Assessing Graduate Teaching Assistants' Understanding of Inclusive Teaching through the Lens of Universal Design for Learning

Sloan Berry, Maria Ribot Dominguez, Kathleen Lugo Charriez, Julia Willison, Erin Scanlon, Jacquelyn Chini, Erin Saitta

University of Central Florida

Increasing accessibility in chemistry classrooms can be a valuable step in broadening participation in STEM. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework provides guidelines to incorporate inclusive and accessible teaching in educational settings. Research on how to support students with disabilities in the K-12 classrooms has created a strong foundation that could lead the way towards changes in higher education. However, university faculty and instructors often have limited knowledge on the recommended practices and how to apply them. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), for instance, play an influential role in facilitating undergraduate student learning in laboratory and recitation courses yet little information exists that describes to what extent they understand and conceptualize inclusive teaching practices. This study describes the development of an instrument designed to evaluate GTAs’ conceptualization of UDL principles in the chemistry laboratory. We will describe the development of a series of teaching scenarios designed around key UDL checkpoints. Data gathered with this instrument will be used in the creation of professional development materials for GTA’s which will help promote increased accessibility within a post-secondary education setting.