspects of any learning environment. While there are always spatial and auditory
considerations, when choosing media there needs to be special consideration given to whether or
not there are special sensory needs. An example of this would be the need to smell and taste
during learning that centers around the culinary arts.
Once the instructional designer has considered whether there are any special sensory
needs to be factored into the curriculum, conceptual authenticity must be appraised. In striving
for conceptual authenticity, the instructional designer must take steps to ensure that the media
chosen adequately depict the environment in which learners will be applying course content. As
the participants in the learning modules of this curriculum are in-person classroom teachers, the
learning logically should take place in-person, within the walls of the institution itself.
As learning takes place, it is important that learners receive immediate and constructive
feedback from the instructor. With increasingly complex knowledge, the necessity for such
feedback increases (Clark et al., 2010). During the synchronous, in-person sessions, the
instructor will make use of a number of digital tools at their disposal to enhance the immediate
69
feedback provided during the PD sessions. Once the training is complete, the instructor will
remain available to provide digital support and feedback. Table 6 presents the key considerations
for media selection in the curriculum presented here.
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Table 6
Key Considerations for Media Selection
Key consideration Media considerations
Conceptual authenticity During synchronous in-person sessions, an
environment must be created that replicates
the classrooms of participating educators.
The resources provided via the Google Drive
(the blended aspect of the curriculum) must
touch on aspects of this curriculum which
are authentic to the teaching environments
of the participating educators.
Immediate feedback Due to the scale of the PD sessions (the entire
staff of SSAS), modules must be structured
to provide ample time for the instructor to
provide feedback to all participants while
they are practicing the modules’ lesson.
The instructor must provide participating
educators with constructive and timely
feedback not only during, but between, the
PD sessions.
Special sensory requirements Both during the synchronous PD sessions and
as part of the asynchronous material,
accessibility tools must be embedded into
all learning modules.
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Client Preferences or Specific Conditions of the Learning Environment
In certain instances the client seeking out a curriculum may have specific and clear
preferences regarding media selection. According to Clark et al. (2010), when this occurs media
are often selected too early in the instructional design process and often do not end up serving
the needs of learners and the goals of the curriculum. This often results in the utilization of media
that are the trends of the time and of the pop education landscape.
While many clients may request, or even require, specific media must be chosen that
furthers the purposes and learning of the curriculum. As an employee of SSAS, the instructional
designer has been entrusted to select the media which best serves the curriculum, and even more
so the learners. Providing in-person synchronous sessions does pose certain constraints if a
participating educator is sick on the day of the PD session. In order to combat this, thanks to the
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual option will be available for those who
are unable to attend due to illness. If there are educators who need to utilize this option rather
than attending an in-person session, the instructional designer will be available to provide
supplementary support.
Specific Media Choices
In selecting media for a course it is important to choose an option which works towards
the fulfillment of the course learning objectives (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The learner analysis
conducted in Chapter 3 was utilized by the instructional designer in conjunction with the
processes described above to select the media that will be most effective for this curriculum.
With its blended approach, this curriculum utilizes a variety of media. During the in-person
synchronous sessions, the media that will be utilized are a pre-course survey, the physical space,
the course instructor, scaffolded note taking handouts, the participants, the participants’ unit and
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lesson plans, a reflective journal, and a post-course survey. For the asynchronous digital aspect
of the course the media which will be utilized are the course instructor and a course Google
Drive which is accessible by all participants. Table 7 shows the media choices for this
curriculum and the purpose and benefits for each choice.
Table 7
Media Choices in Professional Development for Teachers to Meet the Needs of Neurodiverse
Learners
Media Purpose Benefits
Pre-course survey Provides the instructional designer
with information regarding
previous experience with
supporting neurodiverse learners
and prior knowledge
Enables the instructional designer
to adjust and cater materials and
exercises to the participating
educators
Physical space Simulation of authentic
environment
Encourages an environment which
will simulate that in which
learning will be applied
Course instructor Delivers live instruction
Guides participants through
components of in-person
synchronous instruction
Provides feedback on learner
practice
Provides support when utilizing
asynchronous materials
Scaffolds lesson and learning
exercises to manage cognitive
load of learners
Ability to clarify and correct
incorrect prior knowledge
Provides timely and constructive
feedback to learners
Provides assistance to learners in
utilizing all course resources and
materials
Scaffolded note
taking handouts
Provides a resource to which
learners can refer after each PD
session has concluded
Offers a co-constructed review of
material
Helps learners better internalize
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Media Purpose Benefits
Provides support during in-person
learning
Previews an example for educators
of how to scaffold the note taking
process for their learners
material (as opposed to typing
notes)
Pre-exposes participants to future
concept of scaffolding, through
an authentic example that could
be adapted to their classrooms
Participants Work collaboratively with peers to
integrate learning into their own
teaching practice
Provide peer feedback
Prepare and integrate strategies
learned into personal teaching
practice
Peer modeling and encouragement
to deepen engagement
Diverse feedback perspectives
Participants’ unit
and lesson plans
Creates authentic work case to
implement learning from the
course in a way that will be
practical and implementable for
educators moving forward at the
course’s conclusion
Encourages and scaffolds the
retention and transfer of learning
by using authentic material
Reflective journal Allows educators to reflect upon
their usage of supportive
strategies, potential benefits of
integrating them into their
classroom, and how they believe
they may impact the students in
their classroom
Encourages educators to enact and
practice a self-reflective practice
Encourages educators to consider
the ways in which neurodiverse
supportive strategies can support
the learners in their classes prior
to implementation
Encourages educators to reflect
upon the ways implementation of
supportive strategies for
neurodiverse learners have been
beneficial for students
Google Drive Provides participating educators
with continuous access to course
materials and supplementary
resources
Enables learners to review any
content about which they were
uncertain
Enables and encourages self-driven
deepening of learning
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Media Purpose Benefits
Post-course survey Measures learner knowledge, value,
and self-efficacy at the course’s
conclusion
Measures the success of the course
Provides insight for making
adjustments to the course for the
future
Allows learners to reflect upon the
course and their own learning
General Instructional Methods Approach
The design of the instruction included within this curriculum is grounded in cognitive
learning theories. In particular, guided experiential learning (GEL), cognitive load theory (CLT)
and the four-component instructional design model (4C/ID). Each of these theories will be
briefly presented and the ways they will be applied to the curriculum will be described.
Guided Experiential Learning (GEL)
The guided experiential learning (GEL) framework was suggested by Clark et al. (2010),
utilizing Merrill’s (2002) five principles. These principles include solving real-world problems,
activating prior knowledge as the foundation for new knowledge, demonstrating knowledge to
the learner, having the learner apply new knowledge, and integrating new knowledge into the
learner’s world (Merrill, 2002). The GEL framework takes these principles and adapts them to
the following: realistic field-based problem solving; the use of analogies and examples that
connect prior knowledge to new knowledge; clear and full demonstrations of the performance of
key tasks and solve problems; frequent opportunities to practice and receive feedback during
training; application of new knowledge that includes small chunks of tasks, as well as tasks in
their entirety.
The GEL framework was factored into the design of instruction in conjunction with the
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use of a cognitive task analysis. When these factors are combined, the following elements are
included in each learning module: clear definition of course objectives, an explanation of the
reasons for learning new material, an overview of the learning to come, a review of the
conceptual knowledge needed to perform tasks, a demonstration of implementation, practice of
part and whole task procedures with corrective and timely feedback, and authentic competency
based assessments (Clark et al., 2010). Each of these aspects has been considered and factored
into the design of each learning module.
Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)
Cognitive load refers to the varying demands that are placed upon the human brain. Only
a limited amount of information can be processed at a given time, generally involving multiple
cognitive processes (Schunk, 2020). Cognitive load theory refers to three major aspects of
cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load.
Intrinsic load refers to the unchangeable factors of knowledge which are to be acquired.
Extraneous load are those aspects which are unnecessary content that distract learners from
important content. Germane load is the combination of processes which lead to the acquiring and
internalization of knowledge into the long-term memory.
In designing curriculum, it is important to seek out ways to reduce extrinsic load, while
leveraging the germane load to better serve learners’ retention and transfer of new knowledge
(Kirshner et al., 2009). The concepts of CLT have been taken into consideration as each learning
module was designed. All learning activities have been created and media chosen with the
intention of reducing learners’ extrinsic loads and increasing germane load during each PD
session.
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Four-Component Instructional Design Model (4C/ID)
The four-component instructional design model (4C/ID) was developed as a tool for
creating programs geared towards teaching complex skills and professional competencies (van
Merrië nboer, 2019). This model focuses on four major components: learning tasks, supportive
information, procedural information, and part-task practice. The central component of the model
are the learning tasks, which are at the model’s core (van Merrië nboer, 2019). These tasks are to
ideally be performed in real-life task environments, and when not possible in a simulated
environment. The performance of learning tasks require both routine and non-routine skills and
seek to create inductive learning. The second component, supportive information, seeks to help
learners as they perform the non-routine aspects of a learning task (van Merrië nboer, 2019).
Supportive information connects what learners know with what they need to know in order to
complete a learning task. In designing instruction, there should be consistency across each level
of complexity. The next step, procedural information aids students with the routine aspects of a
learning task. This typically takes the form of step-by-step instructions for completing the task at
hand. As learners master routine knowledge, the procedural information is gradually reduced. In
providing procedural information to learners, it is critical according to van Merrië nboer (2019)
that the specification of this information be accessible and understandable by the lowest ability
learners. The final component of 4C/ID is part-task practice, which is particularly needed when
high levels of automaticity is required (van Merrië nboer, 2019). It is best to integrate part-task
practice throughout learning tasks.
In addition to these components, in designing this curriculum special care was taken to
integrate the 4C/ID’s principle of sequencing. This is the process whereby learning tasks are
ordered from simplest to most complex, with repeating tasks occurring towards the beginning of
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instruction (van Merrië nboer, 2019). Per the 4C/ID model, real-life task learning will take place
in a real-life environment. In focusing on these aspects, the instructional designer is situated to
provide scaffolding to learners, which serves as a form of preexposure and pre-teaching of the
course’s content on scaffolding to support neurodiverse students.
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Chapter Five: Implementation And Evaluation Plan
Thus far this work has discussed the overall purpose of this curriculum, its learning goals
and objectives, and the details of the curricular modules. In this chapter, the implementation and
evaluation plan of this curriculum will be described. The description of this curriculum’s
implementation will discuss the ways in which the aspects designed in this work will be put into
use within the intended context described in Chapter 3. The evaluation plan presented in this
chapter is meant to help demonstrate the value of the solution that this curriculum provides to the
problem of the unmet needs of neurodiverse learners.
Implementation Plan
The successful implementation of this curriculum to meet the needs of neurodiverse
learners in K-8 independent schools involves establishing the purpose, need, and outcomes of
such a curriculum. Implementation in an instructional design context involves four key concepts:
diffusion, dissemination, adoption, and stakeholders (Smith & Ragan, 2005). According to the
authors, diffusion is the process by which individual members within an organization are made
aware of an innovation, while dissemination is a similar process but includes an intentional effort
to diffuse the innovation. Adoption refers to a decision which is made to make the use of the
innovation being implemented the best course of action (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The
stakeholders are those individuals with an interest in a particular innovation. The main goal in
implementing this curriculum is for teachers in K-8 independent schools to adopt the knowledge,
skills, and resources presented herein, so as better to meet the needs of their neurodiverse
learners.
An implementation plan which focuses on adoption follows a well-established
developmental process that progresses through the following stages: awareness, interest,
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evaluation, trial, adoption, and integration (Smith & Ragan, 2005). Throughout each of these
stages, a number of methods will be utilized and data will be collected so as to allow for the
continuous revision and improvement of the curriculum. All of these stages represent a different
aspect of adoption in implementation.
