After reading Chardin and Novak’s essay on Universal Design, I wondered if there actually is still significant pushback against this approach in higher education curriculum. If the foundation of the approach is to design classes with “multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression,” it sounds like what we in CUNY are already doing and being strongly encouraged to do in selecting material and learning activities for a very diverse student population. When I combine different media sources to explore a single issue or theme, this is the philosophy I am following. One student’s “means of engagement” into the issue of local climate solutions might be a video about a community garden, but another student might be more motivated by an article about a local business that generates its own electricity. As long as we’re all learning about and writing about the same thing, arranging materials so that students can find different entry points into seems like a strength to me – not a complication. It makes the curriculum more exciting, and allows students to discover new interests. Who, exactly is fighting against this, I wonder?

In terms of accommodating students with learning differences, I don’t really see a downside here, either. I have never had a student complain to me of unfairness because I allowed certain students to take longer to complete quizzes, tests, or papers. I see it as not really different from students availing themselves of tutoring support. I don’t hear anyone arguing that tutoring creates an unfair advantage, so I think these fears of unfairness have to do with the need to make these accommodations more universal, so everybody can get used to them.

On a note of detail, I felt very validated reading the argument that some students work better alone, and that they should be allowed to do so because group work is not for everyone. I want to say amen to that! Many English classes tend to emphasize group projects and give these very high stakes grades, when really not all students enjoy working in a group or produce their best work collectively. I have lately been trying to create alternatives to group projects so students can still succeed in the course even if the group project really won’t work for them. It serves nobody to make students miserable, and the goal really should be to create the conditions under which everyone can produce their best work.