UDL At A Glance

(upbeat music)

- [Instructor] This teacher
needs to meet a curriculum goal

and she's got a very
diverse group of students,

and so does this teacher,

and this one.

Most do.

In fact, research shows
that the way people learn

is as unique as their fingerprints.

What does this mean for teachers of today?

Classrooms are highly diverse

and curriculum needs to
be designed from the start

to meet this diversity.

Universal Design for Learning
is an approach to curriculum

that minimizes barriers
and maximizes learning

for all students.

Whoa, that's a fancy term,

Universal Design for Learning.

Let's unpack it a bit.

Let's think about the word universal.

By universal, we mean
curriculum that can be used

and understood by everyone.

Each learner in the classroom
brings her own background,

strengths, needs, and interests.

Curriculum should provide
genuine learning opportunities

for each and every student.

Now let's think about the word learning.

Learning is not one thing.

Neuroscience tells us that our brains

have three broad networks.

One for recognition, the what of learning,

one for skills and strategies,
the how of learning,

and one for caring and
prioritizing, the why of learning.

Students need to gain knowledge, skills,

and enthusiasm for learning,

and a curriculum needs to
help them do all three.

But every learner is unique
and one size does not fit all.

So, how do we make a
curriculum that challenges

and engages diverse learners?

This is where the word design comes in.

A universally designed building
is planned to be flexible

and to accommodate all kinds of users,

with and without disabilities.

It turns out, that if you
design for those in the margins,

your building works better for everyone.

Curb cuts and ramps are used
by people in wheelchairs,

people with strollers,
and people on bikes.

Captioning on TV serves
people who are deaf,

people learning English, people in gyms,

and spouses who get to
sleep at different times.

UDL takes this idea and applies it

to the design of flexible curriculum.

UDL goes beyond access,

because we need to build
and support and challenge.

So, how do we use the UDL framework

to make learning goals,
methods, materials,

and assessments that work for everyone?

First, ask yourself, what is my goal,

what do I want my students
to know, do, and care about?

Then ask, what barriers in
the classroom might interfere

with my diverse students
reaching these goals?

To eliminate the barriers,
use the three UDL principles

to create flexible paths to learning

so that each student can progress.

Number one, provide multiple
means of representation.

Present content and
information in multiple media

and provide varied supports.

Use graphics and animation,
highlight the critical features,

activate background knowledge,
and support vocabulary

so that students can acquire
the knowledge being taught.

Number two, provide multiple
means of action and expression.

Give students plenty of options

for expressing what they know

and provide models, feedback, and supports

for their different levels of proficiency.

Number three, provide
multiple means of engagement.

What fires up one student
won't fire up another.

Give students choices to fuel
their interests and autonomy.

Help them risk mistakes
and learn from them.

If they love learning, they'll
persist through challenges.

And remember, always keep
in mind the learning goal.

Get rid of barriers
caused by the curriculum

and keep the challenge where it belongs.

And that's it. Okay, quick recap.

Show the information in different ways,

allow your students to
approach learning tasks

and demonstrate what they
know in different ways,

and offer options that engage students

and keep their interest.

Universal Design for Learning

equals learning opportunities for all.

For more information on
UDL, go to www.cast.org.