The stage of awareness, which is relatively passive, includes an individual’s exposure to
and consciousness of an innovation (Smith & Ragan, 2005). As an example, participants in this
professional development curriculum will become aware of the upcoming curriculum via email
announcements from school administration. The interest stage generally evolves from an
individual’s desire to actively seek out more information about the innovation being presented
(Smith & Ragan, 2005). One way in which this can be accomplished is through data that will be
made available from the experiences of previous participants that provide testimony as to the
efficacy of the curriculum in meeting the needs of neurodiverse learners. Afterwards, potential
learners will move into the evaluation stage. This stage involves learners mentally applying the
innovation in their own classroom setting and considering if it is worth the effort to try it out
(Smith & Ragan, 2005). To aid educators in this stage, a curriculum overview video will be
made available in advance of the first potential development session. Next is the trial stage, in
which the innovation is put to use on a small scale by individual educators (Smith & Ragan,
2005). This opportunity has been built into the various curricular modules. At this point in the
implementation of the curriculum, with the guidance of a post-trial evaluation, educators will
move into the adoption stage (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The final stage, integration, will take place
as individuals and groups of educators make such frequent use of the new knowledge and skills
learned from this professional development curriculum, that doing so becomes a routine part of
their educational practice.
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Evaluation Plan
Without explicit programs and services offered to their neurodiverse students, K-8
independent schools do not always meet the needs of these students. The purpose of this work is
to develop a curriculum for K-8 independent school educators that will provide evidence-based
knowledge, skills and attitudes to better prepare them to meet the needs of their neurodiverse
learners in a general education setting. If the goals and outcomes of this curriculum are met, not
only will neurodiverse students become increasingly successful within SSAS due to the
implementation of the strategies presented in this work, but there will be an increase in
enrollment and retention of such students due to the institution’s ability to meet their needs.
Evaluation Framework
This curriculum will be evaluated using The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016) framework. Both the new and old Kirkpatrick models consist of four levels
- Level 1: Reaction, Level 2: Learning, Level 3: Behavior, and Level 4: Results and Leading
Indicators. The old Kirkpatrick model advocated for evaluation to be planned and implemented
in the order from Levels 1 to 4. The New World Kirkpatrick Model has rearranged the order in
which evaluation is planned and implemented, beginning with Level 4 and finishing with Level 1
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) to ensure greater alignment within the components of training
and evaluation. This new model is ideally suited to evaluate this curriculum, as it focuses on the
demonstration of learning and seeks to understand how to best improve the instructional program
for the organization and its stakeholders.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
According to the new Kirkpatrick model, a training cannot be considered complete until
it can be acknowledged and demonstrated. Level 4 of the new Kirkpatrick model, results, is
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measured by the degree to which targeted outcomes are met due to the training just completed
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatirick, 2016). A unique aspect of this model is that it strives to connect the
evaluation of a training’s results to the mission and purpose of the organization in which the
training is contextualized. SSAS’s mission seeks to provide students with an environment which
fosters independent and critical thinking, lifelong learning, self-awareness, and compassion. The
goal for this professional development curriculum is to emphasize the ability of educators to
meet the needs of all students in the school during their K-8 tenure, while maintaining academic
rigor.
One of the ways by which this is evaluated is through the utilization of leading indicators.
Leading indicators are short-term observations and measurements of critical behaviors which
show whether or not the desired results of the training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Leading indicators, which can be either external or internal outcomes, will be observed by
educators, school leaders, and the organization’s accrediting bodies. External indicators such as
retention of and increased enrollment of neurodiverse learners, increased parental involvement,
and increased positive media mentions will be measured as a part of the Level 4 results
evaluation. In conjunction with this, increased understanding of neurodiverse students and their
needs, the percentage of educators supporting such students’ needs, integration of neurodiverse
supportive strategies, and increased success of neurodiverse students through the meeting of their
needs will all serve as internal indicators. Table 8 presents both external and internal indicators,
as well as the metrics and methods by which they will be measured as part of this professional
development curriculum for K-8 independent school educators.
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Table 8
Indicators, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome
Metric(s)
(unit of measure)
Method(s)
(how measured)
External outcomes
Increased retention of
neurodiverse students
reported to the Board of
Directors and
accrediting
organizations.
Number of students returning to
the institution from year to
year.
Data collected by the institution
regarding enrollment, as well
as from documentation
provided to the institution
regarding a student’s status as
neurodiverse.
Increased enrollment of
neurodiverse students
reported to the Board of
Directors and
accrediting
organizations.
Increasing number of
neurodiverse students in the
institution.
Data collected by the
institution’s admissions team,
as from documentation
provided to the institution
regarding a student’s status as
neurodiverse.
Increased parental
involvement.
Number of parents
communicating with their
child’s educators and
participating in school
activities, such as parent-
teacher conferences.
Data collected from educators
regarding the amount of and
content of communication
with parents.
Increased positive media
mentions.
Number of occurrences in media
(both print and digital) of
positive mentions.
Data collected by the
institution’s marketing team
corresponding to the number
of positive media mentions.
Internal outcomes
Increased articulation of
neurodiverse students
and how to meet their
needs.
Number of mentions of
neurodiverse students and the
meeting of their needs during
weekly staff meetings.
Data collected by the division
directors tracking mentions
during staff meetings.
Increased percentage of
educators supporting
the needs of
neurodiverse students.
Number of educators employing
strategies to support
neurodiverse students.
Data collected from educator
completed surveys and
informal classroom
walkthroughs.
Increased integration of
neurodiverse supportive
strategies.
Number of neurodiverse
supportive strategies
incorporated into module
lesson plans.
Data collected from the module
lesson plans of educators who
participated in the
professional development
curriculum and informal
classroom walkthroughs.
83
Outcome
Metric(s)
(unit of measure)
Method(s)
(how measured)
Increased success of
neurodiverse students.
Decreasing number of students
requiring academic support
programs implemented
outside of the classroom.
Data collected by the institution
regarding the number of
students being pulled from
the classroom for academic
support, as tracked across
grade levels.
Increased meeting of the
needs of neurodiverse
students.
Decrease in number of
recommendations to the
school pertaining to meeting
the needs of neurodiverse
students.
Data collected by the institution
in preparing accreditation
documentation and the final
report and recommendations
of the accreditation
committee.
Level 3: Behavior
The new Kirkpatrick model has identified its Level 3 as the evaluation of learner
behavior regarding the application of learning that takes place during training to the performance
of one’s job (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). It is not only an evaluation of behavioral change,
but a system of monitoring performance and improvement in an ongoing manner (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). Based upon research conducted by Mayer (2011), evidence of learning can
be seen when there is an observable behavioral change in the following of instructions. Smith
and Ragan (2005) present this concept through the terminology of transfer of learning, being the
application of newly acquired knowledge to tasks which an individual would be completing in a
context different than that of the learning environment, namely on the job. As the overarching
goal of a training program such as this is to make an impact and improve job performance, this
level of the new Kirkpatrick model is the most important level for evaluation.
Critical Behaviors Required to Perform the Course Outcomes
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the identification of the critical
behaviors which will have the largest impact upon Level 4 of the new Kirkpatrick model helps to
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establish a clear path from a course’s learning to the achievement of desired outcomes. A
behavior is established as critical if it can be performed reliably in a way that will have a large
impact on program outcomes. In order for a critical behavior to be successful and evaluated, it
must be specific, observable, and measurable (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). According to
the new Kirkpatrick model, it is important that a course not seek to establish too many critical
behaviors, as this will lead to an unmanageable system (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
The critical behaviors of this course have been established as the course outcomes which
have been presented earlier as the result of a cognitive task analysis. Through these critical
behaviors, learners will be able to successfully demonstrate the transfer of learning, as evidenced
by changes in particular behaviors. Table 9 presents this course’s critical behaviors, the metrics
and methods by which they will be evaluated, and the timing of each behavior’s evaluation.
Table 9
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical behavior Metric Method Timing
When presented with
a new group of
students, educators
will involve parents
in their child’s
learning within the
first two weeks of
the school year.
Number of parents
who become
involved in their
child’s learning.
Data gathered by
teachers about
parental engagement
regarding a student’s
learning.
Data gathered by the
institution’s front
office regarding
parent attendance at
school programming.
Two weeks into
each grading
period.
85
Critical behavior Metric Method Timing
When presented with
a new group of
students, educators
will build
relationships and
rapport within the
first few weeks of
the school year.
Number of educators
and students
reporting positive
relationships and
rapport.
Number of
observations of
teachers building
relationships and
rapport.
Data gathered from
educator and student
completed
questionnaires.
Data gathered by formal
and informal
observations
completed by school
administrators and
teacher leaders.
Within the first
three weeks of the
school year,
during the
professional
development
course and four
months after
completing the
professional
development
course.
When given a group
of students with
varying needs and
abilities, educators
will hold all
students to high
expectations.
Number of high
standard
benchmarks being
set and upheld by
educators for all
students.
Data gathered by
administrators from
educator lesson plans,
as well as formal and
informal classroom
observations
completed by school
administrators and
teacher leaders.
During the
professional
development
course and as
measured every
two months after
completing the
professional
development
course.
Given diverse student
needs, educators
will implement the
principles of
Universal Design
for Learning (UDL)
into 3 curricular
units during the year
in which this PD
curriculum is
implemented.
Number of curricular
units into which
principles of UDL
have been
implemented.
Data gathered by
administrators from
educator lesson plans,
as well as formal and
informal classroom
observations
completed by school
administrators and
teacher leaders.
During the
professional
development
course and as
measured every
two months after
completing the
professional
development
course.
When presenting
course material,
educators will
present the material
in chunks so as to
make it more
manageable and
accessible.
Number of lessons
that have content
which have been
broken into
manageable and
accessible chunks,
Data gathered by
administrators from
educator lesson plans,
as well as formal and
informal classroom
observations
completed by school
administrators and
teacher leaders.
During the
professional
development
course and as
measured every
two months after
completing the
professional
development
86
Critical behavior Metric Method Timing
course.
When presenting
material to students,
educators will
utilize at least two
modalities of
delivering content.
Number of distinct
and diverse
modalities of
delivering content.
Data gathered by
administrators from
educator lesson plans,
as well as formal and
informal classroom
observations
completed by school
administrators and
teacher leaders.
During the
professional
development
course and as
measured every
two months after
completing the
professional
development
course.
Required Drivers
In order to be successful at Level 3 Behavior, one must take into account required
drivers. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), required drivers are those systems and
processes which are built into learning that reinforce, monitor, encourage, and reward learners’
accomplishment of critical behaviors. Based upon the new Kirkpatrick model, the drivers of
reinforce, encourage, and reward fall into the larger umbrella category of learner support, while
that of monitor focuses on learner and organizational accountability (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Required drivers that focus on reinforcement are actions which help to remind learners of
what they are supposed to be doing, while potentially providing additional training and guidance
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Those drivers which fall into the category of monitor are
methods of measuring the success of learners in enacting their learning, while also keeping them
accountable (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The drivers focusing on encouragement are
formalized and planned ways for organizational leaders and those evaluating learning to
regularly support those things which have been identified as critical behaviors (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). Finally, the concept of rewarding focuses on ways to draw attention to those
87
learners who are transferring the knowledge learned during training in ways that have changed
their behaviors (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 10 provides examples of this training
course’s required drivers and the methods by which they are fulfilled, the timing for each, and
which critical behavior they support.
Table 10
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical behaviors supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Professional development
course materials available
to all staff members of the
institution.
During and after each learning
module has taken place.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Formal and informal
classroom observations
completed by school
administrators and teacher
leaders.
Within two weeks of each
module ending and every
other month for the
remainder of the school
year.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Resources for parents behind
a password protected page
on the institution’s website.
