Universal Design for Learning

What is Universal Design for Learning?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for ALL learners. At the core, UDL is rooted in neuroscience. Research shows that learning occurs in three brain networks - the Affective Network, Recognition Network, and Strategic Network. Evidence supports that learners are diverse, and that learner variability is the norm and can change across contexts. Evidence also supports that barriers within learning environments can interfere with or interrupt the learning process.

Educators with a UDL mindset apply design principles to make learning accessible and beneficial to all learners. To ensure learners have equitable access to the same rigorous learning goals, educators are empowered to:

Embrace learner variability
Intentionally predict and remove barriers within the learning environment
Provide flexibility within the learning process

The UDL Guidelines from CAST are a tool for educators to use in the design phase of teaching and learning. By utilizing these guidelines, educators can proactively plan for learning opportunities to address barriers and maximize learner access; with the ultimate goal of creating expert learners who are purposeful & motivated, resourceful & knowledgeable, and strategic & goal-directed.

To learn more about Universal Design for Learning, view the brief videos and articles below:

If you have questions or want additional information, contact your regional PaTTAN office.

UDL Habits

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How is UDL different than Inclusion

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Common Myths

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UDL and the Danielson Framework for Teaching

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Difference between UDL & Traditional Education

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UDL Trouble Shooting Template

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Universal Design for Learning & Math

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UDL and Social emotional Learning

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Advocating for Accessible Curriculum

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In this video, Katie Novak, international expert on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), breaks apart the components of Universal Design for Learning and how all learners can benefit when instruction is delivered with UDL in mind. Katie also explains how inclusion, MTSS, and differentiation align to remove barriers for learners and provide them with the best learning opportunities.
»Watch the video
If you have questions or want additional information, please contact your regional PaTTAN office.

1. UDL is a framework to optimize learning for all learners
2. UDL practitioners share these fundamental core beliefs:

Variability is the rule, not the exception. Students don’t have to do the same things at the same time.
All students can work toward the same firm goals and grade-level standards.
All students will become expert learners if barriers are removed

3. UDL isn’t a checklist or a chunk of time set aside on the master schedule when we all do “UDL”.
UDL is a framework that allows us to consider:

What is it that all learners need to know or be able to do?
What barriers may prevent students from learning?
How do I design flexible pathways for all learners to learn and share what they know?

To further your knowledge of the UDL Framework, consider reading this article on the 6 Myths about Universal Design for Learning, by Katie Novak. »Novak Education

The Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL) makes learning accessible to EVERY learner. The Danielson Framework for Teaching (FfT) is an instrument that explicitly provides teachers with clear expectations within the components of planning, classroom environment, instruction, and professional practice. The “Crosswalk between UDL and FtF” helps educators establish critical connections between these two frameworks and provides guidance on how to infuse Universal Design for Learning into the Danielson Framework for Teaching.

» Crosswalk between UDL and FtF

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for ALL learners. Traditional classroom approaches and UDL classroom approaches to education are very different.

Traditional Classroom UDL Classroom Teaching focuses on what is taught.
  Teaching focuses on both what is
taught and how.
Accommodations are for specific
  students.
  Accommodations are for all
  students.
The teacher decides how the
material is taught.
  The teacher works with the student
  to decide how the student will learn
  the material.

  The classroom has a fixed setup.

  The classroom has a flexible setup.

There’s one way for a student to
  complete an assignment.
There are multiple ways to complete
  an assignment.
Grades are used to measure
  performance.
Grades are used to reinforce goals.

Learn more about the differences between traditional classroom and UDL classroom with this resource from Understood.org.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a shift in perspective: we must intentionally shift our focus away from blaming the learner (“The students are constantly blurting out the answers”) to identifying the problem within the environment (“This lecture format does not allow students to share their responses”).

Reframing the problem can be challenging. Here are some good sentence-starters to help assure that you have accurately identified the barrier:

“The design of the lesson doesn’t provide for…”
“The learning activities aren’t…”
“The location of the materials isn’t…”
“The lesson hasn’t built in scaffolding for…”

Consider using this Troubleshooting Template, shared by National CAST Faculty Member, Jennifer Pusateri, to guide you through the process of stating the problem, reframing the problem to assure it is not directed at the learner, and then aligning the true problem with potential solutions using the UDL Guidelines.

» Fillable Troubleshooting Template

Did you know Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to support students across specific content areas? Consider these math UDL strategies:

Representing mathematical equations in several forms (i.e., objects, words, pictures, graphs)
Posting number lines (small versions on student desks, or a large one along a wall) for easy reference
Engaging in learning through math games

Expert UDL author and presenter, Katie Novak, provides a great resource to support math teachers in UDL implementation. Check it out!

» UDL Math Guidelines

If you have questions or want additional information, please contact your regional PaTTAN office. Follow @pattanupdates and #PaTTANUDL for key UDL concepts and resources.

Universal Design for Learning and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) overlap and can be woven throughout the instructional day to support all learners.

Learn about the SEL Core Competencies and the related UDL guidelines & checkpoints with this valuable » resource.
Use practices to enhance both UDL and SEL such as welcoming activities, engaging strategies, and optimistic closure of lessons.
Take a look at how to design learning with UDL and CASEL’s three Signature Practices in mind with this » resource.

As a parent, you are a powerful change agent who can advocate for making the curriculum accessible for your child. As a result of your efforts, all students benefit due to minimizing barriers to learning and maximizing learning opportunities.

Take the time to learn about UDL, a framework for a fully accessible curriculum so you can advocate for its adoption in curriculum, teacher training, and district- and statewide assessments.

Learn

Become knowledgeable about what makes a curriculum accessible for students with disabilities. To learn more about UDL so you can explain and advocate for its adoption at your school, visit lessonbuilder.cast.org/learn.php to watch a short video, read about UDL, and try a UDL activity. Understanding the difference between UDL, special education, assistive technology, and accommodations will enable you to maximize your advocacy efforts.

Investigate

Does your child’s school know about UDL? Do teachers have access to training on how to incorporate a UDL approach to planning and delivering instruction? If not, direct them to the professional development information and resources available at www.cast.org. Are the assessments being used by your district following guidelines for UDA? If not, direct them to information and resources available at www.nceo.info.

Promote

Encourage your school district to adopt an approach to teaching and learning that values diversity and promotes improved learning outcomes for all students. UDL provides a framework for designing and implementing curriculum that works for all children. Ask the PTA or PTO at your school to sponsor a presentation on UDL for parents.

Inquire

When formulating annual goals for your child, ask if the proposed goals align to the content standards for the state and reflect the learning expectations for your child’s enrolled grade. Do the goals represent only the learning expectation and not the means for attaining them? If the means are embedded in the goal, inquire about how to establish clear goals that are distinct from the means for attaining them.

Expect

Don’t settle for instructional techniques, materials and assessment methods that do not engage your child and enable him to show what he knows. Expect your child’s school and teachers to use a variety of instructional approaches, provide an array of materials, and offer multiple ways to measure student learning.

Help

Assist your school, district, and state in adopting and promoting the use of UDL and UDA. Do this by volunteering at school, helping out with fundraising efforts and playing a role in the use of funds at your child’s school.

A Parent’s Guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) National Center for Learning Disabilities • n cld.org

For more information, review this Parent Advocacy Brief: “A Parent's Guide to Universal Design for Learning”