UDL in the Cloud - (Udl Now!) by Tom Thibodeau & Katie Novak (Paperback)

About the Book

The authors offer a highly practical approach to developing e-courses, virtual snow days, flipped classes, and blended learning experiences to meet the needs of diverse learners for more accessible, engaging, and effective online learning.

Book Synopsis

UDL in the Cloud helps educators design and deliver more accessible, engaging, and effective online learning experiences.

Drawing on years of experience in K-12 and postsecondary settings, authors Katie Novak and Tom Thibodeau offer a highly practical approach to developing e-courses, virtual snow days, flipped classes, and blended learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse learners.

Following the principles and guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), readers learn to identify potential barriers to learning, cultivate an engaging "instructor presence" in a virtual environment, develop a detailed syllabus that inspires and motivates students, help scaffold students' time management skills, and much more.

Review Quotes

"Online learning is exploding, but all too often new online courses fail to draw from the deep well of research about effective teaching and learning. Katie Novak and Tom Thibodeau's new book introduces instructional designers to Universal Design for Learning, one of the most powerful frameworks for developing compelling learning environments that serve diverse learners. UDL in the Cloud offers practical guidance that online course designers can put to work immediately that rests on a solid foundation of research about how people learn."- Justin Reich, Executive Director, the initiative on Learning and teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an affliate of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University

"This book is an excellent, practical guide to developing your online learning course utilizing UDL as a framework. Step-by-step guidance leads you through the application of UDL in all the essential core components of an online course. I highly recommend this book for anyone who will use online learning as a course or an option for snow days or professional development. Excellent resource!" - George Van Horn, Ed.D., Director of Special education, Bartholomew Consolidated Schools, Columbus, Indiana

"Rich in practical examples and underpinned by a wealth of research, UDL in the Cloud demonstrates that it is possible to sustainably plan for diversity from the outset. A must-have for every educator and instructional designer keen to create 'on-ramps' for all learners in online education."- Chrissie Butler, Learning with Digital Technologies Facilitator, CORE education (new Zealand)

About the Author

Katie Novak is the Assistant Superintendent of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District in Massachusetts and a leading expert on Universal Design for Learning implementation. Tom Thibodeau is Assistant Provost at New England Institute of Technology and a board member of the New England Faculty Development Consortium.