Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that allows learners to engage with content and represent their knowledge in multiple ways. Designing courses using UDL principles promotes a rich learning environment, and considers the variety of learners’ needs while incorporating accessibility principles. The Office of Digital Learning recommends getting comfortable with UDL by reviewing the UDL On Campus – Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education . Then, reflect on how students meet learning outcomes and where they stumble, this reflection will help highlight which UDL principles to incorporate. Utilize the principles at the beginning of the course development process or make small changes every semester to help engage our diverse group of learners.
UDL Principles
UDL is broken down into three categories of providing multiple means of:
- Engagement – focuses on how to motivate learners to meet learning objectives and consume the course content.
- Representation – focuses on what students are learning and providing was to improve learners understanding of content.
- Action and Expression – focuses on how learners will demonstrate their knowledge and mastery of course goals.
Use the following graphic organizer to understand how to incorporate the UDL principles.
Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
Provide multiple means of Engagement
Provide multiple means of Representation
Provide multiple means of Action & Expression
Access
Provide options for Recruiting Interest
- Optimize individual choice and autonomy
- Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity Minimize threats and distractions
Provide options for Perception
- Offer ways of customizing the display of information
- Offer alternatives for auditory information
- Offer alternatives for visual information
Provide options for Physical Action
- Vary the methods for response and navigation
- Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
Build
Provide options for Sustaining Effort & Persistence
Go to Sustaining Effort & Persistence
- Heighten salience of goals and objectives
- Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
- Foster collaboration and community
- Increase mastery-oriented feedback
Provide options for Language & Symbols
- Clarify vocabulary and symbols
- Clarify syntax and structure
- Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols
- Promote understanding across languages
- Illustrate through multiple media
Provide options for Expression & Communication
Go to Expression & Communication
- Use multiple media and communication
- Use multiple tools for construction and composition
- Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance
Internalize
Provide options for Self Regulation
- Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
- Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
- Develop self-assessment and reflection
Provide options for Comprehension
- Activate or supply background knowledge
- Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
- Guide information processing and visualization
- Maximize transfer and generalization
Provide options for Executive Functions
- Guide appropriate goal-setting
- Support planning and strategy development
- Facilitate managing information and resources
- Enhance capacity for monitoring progress
Source: CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org
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