Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 226 Research Article Technology Enabled Capacity Building for Teachers in Inclusive Evaluation: UDL Best Practice Ananthi G Pillai1 & K.Sambathrani2 1Ph.D-Research Scholar, Department of Special Education Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women Email- ananthigowrimuthupillai@gmail.com 2Professor & Head, Department of Special Education Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women Coimbatore, TamilNadu Abstract As we all know, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed. The present study is an experimental attempt to examine the significance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in inclusive evaluation. To strengthen the difficulties faced by the teachers in inclusive evaluation, the investigator adopted the purposive sampling method in the study entitled “Technology Enabled Capacity Building for Teachers in Inclusive Evaluation: UDL Best Practice.” This sampling technique can be effective in exploring anthropological situations where the discovery of meaning can benefit from an intuitive approach. Thirty-two participants of the research were chosen from Noida, U.P government, and non-government schools. Out of these, 15 were male teachers and 17 were female teachers who were made into two groups; the same participants were divided by qualification; 15 teachers were qualified with undergraduate, and the remaining 17 were post-graduate teachers. 16 teachers were employed in government schools, and the other half of teachers (16) were working in non-government schools. The independent variables of the study were teachers’ gender, qualification and school of employment. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the research; there was no control group. The main aim of the study is to analyze the challenges of teachers in the technology-incorporated evaluation process and build digital capacity with the help of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create an equitable, inclusive learning environment. Keywords: Teacher competency, Inclusive Education, Technology Enablement, UDL, Capacity Building, and Digital Evaluation. Introduction The modern curriculum focuses on student-centric teaching and learning. Many Western countries are providing self-paced learning for their students. This millennium is evidencing great transformation from the ancient teaching method, which was teacher- centric bureaucratese. The technology ensures a global standard in education as reflected in the digital curriculum. As we all know, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed. In short, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) helps in the creation of an inclusive teaching-learning environment. In CAST’s Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice, assessment is defined as “the process of Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 227 gathering information about a learner’s performance to make educational decisions” (Salvia & Ysseldyke, 2009). Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) 2040 highlights inclusive education; many Acts and policies are supported, including the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016, National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020. It is high time for educational institutions to look into digital evaluation processes to access inclusive student performance. Several studies focused on digital evaluation in the Western context but, not in the Indian context. While adopting the Western system, teachers of our nation need to be properly trained to meet the challenges. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the challenges of teachers in technology incorporated evaluation process and build digital capacity with the help of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create an equitable, inclusive learning environment. Need for the Study Technology brings the world under one roof; we can learn anything with a finger touch. It laid the foundation for globalization. Thus, globalization in education brings enormous changes to the Indian education system. Our education system is ancient and has a long-rooted history, which is bound by traditional methods of teaching and learning. Great thinkers and philosophers are evident in this traditional curriculum. Westernization of Education seeds the modern curriculum by adopting the traditional method of teaching and learning is also often referred to as the learner-centric method. This leads to technology- enabled classrooms and teachers are trained. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) helps in the creation of inclusive teaching-learning environments in both offline (classroom) and online teaching. During the COVID-19 pandemic situation, online teaching and learning succussed because of this technology enablement in school and higher education, including the research community. It is high time for India, like developing countries, to enable technology in the evaluation process as developed countries. This study mainly aims to build digital competency among inclusive teachers to enable them in the technology-based evaluation process from the primary level itself by scaffolding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Objectives of the Study The following are the major objectives of the experimental study. • To measure the inclusive teachers’ competency in technology-enabled evaluation • To develop appropriate material to access the inclusive teachers’ competency in the digital evaluation. • To compare the inclusive teachers’ competency in digital evaluation based on gender, qualification and type of school they were employed. • To build digital competency among inclusive teachers to enable them in the technology-based evaluation process by scaffolding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. • To compare the teachers’ digital competency in the pre-test and post-test phases. • To provide need-based training for teachers on digital evaluation for the fruitful inclusion concept by incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Hypothesis of the Study The null hypothesis framed for the testing of objectives is as follows: Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 228 1. There is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to gender. 