Dartmouth Events

In this session, we will discuss ways you can make alterations to your syllabus that have been proven to enhance students’ first impression of your course and, importantly, to reduce attrition and increase content retention. We will discuss:

• How the use of images can enhance initial interest and excitement for the course material
• How the textual format can ease readability
• How the rhetoric can promote a culture of inclusivity, compassion, and collaboration
• How classroom policies may be adjusted to offer students an increased sense of autonomy

Each of these potential syllabus changes can promote key guidelines of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework which help make learning more accessible to all students. If you plan to attend this session, please bring a copy of your current syllabus.

Please register: https://libcal.dartmouth.edu/event/9077519

This session is part of the Accessible Dartmouth Initiative.

The national organization CAST defines UDL as "an educational approach based on the learning sciences with three primary principles—multiple means of student engagement, multiple means of representation of information, and multiple means of student action and expression." The principles of UDL can help all educators–whether in the classroom or beyond–better meet the needs of all students, including neurodiverse students, first-generation college students, international students, English language learners, and students of other marginalized identities.