The Best Change You’ll Make All Semester: Universal Design for Learning

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Feb 7

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Time to read: 3 minutes

Have you ever heard that every person's approach to learning is as unique as their fingerprints? It's incredible how true that is! Every student brings their own skills, experiences, and ideas to the table, making learning a collaborative and exciting experience. As an educator, I strive to create a learning environment that not only encourages students to learn and participate but also recognizes that there are different ways to approach the same material.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for effective teaching that provides multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement. Representation involves presenting information in multiple formats. Action and Expression means providing students with different ways to interact with the material, and Engagement involves finding creative ways to motivate students.

When I think about implementing UDL, I have to take a step back to evaluate my traditional teaching methods and consider how I can adjust my approach to meet the needs of diverse learners in my classroom. It may seem daunting at first, but I now know that leveraging UDL is simpler than I thought! After all, diverse classrooms require diverse approaches to learning, and that's what makes teaching such a rewarding experience.

In practical terms, implementing UDL may look like:

Reflection: Take some time to reflect on the progress of your course and consider how your course materials are being accessed and utilized. Evaluate which course activities, teaching methods, and assessments are working effectively.
Consider: which students are likely to excel in your class, and when/where/how might students require additional support to succeed?
Flexible Approach: Address how students learn and offer multiple means of engagement. UDL encourages instructors to offer different activities and test formats, including oral presentations and group projects.
How could you amend or add options to your assignments and activities?
Supplementing Artifacts: Target what students learn by diversifying course materials through multiple means of representation. UDL often presents information in multiple ways, including text, audio, and hands-on formats.
How might you expand one of your course materials to include a second modality?

Student Application: By helping students connect what they are learning to a bigger picture of learning objectives in the course, UDL activities and assessments can be used in different ways to keep students motivated.
In what ways do you track and encourage students to progress through the materials in your course in a way that is meaningful to them?

It's important to remember that creating effective course content is a skill that applies to all areas of learning, regardless of your expertise. Incorporating UDL practices into your course design can elevate your teaching and ensure that your content is accessible, effective, and engaging.