3 Teachers - Mr. Hughes, Ms. Tong, Mrs.

Rios

Mr. Hughes – learning to interpret data using graphs, groups, practice via worksheet

Ms. Tong – identifying theme in text, use book, read and disucss

Mrs. Rios – stages of mitosis, notebook, independent exams

Students have roadblocks, some not engaged, some understand but perform poorly on assessment

Engage all students and.

Do these learning experiences sound familiar? Do you think they are effective? – Yes, they
are familiar. Partially, they are partially effective, they meet the goals of some of the
instruction, but not all, and not FOR all.

How can educators design instruction that engages and challenges all students? – I don’t
know.

How can educators identify and address potential barriers when designing instruction? –
Frequent follow-ups and Q&A?

UNIVERSAL DESIGN for LEARNING:

UDL aligns with:

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC)

Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)

- How can I reach each learner in my classroom?

- UDL = isn’t a curriculum or an intervention but a framework that helps teachers design
accessible, challenging learning experiences that work for all students.

- Universal: UDL is an approach for designing instruction for all students

- Design: UDL is incorporated from the start, as instruction is being planned
- Learning: UDL is based on a deep understanding of how humans learn
- Learner variability = people vary in how they engage with learning, how they express their
learning; such variability is the rule and not the exception
- Students become expert learners through learner agency; they take control over how they learn.
o Access – broadly defined, available, navigable, variable options for expression
 ADDRESSING BARRIERS:

Barriers to learning for each student vary, just as their learning process varies.

A barrier is any aspect related to the design of a learning experience that hinders a student’s
ability to access and demonstrate learning.

These barriers can exist in any of the four primary instructional components:

 Goals: the description of what students will understand, know, or be able to do as a

result of the learning experience
 Assessments: the method used for measuring student learning

 Methods: the manner in which the content is taught

 Materials: the media, tools, and resources used for teaching content

- One of the tenets of UDL is that barriers live in designs, not in students.

UDL PRINCIPLES:

The UDL framework is built on three principles that guide educators to plan more than one way
(i.e., multiple means) to engage students, to represent content, and to promote student
expression.

- Multiple Means of 1) Engagement; 2) Representation; and 3) Action and Expression

Provide multiple means of Provide multiple means of Provide multiple means of

Engagement Representation Action & Expression

Provide options for Provide options for Provide options for

Recruiting Interest Perception Physical Action

Provide options for Provide options for Provide options for

Sustaining Effort & Persistence Language & Symbols Expression & Communication

Provide options for Provide options for Provide options for

Self Regulation Comprehension Executive Functions

GOALS:

“Clear goals, multiple means”

Content-based or skill-based, goals express when students should master by the end of the learning
experience

- Goals should always be clearly communicated at the start;

- inviting students to co-construct goals or even to write personalized goals for
themselves is a great way to build learner agency.

Goals must be separate from the means of learning

 Content-based goals: When the goal is to master or understand content, educators

can design multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning of that content.
For instance, if the goal is for students to understand the origins of jazz music,
students can express their understanding in writing, through an illustration, or by
composing a poem or song.
 Skill-based goals: When the goal is to master a skill, however, it may not be possible
to offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate that skill. Some skill-based goals
can only be demonstrated in one way. For example, if the goal is for students to play
a musical scale on the trumpet, there is only one way to demonstrate mastery of the
skill. However, educators can offer multiple options throughout the learning process
to help students achieve the goal (e.g., notating sheet music, watching video
tutorials). The goal remains “playing a musical scale,” but the process for reaching
the goal is flexible.

When educators design learning experiences, their first stop is the goal: What should students
understand, know, or be able to do? If the goal is unclear or does not allow for multiple means,
the educator should rewrite the goal.

Keep in Mind
As educators draft learning goals using a UDL lens, they should ask themselves the following
questions:

 Have I crafted my goals clearly and in everyday language that learners can
understand?
 How will I clearly communicate to learners what the goal is and what the goal
means?
 In what ways can learners personally relate to and engage with this goal?
 Does the goal allow for flexibility in how learners can work toward the goal?

ASSESSMENTS:

assessments need to measure the knowledge or skills that the learning experience is designed
to teach.

Formative Assessment: the ongoing evaluation of student learning during instruction.

Provide continuous feedback about student learning to educators:

Inform or guide instruction:

Provide continuous feedback to learners:

Formative Assessment Examples

 Informal teacher questioning

 Student polls
 Low-stakes quizzes
 Exit tickets

Summative Assessment: the evaluation of student learning after instruction has occurred.

Measure and evaluate students’ mastery of content or skills:

Inform or guide future design:

Summative Assessment Examples

 Unit tests
 Final exams
 Portfolios
 Culminating projects

Self-Assessments: a strategy in which students evaluate their own learning both during and after
instruction.

