Universal Design for Learning

Part 1 – UDL Background

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a concept that refers to a series of principles for curriculum development that are used to give people equal opportunities for learning. Through its set of principle, UDL provides guidelines for the development of inclusive classroom instruction and access to relevant learning materials (ACCESS Project, 2011). As part of promoting the creation of inclusive classroom instruction, UDL results in the development of a teaching approach that accommodates the abilities and needs of all learners. This teaching approach also helps to remove unnecessary obstacles in the learning process. Universal Design for Learning was developed in the 1990s during the Universal Design (UD) movement. Since then, it has developed to become an important component in the modern learning environment with respect to creation of inclusive classroom instruction and settings.
The main philosophy behind the concept of Universal Design for Learning is creation of a flexible learning environment. This concept is embedded on the belief that students have different learning needs and abilities, which necessitate a flexible learning environment to meet their needs. Through such a learning environment, teachers present information to students in numerous ways and enable students to learn in various ways. Additionally, a flexible learning environment under the concept of UDL helps to ensure students are offered different alternatives when demonstrating learning. UDL provides a framework for creation of instructional goals, assessments, materials, and methods that work for all individuals in the classroom. Flexible approaches that are customized and modified depending on individual needs are created under UDL instead of a single, one-size-fits-all approach. Teachers who adopt a UDL mindset expect students to have a wide range of learning interests, needs, capabilities and styles, which necessitates a flexible learning approach and environment (Burton et al., 2010).
There are three major principles of Universal Design for Learning including multiple representation methods through which learners are given numerous ways for acquiring information and developing knowledge (ACCESS Project, 2011). Since learners access information differently, this principles entails providing options for perception. An example of this principle is the use of AIM Explorer, which is a free simulation that incorporates grade-leveled digital text with common access features to many text readers including students. When using this software, students will explore their preferences for different options in speech-to-text. AIM Explorer provides different options for perception in relation to speech-to-text feature such as speed, text highlighting, and human and synthetic voice (National Center on Accessible Educational Materials, n.d.).
The second principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is multiple student action and expression methods or providing options for expression. Under this principle, students are allowed to express their knowledge and skills through different means since they differ in their learning abilities. For example, Animoto can be used in the classroom setting for students to express their ideas through creative ways like combining a series of images and audio relating to the learning material.
The third principle of the UDL concept is multiple means of student engagement or providing different options for comprehension. This is an important principle of UDL because students are motivated to learn differently and differ in terms of learning tasks/activities that keep them involved in the learning process. Therefore, students should be provided with varying ways of engaging in learning tasks or course activities. For example, teachers can use the Student Mentors Teach Game Design in which students act as mentors to their peers, which generates individualized coaching and help mentor students to reinforce their skills and confidence.
Part 2 – Using UDL to Lessen Cultural and/or Linguistic Barriers
One of the potential cultural barriers that I may encounter in the classroom is probable prejudice towards students from a different cultural background. Since most classrooms in today’s learning environment comprises students from different cultural backgrounds, prejudice is one of the potential cultural barriers in the classroom. Secondly, the lack of a multilingual curriculum is also a potential cultural barrier I may encounter in the classroom. Most of the learning materials in the modern classroom environment are designed in the English language. This could be a major barrier to some students, particularly English as a Second Language (ESL) students, who are disadvantaged since they may not understand English. Therefore, these students face significant challenges in attempting to master the English language and the learning material simultaneously.
