Universal Design in Curriculum Development to Address Issues of Socio-Cultural Capital in Third-level Education

Authors

Brian Vaughan, Dublin Institute of TechnologyFollow

Document Type

Conference Paper

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Publication Details

Presented at the Higher Education in Transformation Symposium November 2 - 4, 2016 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) is primarily focused on ensuring that curricula are as accessible to students with a range of disabilities and difficulties. However, UDI can also be leveraged as a means of addressing issues of socio-cultural capital in third-level education. The assumption that all students belong to the dominant habitus can have a detrimental effect on those seen as being external to it. This paper examines the use of UDI as part of a wider approach to curriculum development as a means of addressing these issue. This is especially pertinent in light of the amalgamation of a number of technical institutes (Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB)) as part of the development of a Technical University in Dublin (colloquially referred to as TU4Dublin), as the student population across these institutes encapsulates a wide-range of socio-cultural, and educational backgrounds.

Recommended Citation

Vaughan, B. (2016, November 2-6). Universal Design in Curriculum Development to Address Issues of Socio-Cultural Capital in Third-level Education. Paper presented at the Higher Education in Transformation Symposium, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.