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Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for ALL learners.  At the core, UDL is rooted in neuroscience.  Research shows that learning occurs in three brain networks - the Affective Network, Recognition Network, and Strategic Network.  Evidence supports that learners are diverse, and that learner variability is the norm and can change across contexts.  Evidence also supports that barriers within learning environments can interfere with or interrupt the learning process.
 
Educators with a UDL mindset apply design principles to make learning accessible and beneficial to all learners. To ensure learners have equitable access to the same rigorous learning goals, educators are empowered to:

  • Embrace learner variability
  • Intentionally predict and remove barriers within the learning environment 
  • Provide flexibility within the learning process

 The UDL Guidelines from CAST are a tool for educators to use in the design phase of teaching and learning.  By utilizing these guidelines, educators can proactively plan for learning opportunities to address barriers and maximize learner access; with the ultimate goal of creating expert learners who are purposeful & motivated, resourceful & knowledgeable, and strategic & goal-directed. 
 

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

  • Looking to build your knowledge and understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?  Look no further. ​
  • Listen to Nicole Tucker-Smith explain UDL and the importance of building strong UDL Habits.              


UDL is about making learning accessible for ALL learners. It is a framework designed for ALL learners to find success with rigorous learning goals when barriers are removed from the learning environment and when learners are provided with flexible methods, materials, and means for demonstrating their learning.

We are excited to launch this UDL social media campaign to enhance your knowledge and increase your access to resources and strategies. 
To learn more about Universal Design for Learning, view the brief videos and articles below: 
 

  1. An Educator's Guide to UDL
  2. Universal Design for Learning (Katie Novak)
  3. “Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Teacher’s Guide”     

If you have questions or want additional information until our next post, contact your regional PaTTAN office.

Be sure to follow @pattanupdates #PaTTANUDL for key UDL concepts.  

Building UDL habits using “Plus-1 Thinking”

At first, Universal Design for Learning may feel overwhelming.  So, let’s start small because, in simplest form, UDL is about removing barriers and providing flexibility in how a goal can be achieved. 

Instead of thinking about an entire lesson, build UDL habits through moments in time. Focus on identifying a specific moment in your day such as greeting students, completing a “warm up” activity or completing an exit slip. 

​Ask yourself, what’s one OTHER way to reach this goal?  “Plus-1 Thinking” is a great way to start applying the UDL design process. Take just one daily moment, think of a potential barrier to success in that moment, and then provide one more way for students to achieve the goal in addition to what you planned.  

Consider using this template to support your “Plus-1 Thinking”.  Check out this example for some inspiration or watch the clip UDL Plus-One, by Dr. Thomas Tobin.
 

Share your “Plus-1 Thinking” on Twitter, #PaTTANUDL, #SpecialEducationinPA. 

You’ve practiced “Plus-1 Thinking”, now let’s dig into the 4 UDL Habits. The first habit is to get clear on the goal. To effectively implement UDL, we need to establish goals that clearly answer the question - What do we expect all learners to know? 

Keep the rigor of your goals in check by using your school’s curriculum and/or the PA State standards to ensure you are on target.

To learn more about developing UDL Habits by setting clear, rigorous, and flexible goals, consider this resource CAST - UDL Tips for Designing Learning Goals or view this brief clip from Katie Novak.

In the last episode of Building UDL Habits, we learned to begin with a clear, rigorous goal that is separate from the means. Now it is time to consider honing the next UDL Habit which requires us to predict what barriers might interfere with achieving the learning goal.
 

  • Barriers are not found in people. Barriers are found in the environment, which include the materials, the methods, the assessments, and even the curriculum. Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “the students aren’t paying attention in class.” This makes it sound like the barrier is the students. The more accurate identification of the barrier would be to state that “there are distractions in the classroom that interrupt students’ attention.” Or…maybe you’ve heard a statement such as, “a student is failing science because he/she can’t read.” However, the student is not the barrier. The barrier is the text. Therefore, a more accurate statement would be, “the text level is too challenging for students to comprehend.”
  • When the barrier is accurately identified, it becomes easier to determine possible options for overcoming or removing the barrier.

 
If you’d like to know more about how to predict and identify barriers from a UDL perspective, consider this resource by Allison Posey, “How to Break Down Barriers to Learning with UDL”.
 
For additional information on barriers, check out this 4-minute video from the UDL Implementation and Research Network (IRN). 

