What is Universal Design for Learning?
Origination of Universal Design in Architecture
The original term of Universal Design originated as an architectural concept coined by the late architect and North Carolina State University Research Professor, Ron Mace. Mace was a pioneer in designing all products and buildings to be usable by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life. We see examples all around us each day: curb cuts, ramps, accessible bathrooms, and even closed captioning on television!
Universal Design became a reality due to several influences.
Architects felt that not only was it practical to design a building from the start with these accommodations in mind, it was a decreased cost.
Universal Design became a reality due to several influences.
- The shear number of veterans returning from WWI and WWII with significant injuries increased the number of people with disabilities in our country.
- The influence of the Civil Rights movement in the creation of the American’s with Disabilities Act
Architects felt that not only was it practical to design a building from the start with these accommodations in mind, it was a decreased cost.
Universal Design for Learning is Born
In the late 1980’s, researchers at the Center for Applied Special Technologies (CAST) developed the concept of Universal Design for Learning as a result of 3 major shifts:
- The increased popularity of Ron Mace’s architectural concept of Universal Design, which emphasized integrating and designing accommodations from the beginning.
- Advancements in educational technology. Personal computers and other assistive technologies were becoming affordable and started to emerge in classrooms across the country. Technology gave users the ability to customize learning.
- New discoveries in brain research revealed three different brain networks for learning.
Classrooms are diverse by nature, but many schools across the country design curriculum and lessons for an average student in mind, which does not exist. The result is an inflexible one-size-fits-all curriculum, where information is often presented in one way, which causes some students to get it and others to not. Instead of waiting to address barriers when they occurred, UDL takes a proactive approach and designs a curriculum that is flexible and customized.
Based on brain research, CAST identified 3 brain networks all learners use in learning: |
Everyone has each of the 3 brain networks in their brain; however, they do not work the same in every person. Hence, the way that we learn is as different as our finger prints or DNA (Rose & Meyer, 2002).
To meet the needs of all learners, we need to strategically develop lessons with the 3 brain networks in mind.
To meet the needs of all learners, we need to strategically develop lessons with the 3 brain networks in mind.
1. Recognition Network provides Multiple Means of Representation
The Recognition Network helps learners use their senses to interpret what they are seeing. As teachers, this shows us that the way that we present information is important to all learners; therefore we need to provide multiple ways of representing material in order to have learners make connections.
With this in mind, we may need to rethink the way that we present information. Instead of just giving a PowerPoint, perhaps we have students interact with manipulatives or create a simulation where students are a part of the action. We may need to incorporate visuals like YouTube Videos and pictures to provide a deeper understanding of vocabulary terms.
If we are reading an article, we need to anticipate student barriers from the beginning and provide options for how students read it. Perhaps we have a paper version of the text for students to highlight and mark-up. Maybe we include a PDF version of the text, which can allow the student to make the text BIGGER. We may also need to include an audio recording of the text, so students with visual disabilities or auditory learners find it easier to read.
Whether you are using technology or not, the question is how are you using a tool to present things differently so that all students can learn?
With this in mind, we may need to rethink the way that we present information. Instead of just giving a PowerPoint, perhaps we have students interact with manipulatives or create a simulation where students are a part of the action. We may need to incorporate visuals like YouTube Videos and pictures to provide a deeper understanding of vocabulary terms.
If we are reading an article, we need to anticipate student barriers from the beginning and provide options for how students read it. Perhaps we have a paper version of the text for students to highlight and mark-up. Maybe we include a PDF version of the text, which can allow the student to make the text BIGGER. We may also need to include an audio recording of the text, so students with visual disabilities or auditory learners find it easier to read.
Whether you are using technology or not, the question is how are you using a tool to present things differently so that all students can learn?
2. Strategic Network provides Multiple Means of Action and Expression
The Strategic Network of the brain is influenced by action and feedback. Learners need to be able to express what they have learned to demonstrate their knowledge of a particular topic. In order to do so, they need to develop strategies to articulate and express this knowledge.
Our job as teachers is to help create an environment where they can accurately express what they have learned. We need to put supports in place in the beginning to help students with an assignment, which may require giving students choices on how to express what they have learned.
Let's say that you have a writing assignment for ALL students to complete in class. You may first begin with having your students engage in brainstorming. While many of your students are comfortable with using paper and pencil, a few of your students are hands-on learners and find it easier to brainstorm by using post-it notes. They are still writing their ideas on paper, but post-it notes gives them the flexibility to physically organize and place their ideas. Another student in your class is a visual learner and needs to use a graphic organizer to place ideas on paper. One of your students has difficulty writing legibly and another is legally blind, perhaps they could brainstorm using an online brainstorming tool called Bubbl.us. Your students are still brainstorming, however, they have flexibility in how they brainstorm already built into the curriculum from the beginning. Students can choose which tool will help them accomplish the task of writing a paper.
