Universal Design for

Learning (UDL) Jeannine Miller

Student id A00232202 Diverse Learners and Technology (EDUC - 7109 - 1)

Overview of UDL

UDL Definition

A curriculums foundation based upon

equality in learning for all.

Designing goals, methods, materials,

and assessments that are pliable

to fit a diverse need of learners.

http://www.youtube.com/user/UDLCAST

Everyday Non DigitalExamples of UDL

Wheelchair accessible buildings/parking

Braille signs

Spanish translations

Handicap restrooms

Everyday Digital Examples of UDL

Books on tape

Hearing impaired phone technology

Closed captioning

Text to speech

Neural Networks • Recognition Networks

• The "what" of learning

• How we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks.

• Present information and content in different ways

Source: http://www.cast.org/research/udl

Examples Offer ways of customizing the display of information

Offer alternatives for auditory information

Offer alternatives for visual information

Provide options for language, mathematical expressions and symbols

Clarity vocabulary and symbols

Clarify syntax and structure

Support decoding of text and mathematical notation and symbols

Promote understanding across language

Illustrate through multiple media

Provide options for comprehension

Activate or supply background knowledge

Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas and relationships

Guide information processing, visualization and manipulation

Maximize transfer and generalization

Neural Networks • Strategic Networks

• The "how" of learning

• Planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks.

• Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know

Source: http://www.cast.org/research/udl

Examples Provide options for physical action

Vary the methods for response and navigation

Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

Provide options for expression and communication

Use multiple media for communication

Use multiple tools for construction and composition

Build fluencies with graduated labels of support for practice and performance

Provide options for executive functions

Guide appropriate goal setting

Support planning and strategy development

Facilitate managing information and resources

Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

Neural Networks • Affective Networks

• The "why" of learning

• How learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. These are affective dimensions.

• Stimulate interest and motivation for learning

Source: http://www.cast.org/research/udl

Examples

Provide options for recruiting interest

Optimize individual choice and autonomy

Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity

Minimize threats and distractions

Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence

Heighten salience of goals and objectives

Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

Foster collaboration and community

Increase mastery-oriented feedback

Provide options for self-regulation

Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation

Brain Research and Learning Differences

The three different parts of the brain that are interconnected are distributed hierarchically and work together. All have different functions and each part looks different in each learner.

Source: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter2_graphical.cfm

Support for cultural, ethnic , linguistic and academic diversity by using the principles of UDL

• Equitable Use- The design is useful for a multitude of diverse abilities.

• Flexibility in Use- Components within the design that serves a variety of learners based on ones preference

• Simple and Intuitive. Regardless of the students abilities and or experience information is clear and easy to understand.

• Perceptible Information. The design of the lesson has necessary information regardless of students sensory abilities

• Tolerance for Error. The design has low adverse consequences or unintended actions.

• Low Physical Effort. The design can be performed with little effort and without being fatigued.

• Size and Space for Approach and Use. The design provided has little to no difficulty with manipulation and mobility.

Central Role of Technologyand UDL

Technologies in UDL are a practical and cost effective way to achieve goals in learning by carefully planning resources and executing lessons.

Examples include using the internet, assistive technologies and mind mapping.

Impact on Student Learning

I agree with Robert Mislevy, a leading expert in educational assessment and technology . He contends that UDL prompts you to target learning goals and also encourages us to carefully consider all of the knowledge, skills, or abilities of the learners. UDL pushes us to think about the ways in which we can support students so that we can target and address the actual learning goals. These design patterns help educators build learning tasks, group work, and extended investigations in the classroom. Our students are going to do better on test items, not because they studied and focused just on the kinds of tasks, but because they learned the ways of thinking that are compatible with what you do on those tasks.

Examples ofTools and Resources

1. UDL Lesson Builder that provides educators with models and tools to create and adapt lessons plans. This could be used a good starting point to use with teachers for the introduction of UDL.

2. UDL Book Builder. A place to create, share, publish, and read digital books. A place for students to access material according to their individual needs, interests, and skills. This can be implemented in the media center since classes visit every week.

3. CAST Strategy Tutor helps students with reading and research. Provides teachers with web based lesson that are research based. Implementation of this is a win-win for a school. These can be accessed by teachers and students directly in the classrooms.

References

• http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/ Retrieved July 1, 2011.

• http://www.cast.org/index.html Retrieved July 3, 2011.

• http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Programs/ud.html Retrieved July 5, 2011.

• http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-5/universally.htm Retrieved July 6, 2011.

• http://www.cast.org/research/udl Retrieved July 8, 2011.

• http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/mislevy_final_0.pdf Retrieved July 10,2011.

• http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter2_graphical.cfm Retrieved July 10,2011.