When Rubber Meets the Road: Preservice Teachers Navigating the Intersection of Expanding Literacies and Universal Design for Learning

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Literacy Across the Curriculum: Preparing Content Area Teachers to Teach Literacy

Abstract

Within the literacy research field, a shift from narrowly defined print literacies to a multiliteracies framework is occurring. While schools have lagged in adopting practices promoted by this shift, teachers have begun to explore their revised definitions through the principles delineated in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This study examines the changing perceptions of preservice teachers who have experienced a content literacy course that pairs a broadened definition of literacy with the principles of UDL: multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement. Through an analysis of student coursework, reflections, lesson plans, and interviews, the researchers examine how pre-service teachers used their broadened understanding of literacy and UDL to meet the needs of diverse learners in their content areas.

Authors

• Kara L. Lycke, Illinois State University

• Robyn Seglem, Illinois State University