Developing Inclusive Environments in Education: Global Practices and Curricula

Inclusive education remains a significant challenge in today's educational landscape, as K-12 classrooms and higher education institutions struggle to meet the diverse needs of all students. To address this pressing issue, Developing Inclusive Environments in Education: Global Practices and Curricula, led by Kiyoji Koreeda, offers practical strategies and insights. The book explores the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, providing a comprehensive guide to making learning inclusive and transformative. It showcases global examples of universal design curricula and highlights the use of educational technologies to facilitate inclusive learning experiences. By focusing on practical activities and support systems, the book empowers educators to build inclusive classrooms and higher education settings, offering detailed descriptions of useful tools and software for personalized teaching materials and reasonable accommodations. Developing Inclusive Environments in Education is an essential resource for researchers and educators committed to fostering inclusive practices and creating transformative educational environments. Embracing the strategies and insights presented in this book allows researchers and educators to revolutionize their approach to education. They can create inclusive environments that support the success and well-being of every student, ensuring that no one is left behind. By adopting the practical guidance and leveraging the examples provided, educators can implement inclusive practices and transform their classrooms and educational settings to meet the diverse needs of learners worldwide. This transformative approach empowers educators to utilize advanced curricula, leverage educational technologies, and implement personalized teaching materials and accommodations, ultimately creating an environment where all students can thrive. Developing Inclusive Environments in Education serves as a valuable resource, equipping educators with the necessary knowledge and tools to build inclusive and transformative educational environments.

Kiyoji Koreeda is a professor at Toyo University in Japan. His work focuses on educational support for persons with various disabilities in Special Needs Education Schools and Social Welfare Facilities. Dr. Koreeda completed his doctoral course at the United Graduate School of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan. After seventeen years as a special needs education school teacher in Kanagawa Prefecture, he worked as a researcher at the National Institute of Special Needs Education for six years. He then moved to Toyo University, where he currently trains social workers.

Masayoshi Tsuge is a professor of humanities at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. He belongs to the research field of intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and behavioral disorders. He is also the leader of the Disability Science doctoral degree program. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Tsukuba. During this time, he is the head of the Department of Education for Mild Intellectual Disabilities at the National Institute of Special Education in Japan, a visiting researcher at the Mental Retardation Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, and a specialist in mildly developmental disabilities at the Special Needs Education Division of the Ministry of Education in Japan. And then, a professor at the Graduate School of Special Needs Education at Hyogo University of Education in Japan, and director of Educational Information Department at the National Institute for Special Needs Education. And now he is working at the University of Tsukuba. During this time, he served as an editorial committee member, director, and president of academic societies in Japan and overseas. etc. He also served as a member of the Cabinet Office's Policy Committee for Persons with Disabilities and a member of the Ministry of Education's Central Council for Education. Currently, he is working on pedagogical and psychological research on people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and behavioral disorders at the University of Tsukuba with doctoral students from Japan and abroad.

Shigeru Ikuta is now a Senior Chief Researcher at Institute of Human Culture Studies, Otsuma Women’s University, Japan. He is an education technologist, teacher educator in Science, and special educator with a focus on student learning and development on the basis of communication aids. He completed his graduate work and earned a doctorate in science at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. He had been working as a Professor of Computation Chemistry at Tokyo Metropolitan University for twenty-nine years. He moved to University of Tsukuba and has started collaborative works with schoolteachers, affiliated with the University. He has been conducting many school activities in cooperation with the schoolteachers all over the world for more than 19 years using original handmade teaching materials with dot codes, eBooks with Media Overlays, and Augmented Reality in supporting the students’ learning both at the special needs and general public schools. He is honored to be an Emeritus Professor of Otsuma Women’s University and Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Elizabeth Minchin Dalton is senior consultant for Dalton Education Services International (DESI), and Director Emeritus of Development and Research for TechACCESS of RI, regional assistive technology center in Rhode Island, USA. Dr. Dalton has worked 45+ years in education, focused on developing curricula, teaching students at many levels, and preparing teachers in special education and assistive technology for K-12 and higher education settings. Most recently, Dr. Dalton focuses on Universal Design for Learning, which she studied in a post-doctoral fellowship with CAST and Boston College. She develops and delivers training and curricula in UDL principles and strategies, both online and f2f. A widely published author, her work includes a co-edited book, Universal Access Through Inclusive Instructional Design: International Perspectives on UDL (Routledge 2020). Dr. Dalton served as president of the Inclusive Learning Network of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), editor for JIASE, Journal of the International Association for Special Education (IASE), and co-chair of the UDL Special Interest Group of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). Currently she serves on the Steering Committee of the International Collaboratory for Leadership in Universally Designed Education (INCLUDE), as well as co-leader for Professional Development and Training.

Linda Plantin Ewe is a Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education at the Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education at Kristianstad University in Sweden. Linda works as a teacher trainer within the Special Education Teacher Programs. She is interested in inclusive education, accessibility, equity, and social justice. Her research focuses primarily on students with neurodevelopmental disorders. More specifically, it focuses on the relationship between teachers and students with neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Ewe is a co-leader in the Professional Development and Training Team in the International Collaboratory for Leadership in Universally Designed Education (INCLUDE).