Designing from a UDL perspective takes practice. As we refine and strengthen these habits, we will be able to design learning experiences that provide equity and access for all. We’ve been building these habits by creating clear goals (Habit #1) and predicting barriers that may interfere with achieving the goal (Habit #2). Now we’re ready to build Habit #3, recognizing and embracing learner variability. Research shows that there is no such thing as an average learner. UDL recognizes learner variability as the true norm and reminds us that variability can change based on context. By recognizing learner variability, we will provide options so all learners can find success with the learning goal.

If you’d like to learn more about learner variability, consider watching this 3-minute video from the UDL Implementation and Research Network.   




If you’d like to consider your own variability, complete this “learner profile”.  Then, think about how your own variability might change if the context changed (i.e. bad night’s sleep, not feeling well, argument with a colleague, etc.)

By developing clear goals, predicting barriers to the goal, and embracing learner variability, we are ready for Habit #4 - designing learning opportunities that provide multiple pathways and/or options so that all learners can achieve the goal. The UDL Guidelines are an essential tool that will help us identify options such as how to recruit and sustain student interest with the learning (Engagement); how to help learners perceive and make sense of the learning (Representation), and how to provide options so that learners can demonstrate their learning (Action & Expression).  

Consider exploring the UDL Interactive Guidelines on the CAST website, to further your knowledge of how to provide multiple means of Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression.   If this tool is new to you, you may also want to read more about the Guidelines Structure or watch this brief video by David Rose on how to best interpret the UDL Guidelines.  

We are committed to designing learning with a UDL mindset by starting small.  Practice designing for small moments in time and apply the 4 UDL habits to those moments.  For example, consider one moment within a math lesson, such as introducing the skill of the day or the independent practice of the new skill.  Regardless of the moment, consider the UDL Habits:
 

  • Get Clear on the Goal
  • Predict Barriers to the Goal
  • Recognize and Embrace the Variability of your Learners
  • Provide Multiple Means of Engagement, Representation, or Action & Expression

As you design in this manner, your UDL lens will become clear and you will be able to apply this process on a bigger scale.  

Consider using this UDL Habits graphic organizer to help you integrate UDL into practice and apply the UDL Habits in your design process.   

Check back next week as we further explore what UDL “is” by taking a look at some common UDL Myths.  

1.  UDL is a framework to optimize learning for all learners
2.  UDL practitioners share these fundamental core beliefs:
Variability is the rule, not the exception.  Students don’t have to do the same things at the same time.
All students can work toward the same firm goals and grade-level standards.
All students will become expert learners if barriers are removed
3.  UDL isn’t a checklist or a chunk of time set aside on the master schedule when we all “UDL”. UDL is a framework that allows us to consider:
What is it that all learners need to know or be able to do? 
What barriers may prevent students from learning?
How do I design flexible pathways for all learners to learn and share what they know?
 
To further your knowledge of the UDL Framework, consider reading this article on the 6 Myths about Universal Design for Learning, by Katie Novak. 

In this video, Katie Novak, international expert on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), breaks apart the components of Universal Design for Learning and how all learners can benefit when instruction is delivered with UDL in mind. Katie also explains how inclusion, MTSS, and differentiation align to remove barriers for learners and provide them with the best learning opportunities.





If you have questions or want additional information, please contact your regional PaTTAN office.

The Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL) makes learning accessible to EVERY learner. The Danielson Framework for Teaching (FfT) is an instrument that explicitly provides teachers with clear expectations within the components of planning, classroom environment, instruction, and professional practice. The “Crosswalk between UDL and FtF” helps educators establish critical connections between these two frameworks and provides guidance on how to infuse Universal Design for Learning into the Danielson Framework for Teaching. 

If you have questions or want additional information until we post again, please contact your regional PaTTAN office. Follow @pattanupdates and  #PaTTANUDL for key UDL concepts and resources.

Did you know Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to support students across specific content areas? Consider these math UDL strategies:
 

  • Representing mathematical equations in several forms (i.e., objects, words, pictures, graphs)
  • Posting number lines (small versions on student desks, or a large one along a wall) for easy reference
  • Engaging in learning through math games

 
Expert UDL author and presenter, Katie Novak, provides a great resource to support math teachers in UDL implementation. Check it out!

UDL Math Guidelines (novakeducation.com)

If you have questions or want additional information, please contact your regional PaTTAN office. Follow @pattanupdates and #PaTTANUDL for key UDL concepts and resources.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a shift in perspective: we must intentionally shift our focus away from blaming the learner (“The students are constantly blurting out the answers”) to identifying the problem within the environment (“This lecture format does not allow students to share their responses”).

