CPASS Physical Education and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Samantha Ross is one of seven WVU faculty selected to receive Universal Design of Learning grant. The grants, provided by WVU Teaching and Learning Commons, include a stipend of $3,500 to support design or redesign of courses to meet the principles of UDL.
As a teacher-researcher, Ross says that she is motivated to implement and evaluate evidence-based practices to her classrooms and the preparation of future physical activity professionals. “Applying Universal design for learning principles to the classroom strengthens my direct support of student learning and provides student’s personalized pathways to success. As a third-year faculty, I am still developing as a teacher,” she said.
“The UDL grant from WVU TLC offers tangible tools for improving my classroom design and impacting student learning. I am grateful for the connections I made with TLC staff and the ongoing resources available to support my teaching moving forward.”
Ross applied the grant to the development of her PET 175 Motor Development course in Fall 2021, focusing on course design and content addressing issues of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. “I aimed to model inclusive and accessible teaching practices through UDL design. My students are emerging professionals in health, sport and physical education,” she said. “The foundational knowledge and perspectives they gain in this course will shape their approach in developing and teaching physical activity for diverse athlete populations.”
Ross explains that her research centers around identifying and addressing differences in access to physical activity programming for individuals with disabilities. She plans to reduce inequalities through professional training and education. “My hope for this UDL opportunity is that it creates intentional space and support for me to identify how I can use UDL principles within my classroom. Additionally, I want to build student competencies around designing motor development interventions within a UDL framework.”
Finding creative opportunities to be transparent about how the course is designed and why, will offer students opportunity to connect theory with practice. “By connecting the course to the UDL Rising to Equity Initiative, it offers opportunity to make visible and confront systematic barriers to education in my classroom and within the professional spaces my student (will) occupy,” Ross said.
Students continuing in the physical education and kinesiology or athletic coaching and teaching program will enroll in the adapted physical activity practicum where they design and deliver instruction to students/adults with disabilities. “When supervising these settings, I will maintain a reflective journal observing how UDL principles are incorporated. This will offer a long-term study on how content knowledge in PET 175 influenced students’ teaching behaviors,” Ross explained.
“Together, these evaluation tools will measure how changes made in the course structure and learning objectives shaped student’s’ professional preparation as physical educators.”
Adapted physical activity and differential instruction connect in the kinesiology and physical education curriculum. A new diversity in sport and physical education minor was approved to start in the fall 2021. “My integration of UDL principles within PET 175 aligns and informs both efforts. Importantly, as a foundational course it will offer students a lens through which to evaluate and critique education and coaching curriculum in public schools, community or elite programming,” Ross said.
Recipients will showcase their work at two upcoming events, a forthcoming professional development workshop hosted by TLC, which will be announced in the fall or spring, and at Celebrate 2022.