An Introduction To The Universal Design For Learning Framework

By: Kara Wasnewsky

What is Universal Design for Learning?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework focused on reducing barriers to learning and maximizing accessibility for the widest range of students.

It may be helpful to think about the universal design movement in architecture where accommodations like elevators and curb cutouts were introduced. While these accommodations were originally thought of for people with disabilities, I think we can all agree that the usefulness of these accommodations extends to almost anyone.

Like the movement in architecture, Universal Design for Learning aims to change the design of the learning environment to remove barriers for students. Reducing barriers allows all learners the ability to engage in rigorous, meaningful learning. 

Universal Design For Learning vs. Accessibility

I think it is important to note the differences between Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility. It is very common for people to talk about these things as being the same, but they aren’t really.  

Accessibility is focused around providing accommodations for students who need them. Accessibility is a legal issue and there are specific standards for web accessibility that need to be met. Many of the standards are also very UDL friendly, so there is overlap.

Universal Design for Learning is focused on providing flexible approaches to instruction and content presentation to make it easier for all students to customize and adjust content to suit their individual learning needs.

I think a good way to think about it is that accessibility is a specific set of legal standards and UDL is about providing options for learners.

3 Principles of Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning is a framework, which means that it is a lens that you can use to think about your course design (rather than a set of specific standards). The framework is made up of three major principles: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression.

Engagement is about providing multiple means to motivate students to learn. If you think about the diversity of students in your classes, you probably notice that they have different motivations for taking your courses. For example, does the student need the course to fulfill a requirement or a slot in his/her/their schedule? Does the student see the course as relevant to a future career? Or does the student have a more personal interest in the topic? By providing more than one way to motivate students, you can remove barriers to learning.

Representation is about providing multiple means for how learners interact with content. Your students have preferences for how they like to learn information and those preferences can change based on the type of content and the environment the learner is in. By providing more than one way for students to access content they can choose the best way for them.

Action & Expression is about giving learners choices in how they express what they know. Fox example in higher ed we often rely heavily on writing in our courses, but not all students are necessarily strong writers. They may know the content quite well, but have poor writing skills that cause them to not do as well on an assignment even though you really just were assessing them on their content knowledge (not writing skills). Providing choice provides equal opportunity for all students to succeed.

What does Universal Design For Learning Look Like in The Classroom?

There are many ways to implement Universal Design for Learning in the classroom, whether you teach face-to-face or online. It is important that you consider the learning goals for the lesson and choose strategies/techniques that fit with your goals. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Engagement

1. Incorporate active learning strategies.

2. Show how content is relevant for your students.

3. Provide frequent, formative feedback.

4. Give students opportunities to reflect on their progress.

5. Ask students for their input on how classroom tasks are designed.

6. Incorporate activities that have students engage in a real-world experience.

Representation

1. Add captioning to video content.

2. Turn Powerpoints into videos.

3. Use concept maps to highlight relationships between course ideas.

4. Add visuals to to written content.

5. Record audio of written content.

Action & Expression

1. Give students the option to record a video in place of writing a paper.

2. Let students choose the format for an assignment.

3. Incorporate group assignments.

4. Have students reflect on their learning at the end of class (exit tickets, feedback forms).

5. Build skills step by step with students.