Reframing the problem can be challenging. Here are some good sentence-starters to help assure that you have accurately identified the barrier:

  • “The design of the lesson doesn’t provide for…”

  • “The learning activities aren’t…”

  • “The location of the materials isn’t…”

  • “The lesson hasn’t built in scaffolding for…”

Consider using this Troubleshooting Template, shared by National CAST Faculty Member, Jennifer Pusateri, to guide you through the process of stating the problem, reframing the problem to assure it is not directed at the learner, and then aligning the true problem with potential solutions using the UDL Guidelines. 

Fillable Troubleshooting Template

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for ALL learners. Traditional classroom approaches and UDL classroom approaches to education are very different.
 

Traditional Classroom UDL Classroom
  Teaching focuses on what is taught.  
  Teaching focuses on both what is
  taught and how.
 
  Accommodations are for specific     
  students.		  
  Accommodations are for all
  students.
 
  The teacher decides how the
  material is taught.		  
  The teacher works with the student
  to decide how the student will learn   
  the material.
 
 
  The classroom has a fixed setup.
 		  
  The classroom has a flexible setup.
 
 
  There’s one way for a student to
  complete an assignment.
 		   There are multiple ways to complete
  an assignment.
 
  Grades are used to measure
  performance.
 		   Grades are used to reinforce goals.

                                
Learn more about the differences between traditional classroom and UDL classroom with this resource from Understood.org.

As a parent, you are a powerful change agent who can advocate for making the curriculum accessible for your child. As a result of your efforts, all students benefit due to minimizing barriers to learning and maximizing learning opportunities.

Take the time to learn about UDL, a framework for a fully accessible curriculum so you can advocate for its adoption in curriculum, teacher training, and district- and statewide assessments.
 

Learn

Become knowledgeable about what makes a curriculum accessible for students with disabilities. To learn more about UDL so you can explain and advocate for its adoption at your school, visit lessonbuilder.cast.org/learn.php to watch a short video, read about UDL, and try a UDL activity. Understanding the difference between UDL, special education, assistive technology, and accommodations will enable you to maximize your advocacy efforts.

Investigate

Does your child’s school know about UDL? Do teachers have access to training on how to incorporate a UDL approach to planning and delivering instruction? If not, direct them to the professional development information and resources available at www.cast.org. Are the assessments being used by your district following guidelines for UDA? If not, direct them to information and resources available at www.nceo.info.

Promote

Encourage your school district to adopt an approach to teaching and learning that values diversity and promotes improved learning outcomes for all students. UDL provides a framework for designing and implementing curriculum that works for all children. Ask the PTA or PTO at your school to sponsor a presentation on UDL for parents.

Inquire

When formulating annual goals for your child, ask if the proposed goals align to the content standards for the state and reflect the learning expectations for your child’s enrolled grade. Do the goals represent only the learning expectation and not the means for attaining them? If the means are embedded in the goal, inquire about how to establish clear goals that are distinct from the means for attaining them.

Expect

Don’t settle for instructional techniques, materials and assessment methods that do not engage your child and enable him to show what he knows. Expect your child’s school and teachers to use a variety of instructional approaches, provide an array of materials, and offer multiple ways to measure student learning.

Help

Assist your school, district, and state in adopting and promoting the use of UDL and UDA. Do this by volunteering at school, helping out with fundraising efforts and playing a role in the use of funds at your child’s school.

 A Parent’s Guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) National Center for Learning Disabilities • ncld.org

For more information, review this Parent Advocacy Brief: “A Parent's Guide to Universal Design for Learning”

Universal Design for Learning and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) overlap and can be woven throughout the instructional day to support all learners.
 

  • Learn about the SEL Core Competencies and the related UDL guidelines & checkpoints with this valuable resource .
  • Use practices to enhance both UDL and SEL such as welcoming activities, engaging strategies, and optimistic closure of lessons.
  • Take a look at how to design learning with UDL and CASEL’s three Signature Practices in mind with this resource.
  • If you have questions or want additional information unt
  • Well-articulated and sustainable frameworks of MTSS and Universal Design for Learning both reflect the understanding that a single practice may be effective for one student yet may not be effective for other students.
  • The UDL and MTSS frameworks embrace assessment as something that should inform instruction and intervention.
  • In a Universally Designed MTSS framework, poor achievement does not necessarily reflect a disability.  Rather poor achievement may reflect the presence of barriers within the instructional environment, which prevent access to instruction.
  • Learn more about the alignment between MTSS and UDL with this resource.
  • If you have questions or want additional information, please contact your regional PaTTAN office. Follow @pattanupdates and #PaTTANUDL for key UDL concepts and resources