Beginning on the first day of
the school year.
1
Student-provided feedback on
educator implementation of
neurodiverse supportive
strategies.
Two weeks after each learning
module and at the end of the
academic year.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Encouraging
Formal and informal
classroom observations
completed by school
administrators and teacher
leaders.
Within two weeks of each
module ending and every
other month for the
remainder of the school
year.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Feedback provided by school
administrators, teacher
leaders, and students.
Within two weeks of each
module ending and every
other month for the
remainder of the school
year.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
88
Method(s) Timing
Critical behaviors supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Availability of additional
coaching and guidance.
During the professional
development course and the
six months afterward.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Rewarding
Recognition of educators for
utilizing neurodiverse
supportive strategies.
Month for the duration of the
school year.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Recognition of parents for
various levels of
involvement in their child’s
learning.
Month for the duration of the
school year.
1
Monitoring
Formal and informal
classroom observations
completed by school
administrators and teacher
leaders.
Within two weeks of each
module ending and every
other month for the
remainder of the school
year.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Feedback provided by school
administrators, teacher
leaders, and students.
Within two weeks of each
module ending and every
other month for the
remainder of the school
year.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Organizational Support
In implementing the above required drivers, it is critical that the organization keep in
mind that, in order for them to be successful, they must be an integrated part of a comprehensive
package (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). For this to occur, the organization must not only be
committed to the learning presented in this professional development curriculum, but it must be
fully committed to the evaluation of the learning which will be taking place, particularly at Level
3: Behavior. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the largest obstacles to an
organization’s commitment to evaluation at this level are that it is perceived as being too time
consuming, too difficult to access the course’s learners in order to evaluate changes in their
behavior, access to data can be difficult, and the overall feeling that an institution may not feel
89
they have control over what educators do once leaving the parameters of a given training session.
Without a dedicated plan for evaluation to take place at this level, and support for an
organization to do so, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) state that the effectiveness of the
implementation of learning will decrease.
In order for the implementation of this professional development curriculum to be
effective, there will be continued support for the institution during the evaluation process. To
assist in creating a structured and routine package by which Level 3 will be evaluated, the
organization will be assisted in creating a schedule for routine meetings and classroom
observations. To further the facilitation of these regular meetings and classroom observations, in
order to support the organization, administrators and teacher-leaders will be provided with
rubrics and benchmarks to utilize during these times. By enforcing the evaluation of changes in
behavior, with the support provided by the curriculum facilitators, organizational change in
providing support for neurodiverse learners will be more far-reaching.
Level 2: Learning
According to the new Kirkpatrick model of evaluation, Level 2: Learning focuses on the
level to which learners walk away from a training having acquired the intended knowledge,
skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). In the
utilization of this new model, there is the added focus at this level on motivational factors, such
as one’s confidence in the ability to apply new learning and one’s commitment to implementing
newly acquired knowledge. While often overdone in terms of the resources applied to this level,
many stakeholders do not express great interest in Level 2: Learning, as they expect learners to
walk away from training having gained knowledge of what they are supposed to implement
90
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The aforementioned aspects of learning which are a part of
Level 2: Learning evaluation, can be evaluated during virtually any activity.
Terminal and Enabling Learning Objectives
To aid in the accomplishment of this course’s learning, each unit is guided by a terminal
learning objective, as defined in Chapter 4. The following unit terminal objectives guides this
curriculum’s learning and implementation:
● Educators will write two email templates, an introductory and a follow up, to invite
parents to engage in their child’s learning, to be sent out within the first month of the
school year.
● Given a new group of students, educators will build positive relationships with their
students, as evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
● Given a new group of students, educators will build positive rapport with their students,
as evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
● Given a group of students with varying needs and abilities, educators will hold all
students to high expectations, as recorded in their unit and module plans.
● Given exposure to the principles of UDL, educators will identify which principles are
most applicable in their personal classrooms, as made clear in lesson module plans.
● Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators will identify their curricular units
which are already amenable to the utilization of UDL, as evidenced by their unit plans.
● Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators will adjust their instruction to
integrate the principles of UDL, as evidenced in their lesson module plans.
● Given course content, educators will divide material into manageable and accessible
91
chunks, as evidenced by lesson module plans.
● Given course content, educators will identify at least two modalities of content delivery
to be utilized in one of their lesson modules, as evidenced by the module’s plans.
● Given course content, educators will restructure their lesson module to include at least
two modalities of content delivery, as evidenced by the modules plans.
Components of Learning Evaluation
In order to evaluate at Level 2: Learning, it is necessary to determine an adequate number
of assessments of the above terminal objectives of learning that are appropriate (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). According to Smith and Ragan (2005), there are six components of learning
which should be assessed during this training course: declarative knowledge, intellectual or
procedural skills, attitudes, learner confidence, learner commitment, and cognitive strategies.
Declarative knowledge includes those things which learners will know at the completion of this
professional development curriculum, while intellectual or procedural skills are the ways in
which learners’ ability to implement learning will be assessed (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The
assessment of attitudes focuses on learners’ expression of their ability to implement new
learning, paired with assessing a learner’s confidence and commitment in implementing their
newly acquired knowledge (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The assessment of cognitive strategies
focuses on assessing those aspects of lessons which help learners to control and monitor their
own cognitive processes (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The methods of assessment for all six of these
strategies are presented in Table 11.
92
Table 11
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or activity(ies) Timing
Declarative knowledge “I know it.”
Professional development facilitators will ask
questions to participants regarding learning
content during checks on learning.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will ask questions as
they arise regarding learning content during
discussions.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will have the
opportunity to ask training facilitators
questions regarding resources in the
asynchronous material bank via email or at
the next synchronous session.
After each learning session, when asynchronous
material is made available to learners.
Intellectual skills/procedural skills “I can do it right now.”
Participating educators will take part in practice
scenarios during learning modules during
synchronous learning sessions.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will implement learning
into their unit and module plans.
During synchronous learning sessions.
School administrators and teacher-leaders will
observe participating educators’ classroom
lessons.
After the completion of synchronous training
modules.
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Participating educators will articulate during
discussions the value in implementing that
which they are learning.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will articulate in their
Educators Journal their belief that their
learning will be worthwhile.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Participating educators will articulate during
discussions their belief that they are capable
of implementing that which they are learning.
During synchronous learning sessions.
93
Method(s) or activity(ies) Timing
Participating educators will articulate during
discussions in their Educators Journal their
belief that they are capable of transferring
their learning to their teaching.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Participating educators will articulate during
discussions their commitment to
implementing that which they are learning.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will articulate in their
Educators Journal their belief that
implementing their learning into their daily
teaching is worthwhile.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Course facilitators and school administrators
will conduct a follow-up survey regarding
implementation of the professional
development course’s learning.
3 months after the conclusion of the training
course.
Cognitive strategies
Participating educators will articulate to course
facilitators, school administrators, and
teacher-leaders aspects of the learning with
which they anticipate struggling.
During and after synchronous learning sessions.
Participating educators will articulate to course
facilitators, school administrators, and
teacher-leaders additional supports that they
will need in order to implement learning from
the training course.
During and after synchronous learning sessions.
Level 1: Reaction
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), Level 1: Reactions focuses on the
degree to which those participating in a training find the learning to be engaging, relevant, and
satisfactory. While other levels of the new Kirkpatrick model may require the investment of
resources, Level 1 is an area where resources can be saved. One of the simplest ways in which
this can be completed is through the use of formative evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
94
2016). Methods for conducting formative evaluations at this level are things such as instructor
observation, a dedicated observer during instruction, and checking the pulse of learners during
learning modules (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Additionally, summative evaluation
methods such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups can be utilized as part of Level 1: reaction
evaluation. Typically, Level 1 evaluation takes place immediately after training sessions, as this
timing allows for the highest rate of return on completion of evaluative forms (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 12 presents the methods and their timing by which Level 1: Reactions
will be measured for this professional development course.
Table 12
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Observe program participants’ participation in
group discussions.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Observe program participants’ participation in
group activities.
During synchronous learning sessions.
Program facilitators will conduct checks for
understanding.
During synchronous learning sessions.
A dedicated observer will provide feedback to
program facilitators.
During and after synchronous learning
sessions.
Relevance
Ask learners about their belief in the ability to
apply learning to their daily work.
During synchronous learning sessions and at
the conclusion of the training course.
Customer satisfaction
Survey to be completed by learners to provide
feedback regarding the professional
development course.
At the end of each learning module, as well as
a cumulative survey to be completed at the
end of the entire course.
Evaluation Tools
It is the goal of program evaluators to utilize evaluation tools which, as much as possible,
increase the likelihood that respondents’ thoughts and perceptions are accurately captured and
95
interpreted (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The new Kirkpatrick model recommends that
evaluators utilize psychological measurement principles in order to ensure the successful
gathering of data during program evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). When
considering the evaluation tools that will be put to use, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
suggest constructing blended evaluation tools that measure Levels 1 through 4, in order to avoid
participant response fatigue.
This professional development course will be evaluated on an immediate and delayed
basis, as explained further below. As evaluation tools are designed with this in mind, there will
be concerted efforts made to ensure that all questions are worded in ways which are learner-
centered, per the suggestions of Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016). Taking into account the
importance of the timing of an evaluation tool’s implementation, an evaluation tool will be
administered immediately which focuses on Levels 1 and 2, while a delayed evaluation tool will
touch upon Levels 1-4.
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
An evaluation tool will be administered immediately upon the completion of the
professional development training, focusing on Levels 1 and 2. In developing this tool,
consideration was given to crafting questions which meet the individual needs and criteria not
only of the training course, but the institution in which it will be implemented. To help learners
answer questions, the evaluation tool has been crafted per the recommendation of Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick (2016) to use common language, rather than professional jargon. This tool is
made up of questions formatted both as a Likert scale and open-ended. The evaluation tool can
be found in Appendix D, including designations for each item of its corresponding level from the
new Kirkpatrick model, with Level 1 represented as L1 and Level 2 as L2.
96
Delayed For A Period After The Program Implementation
In order to collect accurate data on Level 3: Behavior and Level 4: Results, time must be
given to allow for learning from the training course to be implemented. Due to needing to wait a
period of time, a delayed evaluation tool will be administered to focus on the evaluation of
Levels 3 and 4. While the delayed evaluation tool is what will aid in the evaluation of Levels 3
and 4, aspects will also assist in the evaluation of Levels 1 and 2. Including Likert rating scales
and open-ended questions, this evaluation tool will closely resemble that which is administered
immediately after the completion of the training program. The evaluation tool can be found in
Appendix E, including designations for each item of its corresponding level from the new
Kirkpatrick model, with Level 1 represented as L1, Level 2 as L2, Level 3 as L3, Level 4 as L4.
Data Analysis and Reporting
As a new professional development course, data from this training’s evaluation will be
analyzed and reported to stakeholders both throughout and after the program’s implementation.
The presentation of data will be important for different groups of stakeholders at different times.
While some stakeholders will have data reported to them only at the end of the training’s
implementation, other groups, such as school administrators and the school board, will receive
data reports during the period in which the training is taking place. The more frequent reporting
of data to school administrators and the school board will take place on a bi-monthly basis during
the implementation of the training. Data reported to all stakeholders will happen 6 months after
the completion of the final learning module takes place. The methodology by which data is
presented to stakeholders must be relevant and clear for each group of stakeholders. Figure 2
provides a fictitious representation of how data will be presented showing increased success of
neurodiverse learners with increased parental involvement. Educator comfort with meeting the
97
needs of neurodiverse learners before and after training is represented in Figure 3. A comparison
of utilization of neurodiverse supportive strategies before and after training can be found in
Figure 4. Finally, Figure 5 provides testimonials from stakeholders regarding the efficacy of this
professional development course in aiding educators in meeting the needs of their neurodiverse
learners. Figures 2-5 are solely for illustrative purposes and are fictitious.
