Universal design for learning

Universal Design for Learning

Cathryn Johnson

Walden University

July, 2011

Learning Objective

• Gain understanding about Universal Design for Learning.

• Understand the role that technology plays in UDL.

UDL stems from the concept of Universal Design. What is

Universal Design?

“The term “Universal Design" refers to the movement in architecture and product development that aims to create places or things that are accessible to as many people as possible, including those with disabilities.”

http://www.cast.org/udl/faq/index.html

Physical examples of Universal Design

Universal Design opens doors that would otherwise remain closed,

provides access to the world,

empowers people to reach new levels,

and to comprehend what would otherwise be just noise.

Definition of UDL

“Universal Design for learning is an approach to curriculum that minimizes barriers and maximizes learning for all students.”

Resource:http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0

Why do we need UDL?

Kids are highly diverse, but the curriculum is fixed and unchanging.”

– David Rose Resource:

http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0

What is the big picture?

Click here: UDL at a glance video

What Research says about Learning Differences

• Each person’s brain is as different as a fingerprint. Sensory organs stimulate different parts of the brain and no two individuals are stimulated in the same way (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

What Research Tells Us

Researchers can watch learning happen in the brain. It is one big network that distributes processing to 3 different areas. Influences on the process can depend on what you are learning and is different whether you are a beginner or good at a task. –David Rose, Brain Research

and Universal Design for Learning

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.

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.

The “why" of learning

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

3 principals UDL

• Representation- (How) Present content in different ways and media by using graphics and animation. These strategies support understanding of concepts, vocabulary, and build background knowledge.

• Action and Expression- (What) Provide choices in how students demonstrate what they know and are able to do. Give options, provide models and feedback for support.

• Engagement- (Why) Provide various means of engagement and motivation. Give choices and allow students to risk mistakes.

National Center on Universal Design for learning. http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0

Technology can provide multiple means of presenting information to assist with the ‘what’ of learning.

(Principal 1-Representation):

• Visual and auditory support such as text read aloud option, providing images and audio clips when introducing vocabulary or abstract concepts.

• Customization-adjusting screen brightness, contrast, increase or decrease the size of images or volume.

• Language choices.

• Videos, tutorials, simulations, and interactive websites help build background knowledge.

Gordon, D.T., Gravel, J.W., & Schifter, L.A. (2009).

Technology provides multiple means of action and expression, the ‘how’ of learning (Principal 2-strategic)

Provides alternatives for physical actions built right into its design for users who have limited motor skills. wheel.

Offers immediate instructive feedback for monitoring progress for both teacher and learner.

– Gordon, D.T., Gravel, J.W., & Schifter, L.A. (2009).

Technology role in UDL provides multiple means for engagement (Principal 3)

Technology engages students’ interests in that a sense of control and ownership arise from having various choices such as:

• Navigate according to interest and knowledge base.

• Decide on how information should be displayed.

• Choose embedding options and design.

Gordon, D.T., Gravel, J.W., & Schifter, L.A. (2009).

How does UDL support cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and academic diversity? EMPOWERMENT

• Linguistic- Language choice, online translation, online picture dictionaries, and text to speech.

• Cultural and ethnic - Instruction and research can be differentiated “so that students are allowed to explore topics that are relevant to their situation (60).”

• Minorities – Exposure to technology. “Minorities historically have not been exposed to technology in significant ways...opportunities need to be deliberately created and provided that allow minorities as much time as possible to use technology in the classroom (60).”

• Academic- adjustable levels of challenge (zone of proximal development), choice, engagement, feedback.

(Bray, Brown, @ Green)

CAST online tools and resources available at http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/

UDL class profile maker. It is important to analyze the strengths and needs of your

students in order to differentiate, scaffold and challenge as needed. This resource includes a tools, activities, template and tutorial on developing a learning profile.

Your Three Brain Networks Interesting activity that forces self reflection, provides explanation, and separates results into the recognition, strategic, and affective networks. (You may want to print it off and frame when you are finished)

Image Collector This resource provides a tutorial and assistance how and why to find, describe, and save meaningful images to use in classroom.

“When you view an image, all three brain networks are at work. Your recognition network rapidly identifies objects and discerns the overall context. Your strategic network determines how you examine the image and what information you will gain from it. And your affective network determines how long and how carefully you look. All three networks together determine what you actually see.”

Potential Impact of UDL within my Elementary school

• More learning styles would be addressed. • Learning profile would promote participation of

all students because teachers would be actively aware of high/low needs and tech tools that could facilitate accessibility.

• Focus would be directed to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of learning, rather than just the traditional focus on the ‘what’ of learning. The combination of the three would make learning accessible to all students.

Examples of differentiation and multiple means of

• Representation: http://bcudl.pbworks.com/w/page/5826108/Examples-Multiple-Means-of-Representation

• Expression: http://bcudl.pbworks.com/w/page/5826107/Examples-Multiple-Means-of-Expression

• Engagement: http://bcudl.pbworks.com/w/page/5826106/Examples-Multiple-Means-of-Engagement

Resources• Bray, M., Brown, A., & Green, T. (2004). Technology and the diverse learner: A guide

to classroom practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.• • http://www.cast.org/udl/faq/index.html

• http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html -how, what, why

• National Center on Universal Design for learning. http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0

• Gordon, D.T., Gravel, J.W., & Schifter, L.A. (2009).A policy reader in universal design for learning (pp.5-18)Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

• Images.google.com

• Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Links to more UDL info:• Animal School Video by RaisingSmallSouls.com was reproduced

from "Preparing our Children for Success" by R. Greenwald.  This video demonstrates different types of learners, and the need for UDL by using animals as example.

• This video, How assistive technology enables dreams,demonstrates the use of assistive technology and the concept of UDL. http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

• The following wikis have endless UDL links, resources, and ideas• http://makingeducationaccessible.wikispaces.com/home

• http://bcudl.pbworks.com/w/page/5826111/FrontPage

• http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/