VisualDUA: estratégias visuais e inclusivas para a prática docente

Abstract

This research proposes the development of a teacher training aimed at building theoretical and practical knowledge about Visual Pedagogical Strategies (VPS), grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Thus, incorporating and reflecting upon visual resources based on UDL emerges as an essential strategy to promote more accessible and effective pedagogical practices. The epistemological foundations of this study draw from visual theories, notably Donis A. Dondis (1997), Christian Leborg (2004), and Bill Cope, Mary Kalantzis, and Renato Pinheiro (2020), as well as UDL studies developed by CAST (2019; 2025) and authors such as Hedero, Prais, Vitalino (2022), Mendonza (2023), and Góes and Costa (2024). The methodology is exploratory with a qualitative approach. As an educational product, the VisualDUA training course was developed for the continuing education of higher education faculty. The general objective is to develop and validate a teacher training proposal that promotes the construction of theoretical and practical knowledge on visual pedagogical strategies (VPS), grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), aiming at a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible higher education. The four specific objectives are: to map, through a scoping literature review, scientific productions addressing the application of VPS in higher education, analyzing how these strategies articulate with UDL principles; to analyze the training demands of higher education professors regarding the use of visual pedagogical strategies, based on a survey; to develop the training course, structuring content, activities, and teaching resources that integrate theory and practice in the use of inclusive visual strategies; and to apply and evaluate the training prototype, considering the contributions of participating professors and specialists to improve the educational product. The course includes a booklet as the physical/material component of the proposal, available in Portable Document Format (PDF). The development process of the product was based on the Design Thinking approach, encompassing a literature review, a survey applied to professors, needs analysis, prototyping, and the creation of the online course, featuring both synchronous and asynchronous activities. The course is organized into four sessions: (1) The First Look: initial approaches; (2) Deepening the Look: theoretical framework; (3) Exercising the Look: practices, experimentation, and creative possibilities; and (4) Sources of the Look. Validation of the product was conducted with eight higher education professors from public and private institutions in the state of Pará. The results indicated strong acceptance of the course, highlighting its potential as a viable tool for initial and continuing teacher training in the use of visual practices aligned with UDL. Therefore, the VisualDUA course stands out as an educational tool that contributes to the qualification of teaching practices in higher education, encouraging the adoption of inclusive strategies that cater to both typical and atypical students, promoting a more accessible, equitable, and meaningful education.