2. There is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to qualification. 3. There is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to the school. Review of Literature Liyan Feng and team 2013 examined the effectiveness of electronic evaluation in 53 schools in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. They found that 50 per cent of the schools are using digital portfolios for evaluation. A total of 56.10 per cent of the teacher participants of the study reported high professional growth activities. In their study, Fatma Cumhur and Sefika Sumeyye Cam 2021 explored the digital transformation in the assessment and evaluation process with 52 student teachers in the faculty of education in Turkey. A mixed method research design is followed for the study through quasi-experiment. The result reveals that digitalized evaluation is effective and accurate. Similarly, Nonmanut Pongsakdi, Arto Kortelaninen, and Marjaana Veermans (2021) aimed to explore the Enhancement of the skills of teachers in digital assessment tools. About 98 teachers are chosen for the study from Finland. The results of the study highlight that teachers’ digital skills depend on their ICT confidence level. Materials and Methods Method: Quasi-experimental design is followed for the present study. The participants of the study were chosen by purposive sampling method. The study is new to the Indian context, thus, the researcher chose the purposive sampling method. This sampling technique can be effective in exploring anthropological situations where the discovery of meaning can benefit from an intuitive approach. Sample: The 32 teachers from various regions of Noida, UP, were identified from the out-reach data record of SASR India, Faridabad, Haryana, as part of Community Promotional Activities. Out of these, 15 male teachers and 17 female teachers were made into two groups; the same participants were divided by qualification; 15 teachers were qualified with undergraduate, and the remaining 17 were post-graduate teachers. 16 teachers were employed in government schools, and the other half of teachers (16) were working in non-government schools. The ethical clearance was also sought for the study. Material i. Universal Design for Learning- Digital Evaluation (UDL-DE) Tool. ii. Universal Design for Learning- Digital Evaluation Training (UDL- DET). Description A checklist was prepared with close- ended questions developed by the investigators and was named as Universal Design For Learning- Digital Evaluation (UDL-DE) Tool. The UDL- DE tool has three components i) accountability, ii) student progress, and iii) instruction. These were prepared based on Universal Design for Learning principles; multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of representation. This UDL-DE tool is administrated to the teachers in the pre- test and post-test phases. The chosen independent variables of the study are teachers’ gender, qualification, Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 229 and school of employment. A quasi- experimental design is adopted for the research; there is no control group. UDL-enabled digital training, named as Universal Design for Learning- Digital Evaluation Training (UDL-DET), is given to the teachers to build digital competency in the inclusive evaluation process. The data collected from the teachers in the pre-test and post-test phases were recorded. Statistical techniques were applied, and the results of the analyzed data were tabulated and presented in a pictorial form. Limitations of the Study • The sample of the study is small size. The purposive sampling method limits the participation of the other teachers. • In quasi-experimental design, participants are not randomized to the intervention named UDL- DET. Thus, this method may lead to systematic biases and influence the group membership. So, further research can be carried out with a true experimental method with control groups. • The study focused only government, and non-government schools of Noida, U.P. • Special school teachers are excluded from the study. • The teachers who were unwilling to participate in the pre-test and the post-test phases were not included in the study. Result and Discussion The demography of the teachers is given in Table no: 1 with numbers and percentages. Table-1: Distribution of Participants with Number and Percentage S.No Area Level Number Percentage 1. Gender Male 15 47% Female 17 53% 2. Qualification Under-Graduate 15 47% Post-Graduate 17 53% 3. School Government School 16 50% Non-Government School 16 50% Figure-1: Distribution of Teachers Based on Gender Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 230 Figure-2: Distribution of Teachers Based on Qualification Figure-3: Distribution of Teachers Based on Schools Table-2: Pre-test and Post-test Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Based on Gender Gender N Test Mean SD t-test Significance P-Value Male 15 Pre-test 19.13 3.98 -3.42* .000974 Post-test 23.47 2.87 Female 17 Pre-test 17.65 3.95 -3.24* .001382 Post-test 23.65 3.08 *Significant at 0.05 level Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 231 Table no: 2 describes the male and female teachers’ pre-test and posttest mean scores and SD with t-value in the technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. The male teacher’s pre-test mean score was foubd to be 19.13 with 3.98 SD, whereas the female got 17.65 by administrating the UDL-DE tool. This difference shows that both male and female teachers have different levels of competency in digital evaluation. In the post-test, mean scores of males were 23.47, and for females it was 23.65. Female teachers made an extra effort in UDL-DET, which resulted in high post-test scores. The t-value of males was -3.42, and -3.24 for females which were significant at 0.05 level. Thus, the