Monitor and reflect on their progress toward and mastery of the learning goal:

Develop learner agency:

Self-Assessment Examples
Students can:

 Mark off tasks on a checklist to visualize their progress

 Respond to reflection questions after a lesson to identify what they learned
 Reflect on what they are still confused about
 Rate criteria on a rubric to evaluate their understanding

Self-Assessment Examples
Students can:
  Mark off tasks on a checklist to visualize their progress
 Respond to reflection questions after a lesson to identify what they learned
 Reflect on what they are still confused about
 Rate criteria on a rubric to evaluate their understanding

As educators design assessments using a UDL lens, they should ask themselves the following
questions:

 Do my assessments reflect and measure the learning goal?

 What barriers exist in my assessments that may impact learners’ abilities to show
what they know?
 How will I use formative assessments to make ongoing instructional decisions and
adaptations?
 What are the summative assessments measuring and how will I use that data to
inform future instruction?
 Do students have opportunities to assess their own progress and process?

METHODS:

Methods refer to the ways in which the content is taught to help students reach the learning
goal.

6 common instructional methods:

1) Teacher-Directed Instruction: Teacher-directed instruction, an instructional method in which

the educator is the primary deliverer of instruction, usually involves practices like
lecturing, modeling, and explicit instruction.

Educators can better align teacher-directed instruction with UDL by:

 Making purposeful connections to students’ interests and experiences

 Using strategies to activate background knowledge (e.g., advance organizers, KWL
chart)
 Restructuring lengthy lectures into mini lectures of 10-15 minutes interspersed with
active learning activities
 Providing guided notes
 Recording key ideas on an interactive whiteboard
 Using think-alouds to verbalize thought processes while modeling

2) Questioning: Asking questions of the class or individual students can help students commit
content to memory, stimulate discussion, and serve as a type of formative assessment.
Questioning can increase student engagement and promote expression.

Educators can better align questioning with UDL by:

  Asking questions at a variety of cognitive levels, from basic factual recall (e.g., who,
what, where, when) to more inferential (e.g., why, how)
 Allowing adequate wait time between asking a question and expecting a response
 Providing nonverbal options for answering questions (e.g., gesturing, using
technology, response cards)
 Using prompting to assist students in reaching the correct answer
 Giving frequent, timely, and constructive feedback

3) Independent Practice: When students are invited to practice previously learned skills
independently, they move new information from working memory into long-term memory.
Independent practice may be accomplished through activities (e.g., worksheets, written
assignments, hands-on activities) that are directly connected to recent learning experiences.

Educators can better align independent practice with UDL by:

 Offering different types of practice activities

 Pre-teaching critical prerequisite skills needed to complete the independent activity
(e.g., choosing materials, asking for help, following directions)
 Using scaffolded instruction to provide supports that can be gradually phased out as
students become more independent with the skill
 Giving frequent, timely, and constructive feedback
 Asking questions to guide students’ self-monitoring and reflection

4) Discussion: Educators may have their students engage in discussions about content, its
applications, or their own perspectives. Discussions may occur with the whole class, in small
groups, or in pairs.

Educators can better align their discussions with UDL by:

 Establishing and teaching class routines for discussions

 Structuring discussions through pre-assigned or posted prompts
 Prioritizing discussions around authentic and relevant content
 Clarifying students’ statements using examples and analogies
 Recording key concepts on a physical or interactive whiteboard throughout
discussions
 Offering virtual options for discussions (e.g., forums, video-based discussions)

5) Cooperative Learning: Cooperative learning is an instructional method in which students work

together in heterogeneous, or mixed-ability, small groups. This teaching strategy is associated
with increased student motivation, positive social interaction, and improved academic
performance.

Educators can better align cooperative learning with UDL by:

  Creating an accepting and supportive classroom culture
 Establishing explicit roles and responsibilities for each group member (e.g.,
facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter)
 Using flexible groupings that change often based on considerations, such as student
interest or activity type
 Developing clear expectations for group work using rubrics or checklists
 Encouraging reflection on both group and individual performance

6) Project-Based Learning: Project-based learning is a student-centered instructional method in

which students learn by actively engaging in projects that address complex, real-world, and
personally meaningful questions or problems over an extended period of time.

Educators can better align their project-based learning with UDL by:

 Designing projects that address relevant and timely situations

 Integrating opportunities for students to communicate to real audiences
 Making explicit cross-curricular connections among concepts and skills
 Chunking the project into smaller component parts or steps
 Supplying checklists or templates to support project planning, prioritizing, and
sequencing
 Providing varied tools for communication, collaboration, and composition of the
project

*Different instructional methods serve different purposes and may look different in different
grades, content areas, and cultural contexts, but every method can be designed and
implemented using UDL.

