Universal Design for Learning
Definition
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the process of designing and delivering curricula, materials, and environments in a manner that makes them accessible and usable to all students. UDL can be seen in educational approaches such as differentiated instruction, teachers as coaches, learning as process, individualized instruction, and cooperative learning.
Principles
In designing and delivering curricula, materials, and environments, educators need to consider ways to make the educational experience more convenient, more comfortable, and more flexible for learners of diverse backgrounds and learning styles. This consideration needs to involve the three main principles of the UDL framework:
- Providing multiple, flexible methods of presenting the information
- Providing multiple, flexible methods of interacting with and responding to the information
- Providing multiple, flexible methods of finding meaning from and engaging the information
Goals and Guidelines
The primary goals of Universal Design for Learning are to support recognition networks, to support strategic networks, and to support affective networks.
Recognition goals involve the “who, what, where, and when” of learning. Examples of UDL strategies designed to support these goals include providing multiple examples, highlighting critical features, providing information in multiple formats, and utilizing multimedia and technology.
Strategic goals involve the “how” of learning. Examples of UDL strategies designed to support these goals include allowing flexible opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills, providing scaffolding opportunities, and providing flexible pace to learning, and providing ongoing feedback.
Affective goals involve the “why” of learning. Examples of UDL strategies designed to support these goals include offering choices in context of learning, offering choices of tools and content of learning, offering adjustable levels of challenge, and offering rewards.
Methods
| Strategy | What That Means |
|---|---|
| Provide multiple examples | Present patterns using multisensory approaches with many examples and counter examples |
| Highlight critical features | Explicitly identify critical features in examples |
| Provide multiple media and formats | Provide redundancy of patterns and critical features through a variety of media, formats, organizations, detail, and depth allowing the learner to access information in the way in which it best fits the individual’s learning style |
| Support background knowledge | Ask learners to relate own experiences to topic being studied, to relate what is already known about topic being studied, and review key vocabulary and concepts prior to studying topic |
| Strategy | What That Means |
|---|---|
| Provide flexible models of skilled performance | Present examples and counter examples of expert performance, and allow the learner the choice of how to express knowledge and skills |
| Provide scaffolding opportunities | Allow learner to become proficient with each step of a task before performing entire task |
| Provide multiple media and formats | Provide ongoing, relevant feedback |
| Strategy | What That Means |
|---|---|
| Offer choices of content and tools | Allow for flexibility in learning style as well as areas of interest and ability |
| Provide adjustable levels of challenge | Assist learners in setting individualized and realistic goals based on level of task difficulty and individual frustration level |
| Offer choice of rewards | Identify individualized intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for each learner |
| Offer choice of learning context | Allow learners to choose the amount of structure and types of materials needed to complete an assignment |
Practical Application
| Topic | Beginning UDL | Intermediate UDL | Advanced UDL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study Guides |
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Email lesson/study notes to students or post on class Website | Students use study guide as hardcopy printout or have computer using text to speech software read it to them. |
| Scaffolding Instructional Content |
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Use accessible digital content with built in content scaffolding provided by publishers |
| Visually Present Lesson Content |
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Develop lessons in PowerPoint using pictures from Internet or digital camera | Search for video clips on the Internet and play in class or insert into PowerPoint. Search on Google.com using key words “Mpeg” or “video clips” and your topic of interest. |
| Note Taking |
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Record lessons using a digital tape recorder for students to check out/take home | Create class notes in Word and email to students using RWG which will allow it to be read to them |
| Testing |
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| Reading |
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Use Text Reader software such as RWG to access high interest content from the Internet or free content found at www.bartelby.com | Use Text Reader software with Accessible Digital Textbooks either on CD Rom or the Internet offered by major textbook publishers |
| Writing |
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External Resources
Tools for educators learning about and practicing Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/
Articles and books pertaining to Universal Design for Learning