null hypothesis stated that, “there is no significance difference among the teachers’ capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to gender,” is rejected. Figure-4: Gender-wise Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Table-3: Pre-test and Post-test Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Based on Qualification Qualification N Test Mean SD t-test Significance P-Value UG 15 Pre-test 17.03 3.79 -3.34* .001179 Post-test 21.53 3.52 PG 17 Pre-test 19.47 3.89 -3.47* .000756 Post-test 23.65 3.08 *Significant at 0.05 level Table no: 3 presents the teachers’ competency in the digital evaluation process based on UDL in the UDL-DE tool. For teachers with UG qualifications, the pre-test mean score is 17.03, and the post-test score is 21.53 with .001179 p-value; for teachers with PG qualifications, 19.47 is the pre-test score, and 23.65 is the post-test score. While analyzing the scores, teachers with PG qualifications got high scores in the pre-test and post-test phases; this may be due to the academic exposure gained as part of the Master’s Degree program and the impact of UDL-DET. The pre-test t-vale was -3.34, and the Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 232 post-test value was -3.47. Both were significant. This significant reference of teachers with UG and PG qualifications made the investigator reject the null hypothesis: “There is no significant difference among the teacher’s capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to qualification. Figure-5: Qualification-wise Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Table-4: Pre-test and Post-test Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Based on the Type of School School N Test Mean SD t-test Significance P-Value Government 16 Pre-test 19.44 4.02 -3.46* .000813 Post-test 23.69 2.82 Non-Government 16 Pre-test 17.25 3.73 -3.32* .001186 Post-test 21.62 3.72 *Significant at 0.05 level Table No: 4 portrays the mean score and SD with t and p values of the teachers scored in the pre-test and post-test by UDL-DE Tool. The government school teachers’ pre-test score is 19.44 for non- government school teachers 17.25 with 3.73 SD. The post-test scores are 23.69 for government school teachers with -3.46 t-value 21.62 for non-government school teachers with -3.32 t-value. Both the t-values were significant at 0.05 level. In both the pre-test and post-test phases, government school teachers performed high while compared to non-government school teachers. This shows that government school teachers have more opportunities for refresher and in-service training, whereas the opportunities are minimal for non-governmental school teachers. UDL-DET has a higher impact on government school teachers. Hence, the null hypothesis stated, “there is no significance difference among the teacher’s capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to school,” is rejected. Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 233 Figure-6: School-wise Scores of Teachers in Technology-enabled Inclusive Evaluation Findings and Conclusion In the participants’ group, 47 per cent were male, and the remaining 53 per cent were female teachers from government and non-government schools of Noida, UP. 47 per cent of the teachers were qualified with under graduation, and 17 of them were with post-graduation, which means 53 per cent of the study were participants. 50 per cent of the teachers were employed in government schools of Noida and the remaining 16 teachers were from non-government schools. Several studies focused on digital evaluation in a Western context but, not in the Indian context. While adopting the Western system, teachers of our nation should be properly trained to meet the challenges. Male teachers’ pre-test mean score was 19.13 with 3.98 SD, whereas females got 17.65 in UDL-DE Tool. This difference shows both male and female teachers have different levels of competency in digital evaluation. While planning the training program, the stakeholders should give some special focus on female teachers, in a post-test mean score of males 23.47 and females 23.65. Female teachers made an extra effort in UDL-DET, which resulted in higher post-test scores. For teachers with UG qualifications pre-test mean score is 17.03, and the post-test score was 21.53 in the UDL- DE Tool assessment. .001179 p-value, for teachers with PG qualification also, 19.47 is the pre-test score, and 23.65 is the post-test score. While analyzing the scores, teachers with PG qualifications got high scores in the pre-test and post-test phases; this may be due to the academic exposure gained as part of the Master’s Degree program. This shows that UDL-DET has a higher impact among teachers with PG qualifications. Bachelor’s Degree programs should strengthen the curriculum with digital evaluation to prepare their teacher trainees to meet the challenges of technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. The government school teachers’ pre-test score was 19.44 and for non-government school teachers 17.25 with 3.73 SD. The post- test scores were 23.69 for government school teachers with -3.46 t-value 21.62 for non-government school teachers with -3.32 t-value. Both the t-values were significant at 0.05 level. In both the pre- test and post-test phases, government school teachers performed highly as compared to non-government school teachers. This shows that government school teachers have more opportunities Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 234 for refresher and in-service training, whereas the opportunities are minimal for non-governmental school teachers. These training programs helped the government school teachers in UDL- DET. The non-government school teachers should also be provide with the same opportunities as government school teachers w.r.t the training programs. Marjaana Veermans (2021) also states that teachers’ digital skills depend on their ICT confidence level. Thus, the study helped inclusive teachers to increase their digital competency through UDL-DET. Suggestions • Most research studies focused on digital evaluation in a