Figure 2
Increased Success of Neurodiverse Learners with Increased Parental Involvement
98
Figure 3
Educator Comfort with Meeting the Needs of Neurodiverse Learners
99
Figure 4
Comparison of Utilization of Neurodiverse Supportive Strategies
100
Figure 5
Stakeholder Testimonials
101
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Appendix A: Course Overview
This course is designed to train educators in K-8 independent schools to better meet
the needs of their neurodiverse learners. The training itself will take place at SSAS’s school
site during already established faculty meetings on an every other week basis. The first
part of what follows provides an overview of the full course, as well as individual overviews
for each learning module. Subsequently, more detailed learning module lesson plans will
be provided. The duration is approximately 10 minutes.
Course Overview Materials
The only required presentation tools are the course overview slide deck and handout.
Learner Characteristic Accommodations
Learners are K-8 independent school educators teaching in general education settings
who desire to meet the needs of their students, but do not necessarily have the knowledge,
skillset, or tools to do so. To maintain learner motivation and participation, the usefulness and
relevance of the training will be reinforced throughout. To assist with accessibility, all
materials will be made available to learners both digitally and in hardcopy. For learners with
any kind of hearing impairment, preferential seating will be available, as well as the use of
text-to-speech tools.
Facilitator’s Notes
Before beginning the course, learner prior knowledge will be assessed. This will be
completed via a survey sent to participating educators prior to the first PD meeting. Table A1
shows the instructional activities for the course overview.
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Table A1
Instructional Activities
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Introduction 5 Draw educators to
the fact that the
needs of
neurodiverse
learners in our K-
8 independent
setting are not
being met.
Ask participants to
discuss with the
person(s) sitting
next to them what
they understand
the term
“neurodiverse” to
mean.
Once each group
comes to a
consensus of a
definition of the
term
“neurodiverse,”
one member of
each group will
be asked to
contribute their
definition to a
full group Padlet.
A link to the
Padlet will be
provided in the
day’s slides and
via an email sent
prior to the
training.
Alternatively, the
Padlet can be
accessed via a
QR code that will
be provided with
other handouts
and resources for
the day.
Ask participants to
discuss with the
person(s) next to
them what they
understand the
term
“neurodiverse” to
mean. Once the
group has
reached a
consensus, one
member will add
their group
definition to the
training group’s
Padlet (accessible
via slide deck,
emailed link, or
provided QR
code).
109
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Course goal 5 Introduce the
course goal and
outcomes.
Respond to
participants
understandings of
“neurodiversity”
and provide an
official
definition.
Official
definition will be
provided on a
slide, as well as
on a printout as
part of the
provided
participant
packet.
Present the course
goal and
outcomes using a
projector (also
provided in
participant
packet).
Ask participants to
discuss with the
individuals next
to them why they
believe these
course goal and
outcomes are
worthwhile.
Ask participants to
share out
understanding of
“neurodiversity”.
Ask participants to
follow along with
the instructor and
slides.
Ask participants to
discuss with their
peers the merits
of the course goal
and outcomes.
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Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Reasons for
the course
2 Stimulate
motivation by
describing the
opportunity
being
provided to
the trainee and
the risk that
will be
avoided if the
course is
mastered.
Benefits:
Neurodiverse
learners will
feel successful
Neurodiverse
learners will
demonstrate
increased
mastery of
course content
Neurodiverse
learners will
receive
support from
all involved
stakeholders
Risks avoided:
Continuous lack
of support for
neurodiverse
students
Ask participants to
answer the
questions:
“What is the
value for me in
this
training?
Show Benefits
slide.
“What risk do I
have if I don’t
complete the
course?”
“What are the
negative
consequences?
”
Show Risks slide
Ask participants
if there are
other benefits
and risks they
can share with
the group.
Ask participants
to share their
answers in
their notes for
the training.
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Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Neurodiverse
learners
falling farther
behind in their
studies
Stigmatization
of students
who would
benefit from
learning
supports
Course
overview
3 Provide learners
with a visual
model of the
course, so as
to aid in
organizing the
learning to
come.
Unit 1: Invite
parental
involvement
Unit 2: Build
relationships
and rapport
Unit 3: Maintain
high
expectations
for all
students
Unit 4:
Implement
Universal
Design for
Present
participants
with a visual
model of the
flow of
training units
and how they
connect to one
another.
As reviewing the
visual model,
describe the
reason for the
specific
sequencing of
modules.
In addition to
being
projected on
the screen, the
visual of the
Ask participants
to follow the
model and
make notes of
how each unit
potentially
applies to their
personal
teaching
practice.
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Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Learning
(UDL)
Unit 5: Chunk
content into
manageable
units
Unit 6: Deliver
content
through
diversified
modalities
course flow
will be
provided to
learners in
their
participant
packet.
Total time 15
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Figure A1
Visual Overview of the Course
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Appendix B: Lesson Overviews
This section consists of the curriculum’s lesson overviews. Each overview contains the
lesson’s terminal objectives, prerequisite knowledge or enabling objectives, and an overview of
learning activities. Each unit’s summative assessment is also included.
Unit 1: Invite Parental Involvement
This unit consists of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of a
professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available upon
completion of the unit. The first of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-school
staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the inviting of parental involvement in their child’s
educational experience.
Terminal Learning Objective
● Educators will write two email templates, an introductory and a follow up, to invite
parents to engage in their child’s learning, to be sent out within the first month of the
school year.
● Educators will reflect and write in their “Educator’s Journal” the impact they feel
increasing the involvement of their students’ parents will have on the learning of their
neurodiverse learners.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know why parental involvement is important, how to involve parents, and how to
maintain parental involvement in their child’s learning and how to maintain an
educator’s journal.
● Be able to analyze communication with parents.
● Be able to write an email template.
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● Be able to write a reflective journal entry.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge why parental involvement is important, how to involve parents, and how to
maintain parental involvement in their child’s learning and how to maintain an
educator’s journal.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for analyzing parent-teacher communication.
● Provide practice and feedback for analyzing parent-teacher communication.
● Model the procedure for initiating parental communication.
● Provide practice and feedback for initiating parental communication.
● Model the procedure for conducting follow up parental communication.
● Provide practice and feedback for conducting follow up parental
communication.
● Model how to write an entry in an educator’s journal.
● Provide practice and feedback for writing an entry in an educator’s journal.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to involve parents in their child’s
learning.
Summative Assessment
● Given a new group of students, educators will write two email templates, an introductory
and a follow up, to invite parents to engage in their child’s learning, to be sent out within
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the first month of the school year per a rubric.
● Educators will reflect and write in their “Educator’s Journal” the impact they feel
increasing the involvement of their students’ parents will have on the learning of their
neurodiverse learners.
Unit 2a: Build Relationships With Students
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The second of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the building of positive relationships
between educators and students.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build relationships and positive rapport with
students within the first few weeks of the school year, as evidenced by the educators’ reflective
journals.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build positive relationships with their students, as
evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know what is meant by the phrase “positive relationship”.
● Know the importance of building positive relationships.
● Know the ways in which positive relationships impact their students.
● Know the ways in which students are impacted detrimentally by negative
relationships.
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● Be able to articulate ways in which they can build positive relationships with
students.
● Be able to integrate the building of positive relationships into their teaching practice.
● Be able to articulate the importance of utilizing a reflective journal.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the meaning of “positive relationships,” ways in which to build such
relationships, and how to implement such relationships into their personal teaching
practices.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for building positive relationships with students.
● Provide practice and feedback for building positive relationships with students.
● Model the procedure for maintaining positive relationships with
students.
● Provide practice and feedback for maintaining positive relationships with
students.
● Model the procedure for encouraging positive relationships amongst students.
● Provide practice and feedback for encouraging positive relationships amongst
students.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to build and maintain positive
relationships with students.
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Summative Assessment
● Educators will participate in a number of role playing activities to simulate relationship
building scenarios.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the
impact they feel building positive relationships with their students will have on the
learning of their neurodiverse learners.
Unit 2b: Establish Positive Rapport With Students
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The third of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the establishment of positive rapport between
educators and students.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build relationships and positive rapport with
students within the first few weeks of the school year, as evidenced by the educators’ reflective
journals.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build positive rapport with their students, as
evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know what is meant by the phrase “positive rapport”.
● Know the importance of establishing positive rapport with students.
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● Know the ways in which positive rapport impacts their students.
● Know the ways in which students are impacted detrimentally by negative
rapport.
● Be able to articulate ways in which they can establish positive rapport with
students.
● Be able to integrate the establishment of positive rapport into their teaching practice.
● Be able to articulate the importance of utilizing a reflective journal.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the meaning of rapport, how to establish and maintain positive rapport
with students.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for establishing positive rapport with students.
● Provide practice and feedback for establishing positive rapport with students.
● Model the procedure for maintaining positive rapport with students.
● Provide practice and feedback for maintaining positive rapport with students.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to establish and maintain positive
rapport with students.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will participate in a number of role playing activities to simulate scenarios in
which positive rapport can be established and maintained.
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● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the
impact they feel establishing positive rapport with their students will have on the
learning of their neurodiverse learners.
Unit 3: Maintain High Expectations for All Students
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The fourth of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the maintaining of high expectations for all
students.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given a group of students with varying needs and abilities, educators will hold all students to
high expectations, as recorded in their unit and module plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know what is meant by “varying needs and abilities”.
● Know ways in which to identify students’ varying needs and abilities.
● Know what is meant by “high expectations”.
● Know ways in which students with varying needs and abilities can be held to
one set of expectations.
● Know how to hold students accountable to these expectations.
● Be able to identify students’ varying needs and abilities.
● Be able to establish clear and high expectations for students.
● Be able to track expectations for students.
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Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the meaning of “varying needs and abilities,” how to assess these needs
and abilities, what is meant by “high expectations,” how to set such expectations, how
to hold students accountable to these expectations, and how to track the expectations.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying student needs and abilities.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying student needs and abilities.
● Model the procedure for setting high expectations.
● Provide practice and feedback for setting high expectations.
● Model the procedure for tracking expectations.
● Provide practice and feedback for tracking expectations.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solving a
knowledge program.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will workshop a set of unit and modular expectations for all students in their
class.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the
impact they feel holding all students to high expectations will have on the learning of
their neurodiverse learners.
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Unit 4a: Basic Tenets and Concepts of UDL
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The fifth of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. This unit focuses on the basic tenets and concepts of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL).
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given diverse student needs, educators will implement the principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) into three curricular units during the year in which this PD curriculum is
implemented, as evidenced in unit plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given exposure to the principles of UDL, educators will identify which principles are most
applicable in their personal classrooms, as made clear in lesson module plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the principles of UDL.
● Know the ways in which their students will benefit from the implementation of the
principles of UDL.
● Know the ways in which the principles of UDL will better serve their
neurodiverse learners.
● Know how to identify which principle of UDL is most appropriate for any given
curricular unit or module.
● Be able to articulate the principles of UDL.
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● Be able to identify which principles of UDL will be most beneficial to their classes.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the principles of UDL and how to identify which will be most beneficial to
their neurodiverse learners.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying appropriate principles of UDL for
implementation.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying appropriate principles of UDL for
implementation.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solve a
classroom problem using UDL principles.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will create a sample lesson module plan that incorporates the identification of
those principles of UDL which will be most applicable in their personal classroom.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the
impact they feel implementing the principles of UDL will have on the learning of their
neurodiverse learners.
