Presented at 9:15am in Plaza Court 2 on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
#34178Speaker(s)
- Anne Osowski, College of Charleston
- Gretchen Scronce, , College of Charleston
- Debby Marindin, , College of Charleston
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Interactive/Discussion
- Expertise Level: Intermediate
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
Learn about practices that can be implemented that will make teaching more accessible and effective, in an online or in-person environment. See examples of these practices in action in College of Charleston's OAKS (D2L) learning management system. Learn why making these second nature is good for everyone - faculty, staff, AND students.
Abstract
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a powerful tool that can be used to make learning accessible, interesting, and useful for students. Its unique features include the WHY, WHAT, and HOW in learning through UDL. Our presentation focuses on what UDL is and the history as to how it came to be. It will illuminate why UDL matters and the benefits it provides. We will also talk about the fact that UDL benefits faculty, staff, and students by providing guiding principles and examples of how those principles can be implemented. The presentation provides simple steps to getting started with UDL and significantly provides the perspective from students.
Keypoints
- Diversity in higher education requires a rethinking of how learning happens.
- UDL creates a learning environment to offset barriers that impact students learning (academic/social).
- There are simple yet effective UDL tools that can implemented so that the college community benefits.
Disability Areas
All Areas
Topic Areas
Accessible Course Design, Faculty Development & Support, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Anne Osowski
Anne Osowski, M.Ed., is the Assistant Director in the Center for Disability Services at College of Charleston (CofC). She is also co-chair of CofC's Neurodiversity Initiative (go.cofc.edu/neuro). Anne has over ten years of experience in the disability services field within higher education. Throughout her career, Anne has provided supports for students with disabilities at several colleges and universities and in the K-12 system. She is a member of the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), SC AHEAD, and Charleston CAN. Anne is an editorial board member of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability (JPED). She presents on topics pertaining to the transition for high school to college for students with disabilities, universal design for learning, and accessible/assistive technology.
Gretchen Scronce
Gretchen Scronce is a Research & Instruction Librarian and Virtual Services Coordinator for the College of Charleston Libraries. She holds a Masters of Science in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Debby Marindin
Debby joined the Center for Teaching and Learning Team as an Instructional Designer at the College of Charleston in March of 2020, where she loves her role in helping faculty with course ideas, strategy, technology, and pedagogy. She also teaches a variety of courses ranging from formal project management, sales, marketing, communications as well as some foundational courses such as creative problem solving, critical thinking, decision making and research skills for the Professional Studies program which is housed in the School of Business.
In the past, Debby also acts as the program coordinator for both the Applied Communications and the Project Management programs in the Professional Studies program.
Until recently she was a consultant where she continually worked since 1994 helping develop business solutions; developing project management offices; and assisted with organizational development for a diverse range of organizations and departments.
Debby’s early career included work as a client relation’s manager for a human resources firm and Communications Specialist/graphic artist/Desktop publishing at MCI Communications.
After being recruited to teach graphic art and DTP software, she spent five years moving her way up from a technology instructor to area training director at CompUSA. After CompUSA closed their doors, Debby went to work for Montgomery College in their Information Technology Institute as an instructor but was soon asked to work full time as an Assistant Director where she helped to develop and sell corporate training solutions to area organizations.
While completing her master’s degree, Debby worked as an instructor, a consultant and as a Program Director for Sales and Marketing at Montgomery College.
Debby had the opportunity to travel to Charleston on several occasions between 2007 and 2010 and fell in love with the area. She decided she wanted to pursue a career in the area after finishing her master’s degree, so in 2010, Debby took a position at Trident Technical College, where she began as a Program Manager. Her portfolio of programs included Real Estate; Property Management; Business programs; Entrepreneurship; Sales/Marketing and Social Media Marketing; Human Resources; Languages. She also had the responsibility of event Planning for several large events such as the Administrative Professional Conference, Santee Cooper Engineering Conference and the Human Resources Conference. Soon after starting, she was promoted and became the Director of Corporate and IT training where she managed the above programs plus oversaw areas of IT, safety, and other certifications areas, while also selling the program to corporations.
She created the Social Media Marketing Certification Program, the Small Business Management Development Program and the Project Management program. In her four years at the college and helped the college earn their designation as a Project Management Institute, Registered Education Provider (PMI R.E. P.). Additionally, she developed and managed a large grant for Boeing to help women, minority and disadvantaged small businesses with training/development and to become CAPM and PMP certified. Debby enjoys volunteering in her community including being on the Board of PMI Charleston Chapter as a Vice President and as a parent.
Volunteer for the Charleston School of the Arts. She was a former volunteer Cheerleading Coach for the Mount Pleasant Recreational Department (Moultrie Middle School Team); a Foster Parent for Kittens for the Charleston Animal Society; a Girl Scout leader. She is a member of the Charleston British Car club and has taken the initiative to help with the social media marketing for this group. She enjoys having game night with friends and playing team trivia; going to live theater or music performances; cooking and creating her own recipes; bartending and cocktail creations; and traveling with her family. As an undergraduate, Debby studied Speech Communications and English with a specialty in Pre-Law. Debby graduated Suma Cum Laude from University of Maryland with a MS in Management and Marketing and became a member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. She also holds several licenses and certifications in a variety of very diverse subjects. She prides herself as a being a lifelong learner and is currently pursuing her Doctorate Student, Educational Practice and Innovation/Educational Technology and Technologies at the University of South Carolina.
Debby happily resides in the Mount Pleasant. She has three children (29, 26 and 18), a husband, three cats, a dog and a tank full of fish.