A Quantitative Ex-Post Facto Causal-Comparative Study of Universal Design for Learning Engagement Strategies in Online Continuing Education Courses
Date
2023-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
An increase in online learning experiences emphasizes the importance of utilizing online continuing education opportunities for K–12 educator professional development. The problem was that Florida K–12 educators enrolled in online Professional Development Alternatives (PDA) courses have decreased completion rates. While public regulations require Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in classrooms, there is a gap in research analyzing the impact of UDL on K–12 educators enrolled in online professional development. Utilizing the Community of Inquiry (CoI) theory, the purpose of this study was to determine if a difference exists between the achievement of completers and non-completers among Florida K–12 educators who participated in a non-UDL PDA course and a UDL PDA course. One research question focused on the difference between PDA course completion rates for participants who did and did not receive UDL engagement strategies, with corresponding hypotheses. An ex-post facto causal-comparative design from a population of 509 educators used archival data from n = 125 educators enrolled in online PDA. A statistical analysis using the chi-square test of independence rejected the null hypothesis. This study provided statistically significant evidence to support rejecting the null hypothesis, recommendations include further research, including ongoing adult education, UDL, and true experimental research.
Description
item.page.type
Other