Unit 4b: Using UDL in Your Classroom
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
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upon completion of the unit. The sixth of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the utilization of UDL in the classrooms of
participating educators.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given diverse student needs, educators will implement the principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) into three curricular units during the year in which this PD curriculum is
implemented, as evidenced in unit plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators will identify their curricular units which
are already amenable to the utilization of UDL, as evidenced by their unit plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the meaning of curricular units that are already amenable to the incorporation of
the principles of UDL.
● Know the ways in which the utilization of the principles of UDL will change
the nature of curricular units.
● Be able to identify curricular units into which to integrate principles of
UDL.
● Be able to integrate principles of UDL into curricular units.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the incorporation of principles of UDL into curricular units, how to do so,
and how doing so will change those units.
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● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying curricular units into which to
incorporate principles of UDL.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying curricular units into which to
incorporate principles of UDL.
● Model the procedure for identifying the ways in which integrating the
principles of UDL change the nature of curricular units.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying the ways in which integrating the
principles of UDL change the nature of curricular units.
● Model the procedure for how to utilize the principles of UDL into preexisting curricular
unit plans.
● Provide practice and feedback for how to utilize the principles of UDL into
preexisting curricular unit plans.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will update preexisting curricular unit plans to show the utilization of the
principles of UDL.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding how
incorporating the principles of UDL will change the nature of curricular units for their
neurodiverse learners.
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Unit 4c: Integrating UDL to Change Your Students’ Learning
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The seventh of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the integration of UDL principles in order to
change the learning of students.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given diverse student needs, educators will implement the principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) into three curricular units during the year in which this PD curriculum is
implemented, as evidenced in unit plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given knowledge of the principles of UDL, educators will adjust their instruction to integrate
the principles of UDL, as evidenced in their lesson module plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the principles of UDL.
● Know the ways in which the principles of UDL can be integrated into lesson module
plans.
● Know how to articulate principles of UDL into lesson module plans.
● Be able to integrate the principles of UDL into lesson module plans.
● Be able to write lesson module plans with integrated principles of UDL.
● Be able to evaluate the integration of principles of UDL into lesson module plans.
127
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the principles of UDL, how to integrate them into lesson module plans,
and the ways in which this can be evidenced in lesson module plans.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying where in a lesson the principles of
UDL can be integrated.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying where in a lesson the principles of
UDL can be integrated.
● Model the procedure for writing a lesson module plan with UDL
principles incorporated.
● Provide practice and feedback for writing a lesson module plan with UDL
principles incorporated.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solve a
problem of lesson access by integrating UDL principles.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will write or update lesson module plans with integrated principles of UDL.
● Educators will consider how to evaluate the efficacy of the principles of UDL which are
integrated into a lesson module plan.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding how the
integration of the principles of UDL into their lesson module plans will further the
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success of their neurodiverse learners.
Unit 5: Chunk Content into Manageable Units
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The eighth of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the chunking of content into manageable
units.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given course content, educators will divide material into manageable and accessible chunks, as
evidenced by lesson module plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the meaning of chunking content.
● Know the strategy behind content chunking.
● Be able to divide content into manageable and accessible chunks.
● Be able to demonstrate the chunking of a text in a lesson module plan.
● Be able to present a chunked text to students.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the meaning of chunking, how to divide content into manageable and
accessible chunks, and how to demonstrate this in a lesson module plan.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
129
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for dividing content into manageable and
accessible chunks.
● Provide practice and feedback for dividing content t into manageable and
accessible chunks.
● Model the procedure for demonstrating the chunking of content in a
lesson module plan.
● Provide practice and feedback for demonstrating the chunking of content in a
lesson module plan.
● Model the procedure for presenting chunked content to students.
● Provide practice and feedback for presenting chunked content to students.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solve a
problem of accessibility by providing students with a text that has been divided into
manageable and accessible chunks.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will divide a text from their course into manageable and accessible chunks.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding how the
division of course texts into manageable and accessible chunks will further the success
of their neurodiverse learners.
Unit 6a: Using Diversified Modalities in Your Classroom
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The ninth of ten sessions, this unit will be delivered at an after-
130
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the utilization of diversified modalities of
content delivery in the classroom.
Unit Learning Objective
Given course content, educators will utilize at least two modalities of delivering content per
learning module, as evidenced in module plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given course content, educators will identify at least two modalities of content delivery to be
utilized in one of their lesson modules, as evidenced by the module’s plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the meaning of diversified modalities of content delivery.
● Know diverse modalities of content delivery.
● Know what factors to consider in choosing modalities of content delivery.
● Be able to identify appropriate modalities of content delivery for a specific
module lesson plan.
● Be able to articulate why given modalities of content delivery are appropriate.
● Be able to utilize diverse modalities of content delivery in a module lesson plan.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of diversified modalities of content delivery, how to identify appropriate
modalities of content delivery, and how to utilize these modalities into a module lesson
plan.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
131
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for using criteria in choosing which diversified
modalities of content delivery to incorporate into a module lesson plan.
● Provide practice and feedback for using criteria in choosing which diversified
modalities of content delivery to incorporate into a module lesson plan.
● Model the procedure for utilizing diverse modalities of content delivery
in a module lesson plan.
● Provide practice and feedback for utilizing diverse modalities of content delivery
in a module lesson plan.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solving a
knowledge program.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will identify at least two appropriate modalities of content delivery and
utilize them in a module lesson plan.
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding how
identifying appropriate modalities of content delivery will further the success of their
neurodiverse learners.
Unit 6b: Integrating Diversified Modalities into Your Curriculum
This unit is comprised of a synchronous learning event which will be delivered as part of
a professional development curriculum and asynchronous materials which will be available
upon completion of the unit. The tenth and final session, this unit will be delivered at an after-
132
school staff meeting. The main focus of this unit is the integration of diversified modalities of
content delivery in the classroom.
Unit Learning Objective
Given course content, educators will utilize at least two modalities of delivering content per
learning module, as evidenced in module plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given course content, educators will restructure their lesson module to include at least two
modalities of content delivery, as evidenced by the modules plans.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the meaning of a diversified modalities of content delivery.
● Know the different methods of content delivery.
● Know how to identify the appropriate modalities for a particular group of
students.
● Be able to articulate in module lesson plans the diversified modalities of
content delivery which will be employed.
● Be able to implement multiple modalities of content delivery into a single module lesson
plan.
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of diversified modalities of content delivery, identifying appropriate
modalities of content delivery, and how to articulate and implement these modalities
into a module lesson plan.
133
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying appropriate modalities of content
delivery.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying appropriate modalities of content
delivery.
● Model the procedure for implementing multiple modalities of content
delivery into a single module lesson plan.
● Provide practice and feedback for implementing multiple modalities of content
delivery into a single module lesson plan.
● Model the procedure for articulating in module lesson plans how diversified modalities
of content delivery will be employed.
● Provide practice and feedback for articulating in module lesson plans how
diversified modalities of content delivery will be employed.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solving a
knowledge program.
Summative Assessment
● Educators will adjust a module lesson plan, which they plan to use, to include at least
two diverse modalities of content delivery,
● Educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding how
implementing diverse modalities of content delivery will further the success of their
neurodiverse learners.
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Appendix C: Lesson Activities, Design, and Materials
This section consists of two lesson plans. Each plan contains the lesson’s learning
activities and design. Each lesson’s materials are also included.
Unit 2a: Build Relationships with Students
This lesson is to be delivered after the completion of Unit 1: Invite parental
involvement. Unit 2a: Build relationships with students will take place as a 60 minute,
synchronous learning event, with additional resources made available asynchronously upon the
completion of the unit. During this unit, learners will have the opportunity to practice new
skills and consider how to transfer learning to their daily experience.
Learning Objectives
Unit 2 has an overarching unit terminal learning objective, while each learning module
has its own terminal learning objective. The unit terminal learning objective holds true for both
learning modules in Unit 2. Each learning module has a unique terminal learning objective,
which relates to its specific content. Included in these objectives are the learning module’s
learning outcomes. The prerequisite analysis and and overview of Unit 2a’s learning activities
are also found below.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build relationships and positive rapport with
students within the first few weeks of the school year, as evidenced by the educators’ reflective
journals.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given a new group of students, educators will build positive relationships with their students, as
135
evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
Course Learning Outcomes
● Declarative knowledge
○ Educators will be able to define a positive relationship.
○ Educators will be able to define rapport in the context of educational settings.
● Procedural knowledge
○ Educators will articulate the importance of establishing positive relationships and
rapport with students within the first few weeks of the school year.
○ Educators will successfully build relationships with the students in their classes.
○ Educators will establish positive rapport with the students in their classes.
● Attitudes
○ Educators will value the power of relationships and rapport in the success of
students in educational settings.
○ Educators will demonstrate positive attitudes towards building relationships and
developing rapport with students.
● Psychomotor skills
○ Educators will utilize skills, such as playing games during recess, as a means of
building relationships and rapport with students.
● Cognitive strategies
○ Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which they consider how they
are building relationships and rapport with students.
○ Educators will engage in a reflective cycle during which they consider how the
relationships and rapport they have established are helping to support their
136
students.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know what is meant by the phrase “positive relationship”.
● Know the importance of building positive relationships
● Know the ways in which positive relationships impact their students
● Know the ways in which students are impacted detrimentally by negative
relationships.
● Be able to articulate ways in which they can build positive relationships with
students.
● Be able to integrate the building of positive relationships into their teaching practice.
● Be able to articulate the importance of utilizing a reflective journal.
Learning Activities Overview
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the meaning of “positive relationships,” ways in which to build such
relationships, and how to implement such relationships into their personal teaching
practices.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples and
nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and
nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for building positive relationships with students.
● Provide practice and feedback for building positive relationships with students.
● Model the procedure for maintaining positive relationships with
137
students.
● Provide practice and feedback for maintaining positive relationships with
students.
● Model the procedure for encouraging positive relationships amongst students.
● Provide practice and feedback for encouraging positive relationships amongst
students.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to build and maintain positive
relationships with students.
Summative Assessment
This learning module contains two summative assessments. Educators will participate
in a number of role playing activities to simulate relationship building scenarios. Additionally,
educators will take some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the impact they
feel building positive relationships with their students will have on the learning of their
neurodiverse learners.
Lesson Materials
The materials for this lesson include:
● unit 2a slide deck
● print off of lesson plan for instructor
● scaffolded note-taking graphic organizer
● unit 2a slide deck for note-taking
● laptop
● projector
● educator’s journal (physical or digital)
138
● appendix D: Evaluation Administered Immediately Following the Program
● asynchronous Google Drive resource folder
139
Table C1
Unit 2a Learning Activities Table
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Gain
attention
1 min. Description of:
Students who do not have
positive relationships with
their teachers and their
classroom experiences.
Students who have positive
relationships with their
teachers and their
classroom experiences.
Describe a
classroom in
which there are
students who
have formed and
not formed
positive
relationships
with the
educator.
Particular
attention will be
paid to the
difference
between these
two sets of
students.
Ask
participa
nts to
consider
the
relations
hips they
have
with
their
own
students
as they
listen to
the
descripti
ons of
the
instructo
r.
Learning
objective
s
1 min. Instructor will share the
session learning objective:
Given a new group of
students, educators will
build positive relationships
with their students, as
evidenced by the
educators’ reflective
journals.
Share with
participants the
session learning
objective.
Ask
participa
nts to
take note
of the
session
learning
objective
and ask
questions
which
arise.
Reasons
for
learning
2 min. After participants share their
responses to instructor
questions, the instructor
Share reasons they
feel building
positive
Ask
participa
nts to
140
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
- Benefits
- Risks
will synthesize and
reiterate the benefits and
risks of building positive
relationships with students
upon the learning of
neurodiverse students.
relationships
with students will
be beneficial to
the learning of
neurodiverse
students.
