The What and How of Universal Design for Learning 

Look in any classroom and you will see a diverse group of learners.  Personalities, learning styles, knowledge, motivation, and so on, make us different.  As an educator, meeting the diverse needs of learners can be quite a challenge.  But, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), provides curriculum developers with a framework for instruction that promotes equity, and accessibility for all learners.  The 4 components of curriculum that should be universally designed are the objectives, materials, instructional strategies, and assessments. In this post I will share the 3 principles of UDL. 

UDL Principles

Each principle is vertically designed and includes 3 domains, each with their own guidelines.  The goal of the first principle is to increase comprehension and resourcefulness.  Some of the ways to accomplish this is by using multiple forms of media, activating prior knowledge, and providing captions for images. The second principle is to foster strategic, goal-oriented thinking by allowing learners to express their knowledge in a variety of ways and allowing learners to set their own goals to monitor their progress.  This encourages learners to take ownership of their learning experiences.  The third principle focuses on motivation and engagement.  This tenet suggests that instruction should be differentiated to gain and maintain the interest of the learner. 

I.  Multiple Means of Representation

• Options for perception
• Options for language, mathematical expression, and symbols
• Options for comprehension

II. Multiple Means of Action and Expression

• Options for physical action
• Options for expression and communication
• Options for executive functions

III. Multiple Means of Engagement

• Options for recruiting interest
• Options for sustaining effort and persistence
• Options for self-regulation

UDL provides a flexible framework for curriculum design that aims to eliminate the barriers by giving the learners choices and paths to become self-regulated experts.  Learners are highly diverse and the curriculum should be differentiated to meet their needs.  If you would like more information click the link below.

Universal Design for Learning   http://www.udlcenter.org/

 

References

Home | National Center On Universal Design for Learning (Home | National Center On Universal Design for Learning) http://www.udlcenter.org/
Resource Library | National Center On Universal Design for Learning (Resource Library | National Center On Universal Design for Learning) http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library