What Is Universal Design for Learning?

Universal Design, a philosophy gaining steam as schools address historic changes in educational policy, seeks to introduce environments and products that are usable by the broadest possible range of students to the greatest extent possible. Borrowed as a concept from the field of architecture, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach considers potential environmental and product barriers for all users throughout the educational planning process. It is an effective pre-planning step, which helps to avoid costly, and often inefficient, “retrofits.”

What Are the Essential Elements of Universal Design for Learning?

The premise behind UDL is that no single teaching method works for all learners. According to the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), UDL seeks to:

• Give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge. For example, this may include providing background information prior to a lesson delivered via streaming video.
• Provide learners with alternatives for demonstrating what they know. This may include giving students the option of using graphic organizers (e.g. Inspiration software) or recording audio for podcasts, with the emphasis on the end goal.
• Tap into learners’ interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation. For example, this may include students working in cooperative groups by compiling and sharing note-taking responsibilities.

Under the framework provided by UDL, developed by CAST, teachers remain central to the success of students. The UDL initiative is contingent upon collaboration, meaning that long-standing barriers must be broken down. Curriculum coordinators, general education teachers, special education teachers, administration (all levels), instructional technology personnel, assistive technology specialists, parents, students, and all educators must work together to promote universally designed learning tools. UDL is not just a special education initiative—it is an initiative designed to benefit each and every student.

How Will Universal Design for Learning Improve Education in Michigan?

While UDL maintains the traditional academic rigor, it does so in a flexible way to accommodate the diversity that exists among all learners. Since people learn differently, flexibility in teaching methods, materials, and learning environments is required to best reach and teach each learner.

The dramatic policy changes taking place in Michigan, and nationally, to prepare students for the 21st Century’s global economy encourage educators to embrace innovative approaches to educate ALL students. UDL provides a pedagogical framework to assist educators in achieving these goals.

Perhaps the biggest barrier to ensuring that all students have access to more rigorous curriculums is the traditional model of teaching. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) opened the door for students in special education to gain access to the general education classroom, but this did not necessarily give them access to the academic content and the materials used to access that content.

Materials, methods, and assessments are not yet universally friendly. Textbooks, for example, are inherently inflexible and create many barriers for students with and without disabilities.

UDL-designed materials are flexible and supportive for a wide range of students. Digital textbooks, for example, significantly improve flexibility by removing barriers for some types of learners. Digital texts also can be converted easily to Braille or read by a computer for students with vision impairments. Furthermore, digitized text can include visual supports such as embedded videos and graphic organizers to help improve learning opportunities. As automatic doors benefit the entire population, universally designed curricula can support students with disabilities as well as a wider range of learners.

UDL is a framework that can help turn the challenges posed by high standards and increasing learner diversity into opportunities to maximize learning for every student.

Learn about new research, technologies, and media for using UDL principles in teaching from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) at www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent.

For more information, contact: Jeff Diedrich, Director, Michigan’s Integrated Technology Supports (MITS), (800) 274-7426, diedrich@edzone.net or visit www.cenmi.org/mits. For more information on Universal Design, visit Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), www.cast.org.

TOP of Page