UDL – Part IV The “How” of Learning

This article is Part I in the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) series.
Read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV

Individuals take learning journeys differently from the beginning to the end. It takes different techniques and tools to motivate them to learn.  Once they are motivated and ready to engage in learning, It is important to capture that learning opportunity and keep that learning momentum by providing a conducive learning environment. Ideally, the optimal learning environment must allow each student to achieve high expectations aligned with their professional and/or personal needs, allowing them to take ownership of their learning and safely develop their self-identities (New Teacher Center, 2018).

The above sums up the learning journey we have taken so far. This article will help steer it to the end. We will explore the brain’s strategic network through Multiple Means of Action/Expression, the third and last principle of the UDL framework. While the first two principles require heavy investment on the instructor side, the third principle leans toward learners’ capability to process information and construct knowledge internally and to demonstrate the learning for assessment. In practice, that is the end of the learning journey, but in theory, a new learning journey, or “cycle” to be specific, is about to begin to take learning to the next and higher level.

Based on CAST’s Guidelines 4-6 (n.d.), the following are examples of activities that may be applicable to your course:

1. A document you created using heading and styles to create a clear document structure — optimizing accessibility and access to tools and assistive technology.
2. List the learning objectives at the beginning of each learning module — setting learning goals with learning objectives.
3. A web coding assignment allowing students to use any IDE — using multiple tools for construction.
4. A term project or a final exam, both covering all lessons in the course — providing different models/activities to achieve the same goal.
5. A reflection of learning at the end of the semester allowing students to submit their work in writing in a document file format such as PDF, Word, PowerPoint, or orally in an audio file format such as MP3, WAV, ACC, or a video presentation in a video file format such as MP4, WAV, AVI — using any format or media to complete the work.
6. A draft of an individual project proposal with 5 samples from previous semesters — building expectations from best practices and authetic performance.
7. The same project above to be submitted in stages: Proposal, Progress 1, Progress 2, Presentation — enhancing learning through monitoring progress.
8. A note-taking outline for each lesson — facilitating internal scaffolds to manage and organize information.

The examples provided in the UDL series are just a few of so many that demonstrate how UDL can be applied in any fields of study. I hope that the UDL series has sparked your interest and provided a starting point for you to integrate UDL principles in your course. 

References:

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology). (n.d.). About Universal Design for Learning. https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl

New Teacher Center. (2018). Optimizing Learning Environment Framework. https://newteachercenter.org/resources/optimal-learning-environment-framework/