{"id":35727,"date":"2024-10-15T17:19:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T21:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/?p=35727"},"modified":"2024-10-15T17:19:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T21:19:29","slug":"universal-design-for-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/universal-design-for-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) with Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Universal Design for Learning, often referred to as UDL, is a popular framework in education due to its universal or broad applicability to all <\/em>learners. Steeped in research, UDL assumes that there is no \u201ctypical\u201d student and that everyone deserves to both approach and showcase learning in a variety of ways. This learner variability is the given in UDL, akin to universal instructional design and universal design for instruction. UDL looks at not just the intellectual but also the physical needs of the students and seeks to remove all barriers, rather than asking the learner to adapt to the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of UDL strategies is to bolster student agency, giving learners the personalized approach they need to do their best. UDL flips the traditional educator-, school-, and curriculum-centered thinking to learner-centered thinking. Based on scientific insights into how humans learn, UDL challenges educators and families to design meaningful and challenging learning opportunities that are accessible to all and inclusive of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAST<\/a> (formerly the Center for Applied Special Technology) is the nonprofit education research and development organization that created the UDL framework and guidelines. Former educator Dr. David Rose, Anne Meyer, and his colleagues from CAST started sharing their ideas back in the early 1990s. Their team tested how early Apple Macintosh computers could be used as interventions for students with special needs. Based on their successes but also disenchanted with the notion that these approaches were deployed on an as-needed basis, Rose\u2019s team pushed for a universal shift: How could curricula work for all and address all learning styles? They sought to design customized learning experiences that would address the \u201cdisabilities of schools<\/a>\u201d instead of the \u201cdisabilities of the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"CAST<\/a>
Source: CAST<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Their thinking was rooted in universal design principles from the architect and product development world (based on ADA accessibility standards)\u2014namely, if you start with accessibility, then you will end up with a more efficient, less expensive, and more useful end result, one that often has broader benefits than originally planned for. When understanding what is Universal Design for Learning, consider how sliding doors serve those with their hands full or those pushing strollers as well as those in wheelchairs; sidewalks\u2019 curb cuts benefit bikers and skateboarders as well as those with special needs; and closed captioning helps those in noisy environments as well as the hard-of-hearing community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod.<\/strong> <\/strong>Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
Teachers: Sign up for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Administrators: Schedule a call<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What are the Universal Design for Learning principles?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The three pillars are Representation, Engagement, and Action & Expression. Universal Design for Learning practices are based in neuropsychology and tied to research about the brain\u2019s broad learning networks such as recognition networks, affective networks, and strategic networks. Like fingerprints, no two brains are alike, and this variability presents both challenges and opportunities for educators.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"CAST<\/a>
Source: CAST<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Universal Design for Learning principles promote the creation of designed learning environments that cater to all students’ needs. These guidelines revolve around the following three core pillars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Representation: The WHAT of learning<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Provides multiple ways to present information and knowledge for students to acquire and process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n