Examining Google classroom capabilities to help to provide principles of universal design for learning

Abstract

Inclusive education allows every student to participate in learning activities and teachers to exercise new approaches to ensure students’ means to communicate their knowledge. Universal Design for Learning’s mandate is to ensure that all students in a classroom can access and learn from the curriculum. Assistive technology, when employed through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, can play a key role in connecting all students to curriculum and Google Classroom meets the guidelines recommended by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). These guidelines include: multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge, multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and multiple means of engagement to tap into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn. The current study focuses on Google Classroom as assistive technology in inclusive classrooms through data collected in formal and informal interviews with teachers and a focus group with students. This study is designed to better understand the benefits and challenges associated with the use of Google Classroom within the framework of UDL. While Google Classroom is still new and its use in the inclusive classroom is not perfect, it was perceived by both teachers and students as an effective classroom technology to meet the needs of each learner in the classroom. Data collected from the current study could help educational stakeholders make appropriate decisions regarding educational technology in the future.