Keep in Mind
As educators plan instructional methods using a UDL lens, they should ask themselves the
following questions:

 How will I offer flexible options for learners to work toward the goal?
 Are all of the options I provide accessible to all learners, or do they create barriers
for some?
 How do my instructional methods foster collaboration and community?
 How will I optimize the available choices to avoid overwhelming students with too
many options?

MATERIALS:

Educators who design with UDL in mind select and create flexible, rather than fixed, materials.
The most common type of flexible media is digital text. When text is presented digitally on a
computer or other device, the content can be manipulated in different ways.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline an international standard for
accessibility of web-based materials. The WCAG standards reflect four principles, which can be
remembered using the acronym POUR:

Perceivable: All learners can see, hear, and/or touch the information.

Operable: All learners can navigate the information independently using their preferred tools.

Understandable: All learners can understand the information as a result of clear and
predictable design.

Robust: All learners can access the information on a range of current and future technologies,
including assistive technologies.

In addition to using static materials, educators unfamiliar with UDL often use a single modality
to present information. For instance, they may provide only a printed textbook during a lesson.
This could create a barrier because it assumes that all learners can read and comprehend on
grade level and in English, see the text, or physically hold the book.

Flexible materials align with all three UDL principles. Educators provide:

 Multiple means of engagement by offering choice of materials to encourage student

autonomy and varied levels of challenge
 Multiple means of representation by offering alternatives to solely visual or auditory
materials and by illustrating content through multiple forms of media
 Multiple means of action and expression by ensuring access to varied tools and
technologies for navigation, composition, and communication

DESIGNING WITH UDL:

Educators can apply the UDL framework throughout the instructional cycle as they:

 Proactively design—before instruction

 Implement—during instruction
 Reflect and redesign—after instruction

1. Proactively Design

 Anticipate learner variability: Educators integrate options for engagement,

representation, and action and expression when they expect their learners to have
varied backgrounds, experiences, strengths, and challenges.
 Remove barriers: Educators identify where students might get “stuck” in the lesson.
These anticipated barriers in the instructional design provide clues for where flexible
options should be built in.

 Analyze the goal: Educators remember the mantra “clear goals, multiple means”
and make sure that the learning goal is focused on what students will learn,
not how they will learn it.

 Align the design: Educators develop assessments, plan instructional methods, and
choose instructional materials that align with the learning goal, while encouraging
different, yet robust, learning pathways for all learners to meet the goal.
UDL offers general and special educators a common language for designing learning
experiences. When these educators collaborate and use UDL, they should remember:

 Even the most flexible designs do not eliminate the need for special education services
and supports for students with disabilities—For example, an educator provides all
students with options to demonstrate their understanding of a butterfly’s life cycle
(e.g., drawing a diagram, composing a description), but a student with a physical
disability may still require, and is entitled to, the AT outlined in the IEP (e.g.,
composition tools) to be able to engage in the learning experience.
 A necessary support for students with disabilities can be a beneficial option for all
students—For example, a student’s IEP may mandate the use of audiobooks in place
of textbooks. While this option is required for this student, it may also be beneficial
for other students (e.g., those who struggle with reading, those who prefer to listen
rather than read).

2. Implement Instruction

 Communicate the goal: Educators ensure students know what they are working to
achieve and remind them of the goal throughout the learning process.
 Facilitate learning experiences: Educators provide the multiple means of
engagement, representation, and action and expression that were planned during
the instructional design stage.

 Empower expert learners: Educators provide opportunities for students to take

charge of some of their own learning decisions. Educators observe how students
use or don’t use available options and guide students in reflecting on how their
choices benefit or pose barriers to their learning.

3. Reflect and Redesign

 Reflect on the goal: Educators begin by reflecting on the clarity of the learning goal.
If it was unclear what students needed to know or be able to do, or if the means
were inadvertently embedded within the goal, the educator should rewrite the goal
for the next time the lesson is taught.
 Evaluate the assessments, methods, and materials: Educators carefully review the
options that were provided during instruction and consider which were effective and
which may have presented unexpected barriers.

 Plan for improvements: Educators identify adaptations that could strengthen the
design next time. If the learning experience was appropriately accessible and
flexible, educators can think about adjustments to the design that could further
empower students as agents of their own learning.
 Instructional Key Features
Component

Goals Goals should be:

 Clearly written
 Separate from the means

Assessments Assessments should be:

 Aligned with the learning goal

 Incorporated throughout the learning process
 Flexibly designed with options for:
o How teachers assess
o How students respond
 Used to inform instruction and future design

Methods Methods should be:

 Flexibly designed with options for students to participate in the

learning experience
 Adapted and combined to address learner variability

Materials Materials should be:

 Flexible rather than fixed

 Available in multiple formats
 Culturally responsive