Share the potential
risks of not
building positive
relationships
with students
may have on the
learning of
neurodiverse
students.
share
what
benefits
they see
as being
associate
d with
forming
positive
relations
hips with
students.
Ask
participa
nts to
share
what
potential
risks
they
perceive
in
forming
positive
relations
hips with
students.
Overview
- Prior
Knowled
ge
- New
Knowled
ge
- Learning
Strategie
s
2 min. The instructor will share the
agenda for the session:
Prerequisite knowledge
Guidance through
relationship building
practices
Guided practice of building
positive relationships with
students
Share the agenda
for the session
with participants
(which will be
presented as part
of the session
slidedeck and
distributed as a
handout to
participants).
Ask
participa
nts to
listen as
the
instructo
r shares
the
agenda
(overvie
w) of
what is
141
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
(What you
already
know...
what
you are
going to
learn...a
nd how
you are
going to
learn it.)
How this will be helpful
Review
Evaluation
to come
during
this
session.
Prerequisit
e
knowled
ge
1 min. Prerequisite knowledge
regarding positive
relationships with students
will be assessed.
Review the
knowledge
necessary for
progress to be
made in this
session.
Ask
participa
nts to
consider
the
prerequis
ite
knowled
ge shared
by the
instructo
r.
Learning
guidance
- Lecture
- Demo.
12
min.
The instructor will present
participants with a number
of practices whereby
educators can form
positive relationships with
students.
Walk participants
through a number
of practices
which can be
implemented to
help build
positive
relationships
with students.
Ask
participa
nts to
observe
the
instructo
r's
presentat
ion of
relations
hip
building
strategies
.
142
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Ask
participa
nts to
take note
of the
presente
d
strategies
, making
use of
the
provided
graphic
organizer
.
Practice
and
feedback
10
min.
Based upon the information
and skills presented to
learners, participants will
have the opportunity to
practice specific practices
geared toward forming
positive relationships with
students and receive
feedback from the
instructor.
Model specific
practices to aid in
the forming of
positive
relationships
with students.
Explain the aspects
of each practice
which will aid in
the building of
positive
relationships
with students.
Provide feedback to
participants as
they practice the
skills which have
been modeled.
Ask
participa
nts to
take part
in a
number
of role
playing
activities
to
practice
relations
hip
building
skills.
143
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
Authentic
assessme
nt
25
min.
Based upon the information
and skills presented to
learners, participants will
have the opportunity to
practice forming positive
relationships with students
and receive feedback from
the instructor.
Facilitate various
relationship role
playing
scenarios.
Provide immediate
feedback upon
the relationship
dynamics evident
in role playing
scenarios, while
circulating
through the
room.
Ask
participa
nts to
take part
in a
number
of role
playing
scenarios
to
simulate
relations
hip
building
scenarios
.
Retention
and
transfer
2 min. Through instructor
facilitation, participants
will consider the ways in
which building positive
relationships with students
will help the learning of
neurodiverse students.
Facilitate
participant
journaling
exercise
regarding impact
educators feel
building positive
relationships
with their
students will
have on the
learning of
neurodiverse
learners.
Ask
participa
nts to
reflect in
their
“Educato
r’s
Journal”
regardin
g the
impact
they feel
building
positive
relations
hips with
their
students
will have
on the
learning
of their
neurodiv
144
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
erse
learners.
Big ideas
4 min. Review of the importance of
building positive
relationships with students
and different strategies by
which this occurs.
Participants will then
complete a post-learning
evaluation.
Ask participants to
quickly recap the
importance of
building positive
relationships
with students.
Ask participants to
share the
relationship
building
strategies with
which they most
resonate.
Facilitate the
completion of a
post-learning
survey.
Ask
participa
nts to
share the
importan
ce of
building
positive
relations
hips with
students.
Ask
participa
nts to
share the
relations
hip
building
strategies
which
most
resonate
with
them.
Ask
participa
nts to
complete
a post-
learning
survey.
Advance
organize
r for the
next unit
1 min. During the time between this
session and the next,
material will be made
available asynchronously.
Explain to
participants that
the next unit will
focus on the
Ask
participa
nts to
access
145
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner
action/
decision
(generative)
The course facilitator will
be available during the
interim to answer questions
which may arise upon
reflection or the reading of
the provided asynchronous
materials.
establishment of
positive rapport
with students.
the
asynchro
nous
materials
from
Unit 2a
prior to
Unit 2b.
Total time 60
min.
146
Unit 2a Slide Deck
147
Gain Attention
Time: 1 min.
Description of:
Students who do not have positive relationships with their teachers and their classroom
experiences.
Students who have positive relationships with their teachers and their classroom experiences.
Describe a classroom in which there are students who have formed and not formed positive
relationships with the educator. Particular attention will be paid to the difference between these
two sets of students.
Ask participants to consider the relationships they have with their own students as they listen to
the descriptions of the instructor.
148
Learning Objectives
Time: 1 min.
Instructor will share the session learning objective:
Given a new group of students, educators will build positive relationships with their students, as
evidenced by the educators’ reflective journals.
Share with participants the session learning objective.
Ask participants to take note of the session learning objective and ask questions which arise.
149
Reasons for Learning
- Benefits
- Risks
Time: 2 min.
After participants share their responses to instructor questions, the instructor will synthesize and
reiterate the benefits and risks of building positive relationships with students upon the learning
of neurodiverse students.
Share reasons they feel building positive relationships with students will be beneficial to the
learning of neurodiverse students.
Share the potential risks of building positive relationships with students may have on the learning
of neurodiverse students.
Ask participants to share what benefits they see as being associated with forming positive
relationships with students.
Ask participants to share what potential risks they perceive in forming positive relationships with
students.
150
Overview
Time: 2 min.
- Prior Knowledge
- New Knowledge
- Learning Strategies
The instructor will share the agenda for the session:
● Prerequisite knowledge
● Guidance through relationship building practices
● Guided practice of building positive relationships with students
● How this will be helpful
● Review
● Evaluation
Share the agenda for the session with participants (which will be presented as part of the session
slide deck and distributed as a handout to participants).
Ask participants to listen as the instructor shares the agenda (overview) of what is to come
during this session.
151
Prerequisite Knowledge
Time: 1 min.
Prerequisite knowledge regarding positive relationships with students will be assessed.
Review the knowledge necessary for progress to be made in this session.
Ask participants to consider the prerequisite knowledge shared by the instructor.
152
Learning Guidance
Time: 12 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will present participants with a number of practices whereby educators can form
positive relationships with students.
Walk participants through a number of practices which can be implemented to help build
positive relationships with students.
Ask participants to observe the instructor presentation of relationship building strategies.
Ask participants to take note of the presented strategies, making use of the provided graphic
organizer.
4H is a strategy which focuses on ways in which educators can strength their relationships with
students based on the way in which they begin the day.
153
Learning Guidance
Time: 12 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will present participants with a number of practices whereby educators can form
positive relationships with students.
Walk participants through a number of practices which can be implemented to help build
positive relationships with students.
Ask participants to observe the instructor presentation of relationship building strategies.
Ask participants to take note of the presented strategies, making use of the provided graphic
organizer.
2x10 is a strategy by which relationships are established and solidified thanks to short, consistent
daily interactions.
154
Learning Guidance
Time: 12 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will present participants with a number of practices whereby educators can form
positive relationships with students.
Walk participants through a number of practices which can be implemented to help build
positive relationships with students.
Ask participants to observe the instructor presentation of relationship building strategies.
Ask participants to take note of the presented strategies, making use of the provided graphic
organizer.
The likes and dislikes strategy focuses on educators learning about their students’ lives outside of
the classroom, what they enjoy and what they do not enjoy.
155
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information and skills presented to learners, participants will have the
opportunity to practice specific practices geared toward forming positive relationships with
students and receive feedback from the instructor.
Model specific practices to aid in the forming of positive relationships with students.
Explain the aspects of each practice which will aid in the building of positive relationships with
students.
Provide feedback to participants as they practice the skills which have been modeled.
Ask participants to take part in a number of role playing activities to practice relationship
building skills.
156
Authentic Assessment
Time: 25 min.
Based upon the information and skills presented to learners, participants will have the
opportunity to practice forming positive relationships with students and receive feedback from
the instructor.
Facilitate various relationship role playing scenarios.
Provide immediate feedback upon the relationship dynamics evident in role playing scenarios,
while circulating through the room.
Ask participants to take part in a number of role playing scenarios to simulate relationship
building scenarios.
157
Authentic Assessment
Time: 25 min.
Based upon the information and skills presented to learners, participants will have the
opportunity to practice forming positive relationships with students and receive feedback from
the instructor.
Facilitate various relationship role playing scenarios.
Provide immediate feedback upon the relationship dynamics evident in role playing scenarios,
while circulating through the room.
Ask participants to take part in a number of role playing scenarios to simulate relationship
building scenarios.
158
Authentic Assessment
Time: 25 min.
Based upon the information and skills presented to learners, participants will have the
opportunity to practice forming positive relationships with students and receive feedback from
the instructor.
Facilitate various relationship role playing scenarios.
Provide immediate feedback upon the relationship dynamics evident in role playing scenarios,
while circulating through the room.
Ask participants to take part in a number of role playing scenarios to simulate relationship
building scenarios.
159
Retention and Transfer
Time: 2 min.
Through instructor facilitation, participants will consider the ways in which building positive
relationships with students will help the learning of neurodiverse students.
Facilitate participant journaling exercise regarding impact educators feel building positive
relationships with their students will have on the learning of neurodiverse learners.
Ask participants to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the impact they feel building
positive relationships with their students will have on the learning of their neurodiverse learners.
160
Big Ideas
Time: 4 min.
Review of the importance of building positive relationships with students and different strategies
by which this occurs. Participants will then complete a post-learning evaluation.
Ask participants to quickly recap the importance of building positive relationships with students.
Ask participants to share the relationship building strategies with which they most resonate.
Facilitate the completion of a post-learning survey.
Ask participants to share the importance of building positive relationships with students.
Ask participants to share the relationship building strategies which most resonate with them.
Ask participants to complete a post-learning survey.
161
Advance Organizer for the Next Unit
Time: 1 min.
During the time between this session and the next, material will be made available
asynchronously. The course facilitator will be available during the interim to answer questions
which may arise upon reflection or the reading of the provided asynchronous materials.
Explain to participants that the next unit will focus on the establishment of positive rapport with
students.
Ask participants to access the asynchronous materials from Unit 2a prior to Unit 2b.
162
163
Unit 2a Scaffolded Note-Taking
Instructions
Use the table below as a guide for note-taking during this session.
Use the column on the right as a space in which to write your notes.
Terminal learning objective
Benefits of learning
Aspects of positive relationships
Relationship building method #1
Relationship building method #2
164
Relationship building method #3
165
Unit 2a Slide Deck for Note-Taking
166
167
168
169
170
171
Unit 2 Resources to Explore
Scholarly Articles:
Dyrenforth, T. (2014). Classroom success through rapport-building. West Point, NY:
Master Teacher Program, United States Military Academy.[Google Scholar].
Graziano, P. A., Reavis, R. D., Keane, S. P., & Calkins, S. D. (2007). The role of emotion
regulation in children's early academic success. Journal of school psychology, 45(1),
3-19.
Lammers, W. J., Gillaspy Jr, J. A., & Hancock, F. (2017). Predicting academic success with
early, middle, and late semester assessment of student–instructor rapport. Teaching of
Psychology, 44(2), 145-149.
Mirfin-Veitch, B., Jalota, N., & Schmidt, L. (2020). Responding to neurodiversity in the
education context: An integrative review of the literature. Dunedin: Donald Beasley
Institute.