Western context, not in the Indian context. While adopting a Western system of grading, teachers of our nation should be properly trained to meet the challenges. • While planning the digital training program, the stakeholders should give some special focus and additional training to female teachers and teachers with disabilities. • The digital training should incorporate Universal Design for Learning principles. • Bachelor’s Degree programs should strengthen the curriculum with digital evaluation to prepare their teacher trainees to meet the challenges in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. • Non-government school teachers should also be provided with the same opportunities as that of government school teachers w.r.t training programs like pre-service, in-service and refresher courses. • The training should be practical rather than theoretical. • The digital training can be in both the forms; off-line (center or institutional-based) and online with low cost or no cost. (Acknowledgement: The investigator would like to appreciate and thank the Society for Advance Study in Rehabilitation (SASR India) Faridabad, Haryana, for the enormous support in the conduct of the research study. ) References Ahonen, A. K., & Kankaanranta, M. (2015). Introducing assessment tools for 21st century skills in Finland. In P. Griffin & E. Care (Eds.), Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills. Educational assessment in an information age (pp. 213–225). Dordrecht: Springer. Ananthi, G. Pillai, & Sambathrani, K. (2019). Upshot of UDL-E on Children with Specific Learning Disabilities. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research.8,9(7), 63- 67. Çam, Şefika & Koç Erdamar, Gürcü. (2021). A needs analysis study on technological pedagogical content knowledge of faculty members. Education and Information Technologies. 26. 1-27. 10.1007/s10639-021-10540-0. Chapman, D. D., & Joines, J. A. (2017). Strategies for increasing response rates for online end-of-course evaluations. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 47–60. Christensen, R., & Knezek, G. (2008). Self-report measures and findings for information technology attitudes and competencies. In J. Voogt & G. Knezek (Eds.), International handbook of information technology in primary and secondary education  (pp. 349–365). New York: Springer Science Business Media. Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 235 Clariana, R. & Wallace, P. (2002). Paper based versus computer-based assessment: Key factors associated with the test mode effect. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 593–602. Cumhur, F., & Cam, S.S. (2021). Digital Transformation in Assessment and Evaluation Course: The Effect of Web 2.0 Tools. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 5(3), 15-39. Duan Jing. (2012). The Study on Educational Technology Abilities Evaluation Method. International Conference on Applied Physics and Industrial Engineering. Physics Procedia, 24, 2111-2116. Durff, L., & Carter, M. (2019). Overcoming second-order barriers to technology integration on K-5 schools. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 9(1). Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would you recognize universal design for learning if you saw it? Ten propositions for new directions for the second decade of UDL. Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(1), 33–41. Faber, J., Luyten, J. W., & Visscher, A. J. (2017). The effects of a digital formative assessment tool on mathematics achievement and student motivation: Results of a randomized experiment. Computers & Education, 106, 83–96. Gallagher, A., Bridgeman, B. & Cahalan, C. (2000). The effect of computer based tests on racial/ethnic, gender, and language groups (GRE Board Professional Report No. 96-21P). Princeton, NJ: Education Testing Service. Instefjord, E., & Munthe, E. (2017). Educating digitally competent teachers: A study of integration of professional digital competence in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 37–45. Mousa, M. (2017). Technology Based Assessment and Enhancement of Thinking Skills: A Case Study of the Educational System Development in Palestine. International Humanities Studies, 4(2), 22-33. James, W. P., & Edys, S. Q. (2011). Perspectives on the Integration of Technology and Assessment. JRTE, 43(2), 119-134. Lai, J. C., Bower, M. (2019). Evaluation Of Technology Use In Education: Findings From a Critical Analysis Of Systematic Literature Reviews. J Comput Assist Learn, 3(36), 241-259. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12412 Persico, D.; Manca, S.; Pozzi, F. (2014). Adapting the technology acceptance model to evaluate the innovative potential of e-learning systems. Comput.HumanBehav., 30, 614–622. Pillai, G. Ananthi., & Sambathrani, K. (2023). Special Education Teachers\’ Knowledge on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Skills in Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.5281/ zenodo.8139244 Pillai, G. Ananthi., & D, K. (2023). Academic Assessment by General Educators in Inclusive Schools on Special Needs. International Journal of Science and Research Archive. 08(01), 459- 464 Sibberns, H. (2020). Technology and Assessment. In: Wagemaker, H. (eds) Reliability and Validity of International Large-Scale Assessment. IEA Research for Education, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53081-5_10 Tammaro, R., & D’Alessio, A. (2016). Teacher training and digital competence: A pedagogical recommendation. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 7(2), 1–10. Indian Journal of Educational Technology Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2023 236 Way, W., Davis, L. & Fitzpatrick, S. (2006). Score comparability of online and paper administrations of Texas assessment of knowledge and skills. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education. San Francisco, CA. Yuda, M. (2011). Effectiveness of digital educational materials for developing spatial thinking of elementary school students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 21(1), 116- 119.