UDL – Universal Design for Learning

An approach that can help you focus your instructional intentions while also thinking about pedagogy is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a science-based framework that guide intentional design to include multiple means of accessing, processing, and internalizing information.

“By considering the UDL guidelines, teachers can build flexible pathways from the outset, integrating elements that address the range of backgrounds, preferences, abilities, and needs of their students and ensure that their lessons are comprehensible and engaging for all.” (1)

Rooted in Universal Design (UD), UDL expands efforts that guarantee access rights to people with physical challenges to also include ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, and ability-based diversity in the design of educational environments, resources and interactions. (3)

If you want to apply UDL, plan to provide:

  1. multiple means of engagement by helping to motivate students to learn. Develop student autonomy, provide relevant materials and assessments to their learning, and vary demands on students.
  2. multiple means of representation. Offer alternatives for the representation of information (visual, text, audio, video). Ensure that representation is accessible to all learners (accessible language, accessible format).
  3. multiple means of action and expression. Give students options for expressing what they know and provide scaffolded learning through multiple practice opportunities.

The strategies (2) listed below provide a good starting pointing when planning an inclusive approach to teaching your courses.

  • Examine your content for diverse perspectives.
  • Be transparent about expectations.
  • Design inclusive assessments.
  • Provide multiple means of representation.
  • Illustrate concepts with multiple and diverse examples.
  • Give students choice, where appropriate.
  • Create accessible content.
  • Promote a growth mindset.

1 Rao, K. and Meo, G. (2016). Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons.

2 Carnegie Mellon Eberly Centre. Teach with a Heterogenous Audience in Mind. Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/classroomclimate/heterogenousmindset.html#hetereogenousaudience

3 Tobin, T. J., & Behling, K. (2018). Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education: Vol. First edition. West Virginia University Press. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1936511&site=ehost-live&scope=site

4 CAST. UDL on Campus. Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. CC-BY-SA 4.0 International. Accessible under http://udloncampus.cast.org/home#.Wd0OEcaZNBw

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Orientation to Teaching at the UofL Handbook Copyright © 2021 by Teaching Centre is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book