Much of the curriculum in higher ed is initially designed as if learners are “neurotypical” and then adapted for those who don’t meet that mold. This leads to many students seeking campus support services outside of the classroom in order to achieve academic success.

Neurodiversity (or learner variability) applies to all students. Essentially, neurodiversity is the idea that neurological and learning differences among people are the result of naturally occurring variations within the human genome. Rather than looking for a cure to “fix” neurodiverse behaviors, neurodiversity focuses on accommodating and supporting the diverse population. Human brains all learn differently; therefore, neurodiversity should be regarded as the rule, not the exception.

In this webcast, Dr. Elizabeth Coghill from East Carolina University will describe:

• How ECU’s Pirate Academic Success Center promotes the success of diverse learners by infusing the curriculum with universal design for learning principles and academic technologies,
• How she, her staff, and a network of peer tutors equip students to be independent and empowered learners by role modeling learning techniques and supports, and
• The unexpected outcomes of UDL and technology application integration, especially the role it plays when campus learning goes exclusively online.