These potential cultural barriers in the classroom can be prevented and/or addressed using Universal Design for Learning. Prejudice can be addressed using UDL providing students numerous opportunities to learn about and understand different cultures. Culture plays an essential role in literacy and language learning, especially in relation to instructional design (Rogers, Graham & Mayes, 2007). Students are more likely to discriminate their peers from other cultural backgrounds because of lack of understanding of different cultures. Therefore, learning about and improving understanding of different cultures is essential to deal with prejudice. Secondly, the development of a multicultural curriculum would help to address potential cultural barriers in the classroom. Using UDL, a multicultural curriculum can be created through providing different options for comprehension and engagement. This would involve incorporating the home cultures of diverse families in the school curriculum by giving students homework assignments that require them to engage their family members.
Part 3 - Reflection
As shown in the previous section, cultural competence and a multicultural curriculum is essential toward addressing some of the cultural barriers that are likely to occur in the classroom setting. Rogers, Graham & Mayes (2007) state that cultural competence is essential in the modern learning environment, especially in the field of instructional design. As evident in the explanations on how to reduce or eliminate cultural barriers using UDL, develop of a multicultural instructional approach is essential. My approaches towards addressing cultural barriers through UDL will entail using a multicultural teaching approach that not only seeks to enhance students’ cultural competence, but also focus on enabling students to embrace cultural diversity during learning.
With regards to potential cultural prejudice in the classroom, I will provide students multicultural literature that provide precise and insightful descriptions and illustrations of other cultures. Authentic multicultural literature involves the use of books and other visual teaching tools to enhance students’ knowledge about culture. In this case, I will address one of the major root causes of cultural prejudice in the classroom i.e. lack of knowledge about different cultures. The use of a multicultural literature in the classroom is consistent with the principle of providing opportunities for comprehension in Universal Design for Learning. Secondly, I will provide opportunities for comprehension by engaging students’ families in the process of creating a multicultural instructional approach and curriculum. Giving students homework assignments that require the participation of their family members provides families with different ways for getting involved in their children’s education. I will also request families from different cultures to visit the classroom and share their knowledge in relation to the learning content, particularly on issues relating to community experiences.
Part 4 – Creating a Colleague Plan
1. Summarize UDL for someone who has little to know background knowledge of UDL.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a concept that refers to a set of principles for curriculum development that are geared towards giving people equal opportunities for learning. This concept lessens barriers to learning through given all students opportunities to access, engage in, and progress in general education learning curriculum. Universal Design for Learning was developed to help ensure equity and fairness in the educational environment through meeting the needs of all students by incorporating them in the learning process regardless of their individual differences. The origin of this concept is traced to early civil rights and special education legislation, which emphasized the significance and right of all students to obtain free, suitable public education in an environment with no restrictions (Jimenez, Graf & Rose, 2007).
As an important concept in creation of a less restrictive learning environment and meeting the needs of all students, UDL comprises four major components i.e. goals, methods, materials, and assessment as well as three key principles. Goals refer to learning expectations while methods are instructional strategies used by instructors to support the learning and growth of students. On the other hand, materials refer to the media used to present learning content and show learning while assessment is the process for evaluating students’ progress in learning through different methods and materials. The three principles of UDL are; the principle of recognition network (providing numerous means of representation), principle of strategic network (providing numerous ways of expression and action), and principle of affective network (providing various ways of engagement).

