Universal Design for Learning

UDL Guidelines – Mole Conversion Lesson Checklist
I.    Provide Multiple Means of Representation:	Your notes
1.     Provide options for perception
1.1 Offer ways of customizing the display of information	Feature: Videos can be re-sized
1.2 Offer alternatives for auditory information	Barrier: Content in video only.  Needs to have captions or speech to text.
1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information	Barrier: Content in video only.
2.     Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
2.1 Clarify vocabulary and symbols	Feature: Vocab terms included in video tutorial
2.2 Clarify syntax and structure	Feature: Relating Conversion factors
2.3 Support decoding of text, and mathematical notation, and symbols	Feature: Include Conversion formulas
2.4 Promote understanding across language	Barrier: Content in English only
2.5 Illustrate through multiple media	Feature: Video Tutorial
3.     Provide options for comprehension
3.1 Activate or supply background knowledge	Feature: Linking to any conversion factor
3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Feature: Provides multiple examples
3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation	Feature: Provides scaffolding with examples
3.4 Maximize transfer and generalization	Feature: Gives cue to practice
II.   Provide Multiple Means for Action and Expression:	Your notes
4.     Provide options for physical action
4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation	Barrier: No alternatives for physically responding
4.2 Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies	Barrier: No access to assistive technology
5.     Provide options for expression and communication
5.1 Use multiple media for communication	Barrier: No alternative media
5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition	Barrier: No alternative options
5.3 Build fluencies with graduated labels of support for practice and performance	Feature: Provides scaffolding
6.     Provide options for executive functions
6.1 Guide appropriate goal setting	Feature: Include objectives in tutorial
6.2 Support planning and strategy development	Feature: Include stop and think in tutorial
6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources	Barrier: No organizational tool options
6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Barrier: No rubric available
III.  Provide Multiple Means for Engagement:	Your notes
7.     Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy	Barrier: Only one option for showing understanding
7.2 Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity	Feature: Uses in real world
7.3 Minimize threats and distractions	Feature: Safe learning environment.  Variation in length of work sessions.
8.     Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives	Feature: Include with objectives
8.2 Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge	Barrier: No alternatives present
8.3 Foster collaboration and community	Feature: Google Docs discussion
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback	Feature: Timely feedback
9.     Provide options for self-regulation
9.1 Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation	Barrier: Multiple options not provided
9.2 Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies	Feature: Teacher emphasizes learning process
9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection	Barrier: No option for reflection

Universal Design for Learning or UDL is a new way to design curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners.  In other words, its a proactive approach to ensuring that all students have equal ability to learn in your classroom.  Instead of attempting to fix the student by modifying or retrofitting the curricula, UDL attempts to change the curricula to better fit the students.  The goal is shifted from the traditional approach of remembering facts to the UDL approach of creating better learners.

Discussion Questions
1.  At the core of UDL is the premise that often the curriculum is disabled (and disabling!). It is not flexible; it often poses barriers, and consequently prevents rather than supports optimal learning experiences. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Why or why not?

• Traditional curriculum is, more often than not, quite disabling for the diverse needs of students.  It has been tailored to teach the imaginary majority of students.  The reality is that every class has a diversity of learners and they all have different needs to be met in order to learn to their best potential.  Many traditional curricula are based on learning from lectures and the text book, with written tests for assessments.  This type of curriculum can create barriers in learning for students with visual disabilities, reading disabilities, and even students with attention deficit disorders.  It also does not provide the flexibility to allow students that understand the material quickly to move on or learn at a higher level.  With all of this in mind, I would say that I agree with that viewpoint. In contrast to traditional curriculum, the UDL approach offers flexibility by providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement.  It meets the basic learning needs of individuals and helps create motivated learners.    

2.  What are the benefits of analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on the student’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the challenges of this approach? 

• The curriculum can be changed without lowering expectations.  On the other hand, focusing on the student's strengths and weaknesses often results in retrofitted lessons (an afterthought to meet needs of students) and lowered expectations.  Curriculum that is designed for strengths and weaknesses can be proactive in meeting the needs of students.  This can remove the barriers associated with learning and ensure that all students can meet the high expectations.  The major challenge here is that there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way that teachers think about lesson planning and teaching.