Universal Design for Learning: Access, Assessment & Engagement for All
Jolene TroiaEducation Consultant
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction608-266-5583
Why do we need to make changes?
• Increasing diversity in classrooms
• Adoption of Common Core State Standards and Common Core Essential Elements
• New Educator Effectiveness system
• Emphasis on high quality instruction, collaboration, balanced assessment, and culturally responsive practices
• Increased emphasis on data
• Traditional methods are not working for ALL students
• Fewer than 11% of students with intellectual disabilities are fully included in regular education classrooms (Smith & O’Brien, 2007)
– Many of these students simply haven’t been given the chance to try
• “Among the chief obstacles faced by people with intellectual disabilities are the limiting expectations that others have for them.”– Thomas Armstrong,
Neurodiversity in The Classroom
Brain Imaging Showing Individual Differences
3 different people learning the same finger tapping task
http://old.cast.org/tesmm/example2_3/brain.htm
Universal Design for LearningIs
what?Is
what?A scientifically valid framework
that
Provides multiple means of access, assessment, and engagement and
removes barriers in instruction Does what?Does what?
toachieve academic and
behavioral successfor all
For what?
For what?
• Reduces barriers
• Meets the wide range of needs of all learners
• One size fits all approach is not effective
• Inspired from universal design in architecture
Universal Design for Learning
Three UDL Principles
Access Assessment Engagement
Provide Multiple Means of Representation
Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Provide Multiple Means of Engagement
Resources to Explore the UDL Framework
Website App Wheel Wiki
www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle1
http://udlwheel.mdonlinegrants.org/
http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/
Strengths of Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities
• You have to KNOW your students and collaborate with the general education teacher to capitalize on these strengths
• Individual for each child but there are some general strengths that can be found in various disabilities
Strengths of Students with Down Syndrome
• excellent imitation skills• good sense of humor• strong visual-motor skills• well developed non-verbal social skills• very friendly
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Strengths of Students with Williams Syndrome
• strong musical abilities• good oral expression skills• enjoy being with other people• strong understanding of the emotional state
of others and facial cues• good auditory memory
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Strengths of Students with Fragile X Syndrome
• excellent memory• great sense of humor• good imitation skills• strong empathy for others
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Strengths of Students with Prader-Willi Syndrome
• enjoy reading• good at jigsaw and word search puzzles• long term memory• nurturing
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Strengths of students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• strengths in music, playing instruments, singing and composing
• strong abilities in writing, poetry and art• interests in woodworking, computers,
mechanics and skilled vocations such as welding or electrical work
• helpful and friendly
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Strengths of Students with Autism
• well developed visual skills• skilled at perceiving details• excel at memorizing rote material• good with machines or computers• specific interest areas
from Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong
Goals
Traditional • Goals may get skewed by
the inflexible ways and means of achieving them
UDL• Goals are attained in many
individualized ways, by many customized means
Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning
Materials
Traditional• Mostly print (text) and
everyone gets the same materials
• Few options
UDL• Variety of materials, media,
and formats to reach learners with diverse abilities, styles, and needs equally well
Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning
Methods
Traditional
• Teacher centered (lecture)
• Burden on student to adapt to “get it”
UDL• Teacher is a facilitator of
learning, students are interactive
• Burden is on the curriculum
Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning
Assessment
Traditional• Confuse goals with means
• Summative – when it’s too late to adjust instruction
UDL• Many possible means as
long as they measure learning
• Uses a variety of formative and summative means and is flexible enough to provide accurate, ongoing information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning in a meaningful way.
Adapted from the National Center on Universal Design for Learning
ActivityEvaluate an IEP goal through a UDL lens
• Determine if the goal allows for multiple means of access, assessment and engagement
• If not, how could you change the goal to better reflect the UDL principles?
Critical Factors to UDL Implementation
• State leadership needs to embrace UDL
• UDL must be understood as a general education initiative that moves beyond special education
from Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Initiatives on the Move
Next Steps
Continue to explore the UDL framework and UDL resources
Move beyond traditional methods of instruction
Take small steps (one guideline, one lesson, one unit)
Work toward systemic change
The problem is not the students…
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look into the reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce…”
~Thich Nhat Hahn
In summary, please remember…
Links:• National Center on UDLhttp://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
• Interactive Wheelhttp://udlwheel.mdonlinegrants.org/
• UDL Toolkithttp://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com
• Dynamic Learning Maps – UDL Training Modulehttp://dynamiclearningmaps.org/unc/modules.html
• www.udl4allstudents.org
• www.cast.org
• www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/
• www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/examples
Resources