Hub Cap: What Happened This Week in Teaching and Learning
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(Missed a week? Check out our archive here)
We are sending you a recap of the week in all things teaching and learning. These notes will share timely teaching tips, recent pedagogical scholarship, teaching events on and off campus, and Hub blog posts. Use this form to unsubscribe.
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Unlock Inclusive Learning with Accessible and Inclusive Design |
Digital accessibility is far more than a checklist, it’s the foundation of inclusive teaching and meaningful learning. When we prioritize accessibility, we’re not just meeting compliance standards but advancing equity, quality, and sustainability and accreditation in education. It reflects our shared responsibility and commitment to ensuring every student at U-M Dearborn can succeed!
Practical Ways to Teach Inclusively:
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Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles directly supports digital accessibility, making course content flexible, perceivable, and usable for all students.
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Design documents and media with accessibility baked in: Consistently use proper headings styles, clear structure, add descriptive alt-text to images, and ensure all videos have accurate captions.
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Use accessible tools: Maximize success by using university-supported tools like Yuja Panorama, Grackle add-on, Microsoft built-in accessibility checkers to improve your documents and media compliance, providing a universally reliable and barrier-free experience for all students.
- Offer content variety: Move beyond text-only learning. Deliver core concepts, assignments, assessments through a mix of formats, including video, audio, summaries, and interactive visuals, so students can engage with material in the way that works best for their individual needs.
- Design for differences: Proactively assume diversity in your classroom. Plan with flexibility from the very first day, anticipating varying needs in technology access, learning preferences, and physical ability.
- Providing learning accommodations support when needed, recognizing that we all share responsibility in this process.
- While accessible design prevents many common barriers, some students will still require formal learning accommodations through the Disability and Accessibility Service (DAS) Office.
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Commons barriers including:
- Environmental distractions, Time constraints, Limitations in accessing technology or information, Accessing facilities, equipment, or space, and so on.
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Quick Tip: Make Your Google Workspace Instantly Accessible with Grackle! |
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Your commitment to inclusive teaching and digital accessibility is our priority. To help you ensure every student can access your shared Google documents or slides, we’re introducing Grackle, this is a fast, free accessibility checker available for all U-M Google accounts.
Grackle integrates directly into Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, acting as your personal assistant that checks for key elements like alt-text, heading structure, color contrast, and more as you create, helping you make your materials accessible from the start.
Ready to upgrade your teaching toolkit?
Installing Grackle takes less than a minute! Simply follow the installation instructions and enable it for the Google tools you use most. Let’s try Grackle on your next assignment or handout!
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New Release: Digital Accessibility Requirements Overview |
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Feeling a bit overwhelmed by accessibility requirements? We’ve got you covered!
We’re excited to introduce the Digital Accessibility Requirements Overview, an easy-to-follow, 5-page guide that serves as your one-stop reference for creating accessible course materials. This resource distills essential requirements and best practices into a clear, time-saving format to help you meet accessibility standards with confidence. Take a few minutes to explore it today and you’ll be sure it is an easy entry point!
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No Prep GenAI Series: Prompts for Teaching Before, During, and After Class |
Discover practical ways to use GenAI in teaching - no advance prep or ongoing commitment required! Each flexible, drop-in session features hands-on activities, discussion, and timely resources.
We kicked off our first session on Oct 28 with Autumm and special guest Lance Eaton, creator of the Prompt Library for Education. Thank you to everyone who joined the engaging discussion on using GenAI thoughtfully and effectively!
Our next session is coming up soon — don’t miss it! Please register using the links below. All sessions are held via Zoom and designed for instructors of all experience levels and teaching modes (in person, hybrid, or online).
Schedule and Registration Links on the buttons below (all sessions via Zoom):
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Reach out to the Hub any time! |
Our contact page includes multiple ways to reach out to us, including videoconferences, email consultations, and even a form to request support if you aren't sure who to work with.
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Questions or comments? Contact Chen Wang at cwanga@umich.edu
Credits:
Cover Image by matthiasboeckel from Pixabay;
Lightbulb with flash icon created by Gemini; Teaching and Contact icons by Icons8
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