Hansen E. G., Zapata-Rivera, D., & Feng, M. (2009). Beyond Accessibility: Evidence Centered Design for Learning (ECDL) for Improving the Efficiency of Instruction. Paper presented at the session of Test use in special populations at the National Council on Educational Measurement 2009 Annual Conference (NCME, 2009), San Diego, CA.
Abstract
This paper illustrates how Evidence Centered Design (ECD) can be used to address the accessibility of learning-centered assessments, and how such efforts lay a critical foundation for improvements in other aspects of quality, particularly learning efficiency. Specifically, it illustrates how the same basic strategies used to ensure accessibility can be taken a step further to make such systems more learning efficient for students more generally. We draw on Cognitive Load Theory to provide a research-based rationale for this approach. If validated, this approach may lay a foundation for learning-centered systems that are not only more accessible for students with disabilities but also more learning effective and efficient, valid, and engaging for all students.