Online Resources:
Woolf, N. (n.d.). 2x10 Relationship Building: How to Do It (and Why It Works!). Panorama
Education. https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/2x10-relationship-building-strategy
GGSC (n.d.). 2 x 10: Getting to Know A Student. Greater Good in Education.
https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/2-x-10-getting-to-know-your-students/
GGSC (n.d.). Positive Teacher-Student Relationships. Greater Good in Education.
https://ggie.berkeley.edu/school-relationships/positive-teacher-student
relationships/#tab__1
172
Unit 4a: Basic Tenets and Concepts of UDL
This lesson is to be delivered after the completion of Unit 3: Maintaining high
expectations for all learners. Unit 4a: Basic tenets and concepts of UDL will take place as a 60
minute, synchronous learning event, with additional resources made available asynchronously
upon the completion of the unit. During this unit, learners will have the opportunity to practice
new skills and consider how to transfer learning to their daily experience.
Learning Objectives
Unit 4 has an over-arching unit terminal learning objective, while each learning module
has its own terminal learning objective. The unit terminal learning objective holds true for both
learning modules in Unit 4. Each learning module has a unique terminal learning objective,
which relates to its specific content. Included in these objectives are the learning module’s
learning outcomes. The prerequisite analysis and overview of Unit 4a’s learning activities are
also found below.
Unit Terminal Learning Objective
Given diverse student needs, educators will implement the principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) into three curricular units during the year in which this PD curriculum is
implemented, as evidenced in unit plans.
Terminal Learning Objective
Given exposure to the principles of UDL, educators will identify which principles are most
applicable in their personal classrooms, as made clear in lesson module plans.
Course Learning Outcomes
● Declarative knowledge
173
○ Educators will know the basic concepts of UDL.
○ Educators will be able to describe these basic concepts and their benefits to
others.
○ Educators will identify the ways in with principles of UDL will be beneficial in
their classrooms.
● Conceptual knowledge
○ Educators will differentiate between UDL and other classroom pedagogic
practices.
● Procedural knowledge
○ Educators will identify the principles of UDL which are most applicable to their
individual classroom.
○ Educators will implement the principles of UDL when designing their classroom
learning experiences.
● Cognitive strategies
○ Educators will manage the cognitive load of students by implementing principles
of UDL.
Prerequisite Analysis (Enabling Objectives)
● Know the principles of UDL
● Know the ways in which their students will benefit from the implementation of the
principles of UDL
● Know the ways in which the principles of UDL will better serve their
neurodiverse learners
● Know how to identify which principle of UDL is most appropriate for any given
174
curricular unit or module
● Be able to articulate the principles of UDL
● Be able to identify which principles of UDL will be most beneficial to their classes
Learning Activities
● After introductions and attention activities and learning objectives, assess prior
knowledge of the principles of UDL and how to identify which will be most beneficial to
their neurodiverse learners.
● Teach any necessary prerequisite knowledge by providing definitions and examples
and nonexamples.
● Provide opportunities for learners to generate their own examples and
nonexamples.
● Model the procedure for identifying appropriate principles of UDL for
implementation.
● Provide practice and feedback for identifying appropriate principles of UDL for
implementation.
● Provide opportunities to transfer knowledge to identify, diagnose, and solve a
classroom problem using UDL principles.
Summative Assessment
This learning module contains two summative assessments. Educators will create a
sample lesson module plan that incorporates the identification of those principles of UDL
which will be most applicable in their personal classroom. Additionally, educators will take
some time to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the impact they feel implementing
the principles of UDL will have on the learning of their neurodiverse learners.
175
Lesson Materials
The materials for this lesson include:
● unit 4a slide deck
● print off of lesson plan for instructor
● scaffolded note-taking graphic organizer
● unit 4a slide deck for note-taking
● glossary of UDL terminology
● teacher provided lesson plan
● unit 4 checklist for modifying a lesson plan
● step-by-step UDL planner
● laptop
● projector
● educator’s journal (physical or digital)
● appendix D: Evaluation Administered Immediately Following the Program
● asynchronous Google Drive resource folder
Note on Unit 4a
Unit 4a includes the teaching of the basic principles of UDL. This information is
currently presented as a single lesson. Upon implementation of the curriculum, this unit may be
broken into additional learning modules, depending on available time and based upon participant
feedback.
176
Table C2
Unit 4a Learning Activities Table
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner action/
decision
(generative)
Gain
attention
1 min. Description of:
Systems which,
when functioning,
improve the
successful
completion of
tasks.
Systems which,
when not
functioning, are
detrimental to the
successful
completion of
tasks.
Describe a factory
floor where there
are both systems
which are
functioning
properly and ones
which are not.
Particular
attention will be
paid to how the
proper
functioning of
systems helps to
further the
completion of
tasks.
Ask participants to
consider what
kinds of systems
they have in place
to meet the needs
of their
neurodiverse
learners.
Learning
objective
s
1 min. Instructor will share
the session
learning
objective:
Given exposure to
the principles of
UDL, educators
will identify
which principles
are most
applicable in their
personal
classrooms, as
made clear in
lesson module
plans.
Share with
participants the
session learning
objective.
Ask participants to
take note of the
session learning
objective and ask
questions which
arise.
Reasons
for
learning
1 min. The instructor will
share with
participants the
Share with
participants the
benefits of
Ask participants to
make note in their
graphic organizer
177
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner action/
decision
(generative)
- Benefits
- Risks
benefits of
utilizing the
principles of
UDL and the
risks of not doing
so. As this
occurs,
participants will
make note of
these benefits and
risks.
utilizing UDL and
the risks of not
doing so.
of the benefits of
utilizing UDL.
Overview
- Prior
Knowled
ge
- New
Knowled
ge
- Learning
Strategie
s
(What you
already
know...
what
you are
going to
learn...a
nd how
you are
going to
learn it.)
1 min. The instructor will
share the agenda
for the session:
Prerequisite
knowledge
Guidance through
identifying and
integrating
principles of
UDL
Guided practice of
identifying and
integrating
principles of
UDL
How this will be
helpful
Review
Evaluation
Share the agenda for
the session with
participants
(which will be
presented as part
of the session
slidedeck and
distributed as a
handout to
participants).
Ask participants to
listen as the
instructor shares
the agenda
(overview) of
what is to come
during this
session.
Prerequisit
e
knowled
ge
1 min. Prerequisite
knowledge
regarding UDL
will be assessed.
Review the
knowledge
necessary for
progress to be
Ask participants to
consider the
prerequisite
178
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner action/
decision
(generative)
made in this
session.
knowledge shared
by the instructor.
Learning
guidance
- Lecture
- Demo.
10
min.
The instructor will
share with
participants the
core principles of
UDL. After a
grasp of these
principles has
been gained, the
instructor will
present the UDL
guidelines.
Explain the
principles of UDL
and the guidelines
for their
implementation.
Ask participants to
use the provided
graphic organizer
to take notes
regarding the
principles of UDL
and the guidelines
for their
implementation.
Practice
and
feedback
10
min.
Based upon the
information
presented to
learners,
participants will
have the
opportunity to
practice choosing
appropriate
principles of
UDL.
Ask participants to
identify principles
of UDL which
will be
appropriate to
integrate given
specific
circumstances.
Ask participants to
identify principles
of UDL which
will be
appropriate to
integrate given
specific
circumstances.
Authentic
assessme
nt
29
min.
Based upon the
information
presented to
learners,
participants will
have the
opportunity to
practice
identifying
appropriate
principles of
UDL and
incorporating
Ask participants to
identify which of
the principles of
UDL they believe
to be the most
applicable to their
personal
classroom.
Ask participants to
create a lesson
plan incorporating
the identified
Ask participants to
identify which of
the principles of
UDL they believe
to be the most
applicable to their
personal
classroom.
Ask participants to
create a sample
lesson module
plan that
179
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner action/
decision
(generative)
them into a lesson
plan.
principles of
UDL.
Provide immediate
feedback on the
incorporation of
the principles of
UDL, while
circulating
through the room.
incorporates the
identification of
those principles of
UDL which will
be most
applicable in their
personal
classroom.
Retention
and
transfer
2 min. Through instructor
facilitation,
participants will
consider the ways
in which building
positive
relationships with
students will help
the learning of
neurodiverse
students.
Facilitate participant
journaling
exercise regarding
impact educators
feel building
positive
relationships with
their students will
have on the
learning of
neurodiverse
learners.
Ask participants to
reflect in their
“Educator’s
Journal”
regarding the
impact they feel
implementing the
principles of UDL
will have on the
learning of their
neurodiverse
learners.
Big ideas
3 min. Review the
principles of
UDL, with
particular
emphasis upon
the strata of the
UDL framework.
Participants will
then complete a
post-learning
evaluation.
Ask participants to
quickly recap the
core principles of
UDL.
Ask participants to
quickly share the
strata of the UDL
framework.
Facilitate the
completion of a
post-learning
survey.
Ask participants to
quickly recap the
core principles of
UDL.
Ask participants to
quickly share the
strata of the UDL
framework.
Ask participants to
complete a post-
learning survey.
180
Instructional
sequence
Time
(mins)
Description of the
learning activity
Instructor
action/decision
(supplantive)
Learner action/
decision
(generative)
Advance
organize
r for the
next unit
1 min. During the time
between this
session and the
next, material will
be made available
asynchronously.
The course
facilitator will be
available during
the interim to
answer questions
which may arise
upon reflection or
the reading of the
provided
asynchronous
materials.
Explain to
participants that
the next unit will
focus on the use
of UDL in
participants’
classrooms.
Ask participants to
access the
asynchronous
materials from
Unit 4a prior to
Unit 4b.
Total time 60
min.
181
Unit 4a Slide Deck
182
Gain Attention
Time: 1 min.
Description of:
Systems which, when functioning, improve the successful completion of tasks.
Systems which, when not functioning, are detrimental to the successful completion of tasks.
Describe a factory floor where there are both systems which are functioning properly and ones
which are not. Particular attention will be paid to how the proper functioning of systems helps to
further the completion of tasks.
Ask participants to consider what kinds of systems they have in place to meet the needs of their
neurodiverse learners.
183
Learning Objectives
Time: 1 min.
Instructor will share the session learning objective:
Given exposure to the principles of UDL, educators will identify which principles are most
applicable in their personal classrooms, as made clear in lesson module plans.
Share with participants the session learning objective.
Ask participants to take note of the session learning objective and ask questions which arise.
184
Reasons for Learning
Time: 1 min.
- Benefits
- Risks
The instructor will share with participants the benefits of utilizing the principles of UDL and the
risks of not doing so. As this occurs, participants will make note of these benefits and risks.
Share with participants the benefits of utilizing UDL and the risks of not doing so.
Ask participants to make note in their graphic organizer of the benefits of utilizing UDL.
185
Overview
Time: 1 min.
- Prior Knowledge
- New Knowledge
- Learning Strategies
The instructor will share the agenda for the session:
● Prerequisite knowledge
● Guidance through identifying and integrating principles of UDL
● Guided practice of identifying and integrating principles of UDL
● How this will be helpful
● Review
● Evaluation
Share the agenda for the session with participants (which will be presented as part of the session
slidedeck and distributed as a handout to participants).
Ask participants to listen as the instructor shares the agenda (overview) of what is to come
during this session.
186
Prerequisite Knowledge
Time: 1 min.
Prerequisite knowledge regarding UDL will be assessed.
Review the knowledge necessary for progress to be made in this session.
Ask participants to consider the prerequisite knowledge shared by the instructor.
187
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
188
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
189
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
190
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
191
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
192
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
193
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
194
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
This slide, and the next number of slides, consist of screenshots from the lesson plan which you
are all experiencing today. The template which was used is constructed according to evidenced
based instructional design strategies. A worked example and a blank version of this template will
be available in the additional resources which will be made available at the conclusion of this
unit.