2. What questions will you ask your colleague to get to know their a) classroom environment and b) teaching style? (List at least 4)

The plan for helping my colleague apply Universal Design for Learning in his/her classroom environment requires an understanding of the classroom environment and the teaching style he/she uses. In this case, I will ask several questions as follows…
1. How would you describe your classroom environment?
2. What techniques and strategies do you use to maintain an effective classroom environment?
3. What rules do you have for your classroom?
4. Describe your teaching style.
5. How do you accommodate the different learning styles for students in your classroom?
6. What would you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of your teaching style or instructional approach?

3. How will you help your colleague identify any barriers (e.g. cultural or linguistic) in their teaching and/or environment?

The identification of barriers i.e. cultural or linguistic in the classroom environment or teaching style is critical toward identifying the most suitable framework for applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL). In this case, I will help my colleague to identify these barriers to promote successful implementation of UDL in the learning environment. I will use the information provided by my colleague to identify any barriers in their environment or instructional approach. During this process, I will examine whether the design of the classroom environment or teaching style generates any barriers that could affect learning. Additionally, I will examine existing literature on cultural and/or linguistic barriers and how to identify them. I will then use this information to show my colleague barriers that exist in his/her environment.


Part 5 – Application of Colleague Plan
The questions developed in the previous section were critical in understanding the design of my colleague’s classroom environment and instructional/teaching approach. My colleague provided elaborate answers to each of the questions, which was essential toward achieving the goals of this process. The elaborate answers deepened my understanding of his/her classroom and teaching strategy. Moreover, the colleague provided additional information on issues that were not covered in these questions and relevant to understanding his/her classroom and teaching. In essence, my colleague did not limit him/herself to the questions, but focused on providing relevant information that would help in the application of UDL in his/her classroom environment and teaching.
Based on the insights obtained from the questions, we have scheduled a series of meetings to discuss UDL and how it can be applied to the classroom. Our first meeting will be centered on discussing responses to the questions and enabling my colleague to identify the cultural or linguistic barriers in his/her classroom and teaching. During this process, I will explain areas or factors that contribute to these barriers and their potential impact on students’ learning and achievements. The second meeting will focus on explaining the concept of Universal Design for Learning to my colleague. I will not only provide a summary of this concept and its relevant components and principles, but will also provide materials and resources for my colleague to learn more about it. This process will help improve my colleague’s understanding of the concept of Universal Design for Learning. The third meeting will be centered on explaining how UDL can be applied to the classroom. I will address any questions, issues or concerns emerging from my colleague’s research on this concept before helping him/her to create an implementation plan.
In addition to the scheduled series of meetings to discuss UDL, I also plan to be a resource to my colleague on this issue. I believe that successful implementation of UDL in the classroom requires collaborative efforts between teachers and students. Teachers should support each other to identify and deal with any emerging issues in the classroom in order to enhance students’ learning and achievements. My plan on being a resource to my colleague entails helping him/her to understand UDL concept and its various aspects through the series of meetings. Secondly, I will help him/her to identify important learning resources for improved understanding of this concept and its application in the classroom environment. Third, I will guide my colleague through the implementation process to help ensure that each of the activities is carried out in a manner that promotes successful use of UDL.
Resource Guide
As part of my efforts in helping my colleague to adopt UDL in the classroom, I will create a resource guide comprising of books and online resources. Some of the online resources that I will provide to my colleague include the following:
1. http://www.udlcenter.org/implementation/examples
This website is managed by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning and provides various resources for implementation of UDL. The website is a crucial resource for my colleague since it provides guidelines on UDL that teachers can utilize in the classroom setting. The examples provided on this website are in line with the different principles and components of UDL. Therefore, it is a suitable resource base for a teacher like my colleague who needs to learn more about UDL and how to implement/adopt in the classroom and teaching. Through this website, my colleague can further explore this concept and its role in improving student learning.
2. http://www.cast.org/our-work/learning-tools.html#.Wun7X9NuaYW
This is another website that will help my colleague in learning and implementing the concept of Universal Design for Learning. This website is managed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development education located in Boston. As part of expanding learning opportunities to all though UDL, this website provides free, robust learning resources and tools. It is an essential online resource for accessing UDL tools since its based on research projects that have been carried out to help students, teachers and parents to create flexible learning environments for all. Through this website, my colleague will have access to a wide range of robust, free learning tools that can be utilized to integrate Universal Design for Learning in the classroom environment and instructional approaches.
The other resources that are critical for my colleague in his/her integration of UDL in teaching and learning include…
a. Elevating Co-Teaching through UDL by Elizabeth Stein – This is a book that provides information to general education and special education teachers on how to work collaboratively in designing and using an inclusive curriculum for all students.
b. Universally Designed Leadership: Applying UDL to Systems and Schools by Katie Novak and Kristan Rodriguez – This guidebook focuses on assisting education leaders at early stages of UDL implementation to understand the significance of the concept and how to adopt it in the classroom.
c. UDL NOW! Revised and Expanded by Katie Novak – This revised and updated book provides readers with an in-depth and broader understanding on practical steps for applying UDL guidelines.
References
ACCESS Project. (2011). Universal Design for Learning: A Concise Introduction. Retrieved from Colorado State University website: https://accessproject.colostate.edu/udl/modules/udl_introduction/udl_concise_intro.pdf
Burton et al. (2010). Universal Design for Learning in BC. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.setbc.org/Download/LearningCentre/Access/bcudl_review6_small.pdf
Jimenez, T.C., Graf, V.L. & Rose, E. (2007). Gaining Access to General Education: The Promise of Universal Design for Learning. Issues in Teacher Education, 16(2), 41-54.
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. (n.d.). AIM Explorer. Retrieved May 3, 2017, from http://aem.cast.org/navigating/aim-explorer.html#.WunMGtNuaYU
Rogers, P.C., Graham, C.R. & Mayes, C.T. (2007, March 9). Cultural Competence and Instructional Design: Exploration Research into the Delivery of Online Instruction Cross-culturally. Education Technology Research Development, 55, 197-217.