Now it is time to begin the writing assignment; however, you have one student who recently broke their wrist and physically cannot write. You have another student suffering from Cerebral Palsy and still another who struggles with putting words on paper. Perhaps each student could use a speech to text program like Dragon Naturally Speaking, so that they can speak out their ideas. This program will take what they have said and record it in the word processing program.
Whether you are using technology or not, the question is how are you using a tool for students to show what they have learned?
Our job as teachers is to help create an environment where they can accurately express what they have learned. We need to put supports in place in the beginning to help students with an assignment, which may require giving students choices on how to express what they have learned.
Let's say that you have a writing assignment for ALL students to complete in class. You may first begin with having your students engage in brainstorming. While many of your students are comfortable with using paper and pencil, a few of your students are hands-on learners and find it easier to brainstorm by using post-it notes. They are still writing their ideas on paper, but post-it notes gives them the flexibility to physically organize and place their ideas. Another student in your class is a visual learner and needs to use a graphic organizer to place ideas on paper. One of your students has difficulty writing legibly and another is legally blind, perhaps they could brainstorm using an online brainstorming tool called Bubbl.us. Your students are still brainstorming, however, they have flexibility in how they brainstorm already built into the curriculum from the beginning. Students can choose which tool will help them accomplish the task of writing a paper.
Now it is time to begin the writing assignment; however, you have one student who recently broke their wrist and physically cannot write. You have another student suffering from Cerebral Palsy and still another who struggles with putting words on paper. Perhaps each student could use a speech to text program like Dragon Naturally Speaking, so that they can speak out their ideas. This program will take what they have said and record it in the word processing program.
Whether you are using technology or not, the question is how are you using a tool for students to show what they have learned?
3. Affective Network provides Multiple Means of Engagement
The Affective Network influences the motivation that students need to complete certain tasks and engage in their learning. Students often ask us “why” they have to learn something and this is a reasonable question. When students understand “the big picture” or why they are learning a particular topic, then they are more likely to be motivated to learn. The goal of UDL is to create expert learners, which requires finding ways for our students to stay excited, challenged, or interested in learning. We can't make learning "fun" all of the time, but we can provide different ways for students to engage in content.
Engagement plays a very important role in developing expert learners because when students are motivated, they are more likely to engage in deeper understanding of material. This may require looking at how easy and how difficult a task is because it has a direct correlation on student motivation. Many educators use differentiated instruction or lessons to accomplish this. Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and the creator of several cognitive development theories. One of his most popular theories was known as the Zone of Proximal Development or ZPD.
He stated that learning occurs when there is an appropriate level of challenge and support to learn the task. In other words, if we provide learning tasks that are too difficult to do independently and do not provide the appropriate supports, our learners can grow discouraged, frustrated, and quit. Our ability to learn occurs when we are challenged with difficult tasks, which are within reach with appropriate support. According to Vygotsky, all tasks should stretch the learner past his current level of knowledge. If you think of learning as a rubber band, it is important to stretch, but not too far or your rubber band may break!
Neuroscience has shown us that students are motivated many different ways. When appropriate, providing students with choices on how they learn can increase engagement. This could mean varying the assignment difficulty or providing different ways to learn materials. Rewards and checklists are also important ways of engaging students to stay on task.
The question is, how is the tool engaging students?
Engagement plays a very important role in developing expert learners because when students are motivated, they are more likely to engage in deeper understanding of material. This may require looking at how easy and how difficult a task is because it has a direct correlation on student motivation. Many educators use differentiated instruction or lessons to accomplish this. Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and the creator of several cognitive development theories. One of his most popular theories was known as the Zone of Proximal Development or ZPD.
He stated that learning occurs when there is an appropriate level of challenge and support to learn the task. In other words, if we provide learning tasks that are too difficult to do independently and do not provide the appropriate supports, our learners can grow discouraged, frustrated, and quit. Our ability to learn occurs when we are challenged with difficult tasks, which are within reach with appropriate support. According to Vygotsky, all tasks should stretch the learner past his current level of knowledge. If you think of learning as a rubber band, it is important to stretch, but not too far or your rubber band may break!
Neuroscience has shown us that students are motivated many different ways. When appropriate, providing students with choices on how they learn can increase engagement. This could mean varying the assignment difficulty or providing different ways to learn materials. Rewards and checklists are also important ways of engaging students to stay on task.
The question is, how is the tool engaging students?
The UDL Guidelines OR 3 Principles of UDL
In order to meet the needs of ALL students , we need to incorporate strategies into our lessons that utilize a student’s 3 brain networks. CAST has developed the 3 principles of UDL, which correspond to each of the 3 brain networks described above, to help educators develop quality lesson plans that enhance learning and use each network. Click here to see more about the 3 Principles of UDL.