195
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
196
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
197
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
198
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
199
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
200
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
201
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
202
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
203
Learning Guidance
Time: 10 min.
- Lecture
- Demo.
The instructor will share with participants the core principles of UDL. After a grasp of these
principles has been gained, the instructor will present the UDL guidelines.
Explain the principles of UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
Ask participants to use the provided graphic organizer to take notes regarding the principles of
UDL and the guidelines for their implementation.
204
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice choosing appropriate principles of UDL.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
205
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice choosing appropriate principles of UDL.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
206
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice choosing appropriate principles of UDL.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
207
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice choosing appropriate principles of UDL.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
208
Practice and Feedback
Time: 10 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice choosing appropriate principles of UDL.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
Ask participants to identify principles of UDL which will be appropriate to integrate given
specific circumstances.
209
Authentic Assessment
Time: 29 min.
Based upon the information presented to learners, participants will have the opportunity to
practice identifying appropriate principles of UDL and incorporating them into a lesson plan.
Ask participants to identify which of the principles of UDL they believe to be the most
applicable to their personal classroom.
Ask participants to create a lesson plan incorporating the identified principles of UDL.
Provide immediate feedback on the incorporation of the principles of UDL, while circulating
through the room.
Ask participants to identify which of the principles of UDL they believe to be the most
applicable to their personal classroom.
Ask participants to create a sample lesson module plan that incorporates the identification of
those principles of UDL which will be most applicable in their personal classroom.
210
Retention and Transfer
Time: 2 min.
Through instructor facilitation, participants will consider the ways in which building positive
relationships with students will help the learning of neurodiverse students.
Facilitate participant journaling exercise regarding impact educators feel building positive
relationships with their students will have on the learning of neurodiverse learners.
Ask participants to reflect in their “Educator’s Journal” regarding the impact they feel
implementing the principles of UDL will have on the learning of their neurodiverse learners.
211
Big Ideas
Time: 3 min.
Review the principles of UDL, with particular emphasis upon the strata of the UDL framework.
Participants will then complete a post-learning evaluation.
Ask participants to quickly recap the core principles of UDL.
Ask participants to quickly share the strata of the UDL framework.
Facilitate the completion of a post-learning survey.
Ask participants to quickly recap the core principles of UDL.
Ask participants to quickly share the strata of the UDL framework.
Ask participants to complete a post-learning survey.
212
Advance Organizer for the Next Unit
Time: 1 min.
During the time between this session and the next, material will be made available
asynchronously. The course facilitator will be available during the interim to answer questions
which may arise upon reflection or the reading of the provided asynchronous materials.
Explain to participants that the next unit will focus on the use of UDL in participants’
classrooms.
Ask participants to access the asynchronous materials from Unit 4a prior to Unit 4b.
213
214
Unit 4a Scaffolded Note-Taking
Instructions
Use the table below as a guide for note-taking during this session.
Use the column on the right as a space in which to write your notes.
The first three rows provide a worked example using suggested text. The remainder of the
scaffolding has been faded to help promote your engagement with the learning exercise.
Terminal learning objective Given exposure to the
principles of UDL, educators
will identify which principles
are most applicable in their
personal classrooms, as made
clear in lesson module plans.
Benefits of learning Increased student access to
content
Increased student autonomy
Increased student expression
of understanding
Increased student connection
to content
Educator guidance
Increased educator-learner
partnership/interaction
What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? The incorporation of
principles of engagement,
representation, and action and
expression into lesson
planning. The implementation
of the principles of UDL
serves to support all students,
but particularly those who are
neurodiverse. By adding the
principles of UDL, barriers to
learning are proactively
removed.
215
What are the three core principles of UDL?
UDL Principle #1
216
UDL Principle #2
217
UDL Principle #3
218
Identified UDL principles for integration into lesson
219
Unit 4a Slide Deck for Note-Taking
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
Glossary of UDL Terminology
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - A set of principles to proactively remove barriers to
student learning
Goals - effects of successful implementation of UDL principles
Engagement - Stimulate interest and motivation for learning; the why of learning
Representation - Different ways of presenting information and content; the what of learning
Action & Expression - Differentiation of ways students can express what they know; the how of
learning
232
Unit 4 Checklist for Modifying A Lesson Plan
Use this checklist as you modify a lesson plan incorporating the learning from this unit. Once
you have included an element from the checklist into your lesson plan, put a check mark in the
box on the right.
My lesson plan includes multiple means of engagement.
My lesson plan includes multiple means of representation.
My lesson plan includes multiple means of action and expression.
I have utilized the UDL guidelines to ensure my lesson plan provides opportunities for
all students to access, engage with, and express course content.
My lesson plan provides clear rubrics for evaluating student work based on the
concepts and principles of UDL.
233
Step-by-Step UDL Lesson Planner
234
235
236
237
Unit 4 Resources to Explore
Scholarly Articles:
Chang, K. E., Sung, Y. T., & Chen, I. D. (2002). The effect of concept mapping to
enhance text comprehension and summarization. The Journal of Experimental
Education, 71(1), 5-23.
Edyburn, D. L. (2005). Universal design for learning. Special Education Technology Practice,
7(5), 16-22.
Frey, T. J., Andres, D. K., McKeeman, L. A., & Lane, J. J. (2012). Collaboration by
design: Integrating core pedagogical content and special education methods
courses in a preservice secondary education program. The Teacher Educator,
47(1), 45-66.
Books:
Couros, G., & Novak, K. (2019). Innovate inside the box: Empowering learners through Udl and
the Innovator's Mindset. Published by IMpress, a division of Dave Burgess Consulting,
Inc.
Novak, K., & Tucker, C. R. (2021). Udl and blended learning: Thriving in flexible learning
landscapes. IMpress, a division of Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (Eds.). (2010). A practical reader in universal design for learning.
Harvard Education Press.
Online Resources:
CAST (n.d.). Homepage.
https://www.cast.org/?utm_source=udlguidelines&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=n
one&utm_content=header&_gl=1*f23gb2*_ga*MTIyNDkyMjAzNC4xNjc5MjU4NTEx
*_ga_C7LXP5M74W*MTY3OTQ2MTI3Ny4zLjEuMTY3OTQ2MjUyMi4wLjAuMA..
238
CAST (2018). The UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Novak, K., & Rodrigue, K. (2018). UDL Progression Rubric. CAST.
https://castudl.sharepoint.com/sites/castpublishing/Shared%20Documents/Forms/Public
%20Gallery%20View.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2Fcastpublishing%2FShared%20Documents%
2FResources%20files%2FUDL%5FProgression%5FRubric%5FFINAL%5FWeb%5FRE
V1%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2Fcastpublishing%2FShared%20Documents%2FResourc
es%20files&p=true&ga=1
(n.d.). UDL-Aligned Strategies. Goalbook Toolkit. https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/v/strategies
Instructional design templates:
Blank instructional design template
Unit 4a lesson plan worked example
239
Appendix D: Evaluation Administered Immediately Following the Program
Implementation
Rating scale items: Answers rated on a Likert scale from (1) strongly
disagree to (5) strongly agree:
1 2 3 4 5
The asynchronous materials provided helped me to learn. (L1)
The synchronous sessions helped me to learn. (L1)
My participation in the training course was encouraged by the trainer.
(L1)
This professional development course held my interest. (L1)
What I learned from this training course will help me better support different
learners in my classroom. (L1)
I received helpful information prior to this training course. (L1)
I will recommend this program to other educators. (L1)
I believe it will be worthwhile for me to apply what I have learned to my
teaching practice. (L2)
I feel confident about applying what I learned to my teaching practice.
(L2)
I anticipate that I will receive the necessary support to successfully apply
what I have learned to my teaching practice. (L2)
My confidence to apply what I have learned to my teaching practice is
high. (L2)
I am committed to applying what I learned to my work as a classroom
educator. (L2)
Open-ended questions:
What are the major concepts you learned in this training course? (L2)
240
Were there any aspects of your experience in this training course that interfered with your
learning? (L1)
What course material did you find to be most relevant to teaching in the classroom? (L1)
Was there any course material that was a waste of time? (L1)
Are there any ways in which this training course can be improved? (L1)
What is the importance of applying what you have learned to the job? (L2)
What additional support would help you implement what you learned? (L2)
Are there any barriers that you foresee interfering with your success in applying what you
learned in this training course to your teaching practice? (L2)
What aspect of this training do you feel the most confident about applying to your teaching
practice?(L2)
What aspect of this training do you feel the least confident about applying to your teaching
practice? (L2)
How do you plan to apply what you have learned to your teaching practice? (L2)
What is the first thing that you plan to apply from what you learned in this training course to
your teaching practice? (L2)
Note. L1 = Level 1; L2 = Level 2
241
Appendix E: Evaluation Administered Delayed for a Period After the Program
Implementation
Rating scale items: Answers rated on a Likert scale from (1) strongly
disagree to (5) strongly agree:
1 2 3 4 5
I have had occasion to use what I learned in this training course to my
teaching practice. (L3)
Information provided in this training course applies to my work as a
K-8 independent school educator. (L1)
Upon reflection, taking this training course was a good use of my time.
(L1)
I have successfully applied to my teaching practice what I learned in this
training course. (L3)
I have been able to apply what I learned in this training course to my
teaching practice. (L3)
I received support in order to apply what I learned to my teaching
practice. (L3)
I already see positive results from this training course to my teaching
practice. (L4)
This training course has positively impacted my students.
(L4)
This training course has positively impacted my department.
(L4)
This training course has positively impacted my school.
(L4)
My efforts have contributed to the mission of the school.
(L4)
Open-ended questions:
What information from this training course has been most relevant to your job? (L1)
242
Was there any information in this training course that is not relevant to your job? If so, what?
(L1, L2)
What information should be added to this training course to make it more relevant to your
work? (L1, L2)
Upon reflection, how could this training course have been improved? (L1, L2)
Looking back, what would you change about this training course? (L1, L2)
How have you used what you learned in this training course on the job? (L3)
Describe any challenges you are experiencing applying what you learned to your teaching
practice. Can you suggest any possible solutions to overcome them? (L3)
What else do you need to successfully perform the skills you learned in this training course?
(L3)
What has helped you to implement what you learned? (L3)
What are early signs of success you have noticed from your efforts? (L4)
Please give an example of a positive outcome you have experienced since attending this
training course. (L4)
What impact, if any, is this training course having on the organization as a whole? (L4)
How has your participation in this training benefited the organization, if at all? (L4)
Note. L1 = Level 1; L2 = Level 2; L3 = Level 3; L4 = Level 4
Abstract (if available)
Linked assets
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Derin, David Freemark
(author)
Core Title
Professional development for teachers to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Educational Leadership
Degree Conferral Date
2023-05
Publication Date
04/21/2023
Defense Date
04/05/2023
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
independent schools,K-8 education,neurodiversity,OAI-PMH Harvest,professional development,supportive strategies
Format
theses
(aat)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Yates, Kenneth (
committee chair
), Muraszewski, Alison (
committee member
), Seli, Helena (
committee member
)
Creator Email
davidfderin@gmail.com,dderin@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113062982
Unique identifier
UC113062982
Identifier
etd-DerinDavid-11686.pdf (filename)
Legacy Identifier
etd-DerinDavid-11686
Document Type
Dissertation
Format
theses (aat)
Rights
Derin, David Freemark
Internet Media Type
application/pdf
Type
texts
Source
20230421-usctheses-batch-1028
(batch),
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
Repository Name
University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location
USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Repository Email
cisadmin@lib.usc.edu
Tags
independent schools
K-8 education
neurodiversity
professional development
supportive strategies