Universal Design for Learning in Introductory Statistics Courses

Program Abstract: Simulation-based inference (SBI), inquiry-based learning (IBL), and student collaboration have been effective at helping a wide range of learners. However, IBL and groupwork can sometimes have unintended negative effects for some groups of students, particularly those who have historically been excluded from high quality mathematics education. This presentation describes preliminary results from the first seven months of a three-year research project investigating instructional practices that support students in introductory SBI courses. Five instructors with a history of closing the achievement gap at a less selective college with a neurodiverse student body participated in video stimulated recall interviews. Twelve students shared their experiences in introductory statistics. The instructional practices identified add more detail to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines for post-secondary statistics courses that use active learning strategies. As the percentage of college students with learning differences increases, all institutions must examine their use of UDL aligned practices.