Universal design for learning is a framework, which helps in guiding the design of courses and learning environments appealing to the largest number of learners. It emphasizes flexibility in how the instructional material is presented. How the students exhibit their awareness and skills, and how they are engaged in learning.
The ultimate aim of Universal design learning is that the learners become “expert learners”. The expert learners are determined and encouraged, resourceful and knowledgeable, and also goal-oriented about learning. Universal design learning or UDL is a powerful approach because, from the very beginning of the lesson.
It helps in anticipating and planning for all your learners with ease. This also helps in ensuring that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning. To follow UDL’s principles, you do not need any kind of specific tools or technologies. Instead, your students can select from the tools and resources you already have. They can use them in different ways.
The concept of UDL
In any kind of learning environment like schools and universities, individual variability is the norm. When the curriculum is designed to meet the requirements of anyone. You do not have to address any reality learner variability. They can fail to offer all the individuals with some amazing opportunities to learn by excluding the learners with different kinds of abilities, backgrounds, and motivations who do not meet the illusive criteria for any average.
With Universal Design Learning, you can address the learner variability by suggesting flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments, which can empower educators.
So that they can meet the varied requirements. The curriculum which is made with the help of UDL is designed from the outset to meet the requirements of all the learners. The framework encourages creating different types of designs from scratch that have flexible options.
Which allow all the learners to progress from where they are and not where they would have imagined them to be. The options for accomplishing this can be really varied. Also robust to offer you some effective instruction to all the learners
Three main principles of UDL
UDL is a framework for how to create some lesson plans as well as assessments which is based on three different principles:
- Representation: UDL recommends providing different kinds of information in more than one format. For instance, textbooks are primarily visual. However, providing text, audio, and video as well as hands-on learning can provide you all the students with a chance to access the material in whichever way is best suited to their trengths.
- Action and expression: According to the UDL, you can provide the students with more than one way to interact with the material and understand what they have learned.
- Engagement: UDL is known to encourage teachers to look for different ways to motivate the students. Letting the kids make choices and providing them with assignments that feel relevant to their lives are some examples of how the teachers can sustain the student’s interest. Other common strategies comprise making skill-building into the game or creating opportunities for the students to get up and move around.
Universities that offer UDL for higher education
Most colleges and universities have created an institution-wide task force designed to promote UDL across the campus. Some of the institutes include:
- Boston College
- California State University
- Durham College
- George Washington University
- Goodwin College
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- McGill University
- Mohawk College
- Ohio State University
- Universal design for learning is a framework, which helps in guiding the design of courses and learning environments appealing to the largest number of learners. It emphasizes flexibility in how the instructional material is presented. How the students exhibit their awareness and skills, and how they are engaged in learning.
- The ultimate aim of Universal design learning is that the learners become “expert learners”. The expert learners are determined and encouraged, resourceful and knowledgeable, and also goal-oriented about learning. Universal design learning or UDL is a powerful approach because, from the very beginning of the lesson.
- It helps in anticipating and planning for all your learners with ease. This also helps in ensuring that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning. To follow UDL’s principles, you do not need any kind of specific tools or technologies. Instead, your students can select from the tools and resources you already have. They can use them in different ways.
- Temple University
- Towson University
- University of Washington
- University of Vermont
- West Chester University
Universal design for learning is a framework, which helps in guiding the design of courses and learning environments appealing to the largest number of learners. It emphasizes flexibility in how the instructional material is presented. How the students exhibit their awareness and skills, and how they are engaged in learning.
The ultimate aim of Universal design learning is that the learners become “expert learners”. The expert learners are determined and encouraged, resourceful and knowledgeable, and also goal-oriented about learning. Universal design learning or UDL is a powerful approach because, from the very beginning of the lesson.