Universal Design for Learning

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UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Universal Design for Learning is about planning ahead of time for the diverse needs of your learners.

UDL falls into three categories of implementation that relate to three different neural pathways in the brain, Recognition Networks, Strategic Networks, and Affective Networks. These three guidelines of UDL are:

  • Engagement: offer options that engage students in different ways and keep their interest.  This is the "why" that affects the Affective Networks.
  • Representation: show the information in different ways.  This is the "what" that affects the Recognition Networks.
  • Action & Expression: approach learning tasks and allow students to demonstrate what they know in different ways.  This is the "how" that affects the Strategic Networks.

UDL requires high learning expectations for all students no matter what their challenges to learning may be.

Which of these guidelines am I already using?

Representation is the UDL guideline that I have already been using without realizing it.  As a 6th grade science teacher, I have always tried to present the information in as many ways as possible, including text, diagrams, graphic organizers, videos, songs, and hands-on observation.  This is especially important for concepts that are difficult to observe directly, such as atoms, plate tectonics, and space. 

Which of these guidelines could I add right now to my teaching practice?

Addressing the Action and Expression UDL guideline would be fairly simple to incorporate into my library media center.  Likely this would involve collaboration with teachers rather than a stand-alone project in the library, but I could help the teacher facilitate some of the different types of student product, especially those that involve technology like video production.  There are additional tools and extra space available in the library that students could utilize outside of the teacher's classroom.

Which of these guidelines looks great, but I might need some help to implement?

The guideline that I will need the most help with and that will require more individualized attention is the Engagement guideline, which addresses the "why" of learning.  Often this guideline will deal with student motivation, and sometimes it can be challenging to find what will spark interest in an unmotivated learner.  Students respond to goals in different ways; some may have intrinsic drive to learn and succeed, and some require external motivation.  Achieving this guideline will require a high degree of feedback and communication between the librarian and students and within collaborative student groups as well as time to get to know students well enough to help them figure out how to set goals and achieve them.

Exploring more to implement Universal Design for Learning

What I would like to focus on in my quest for knowledge regarding UDL in the library is to find specific examples of lessons or ways in which librarians have helped teachers implement UDL in their classroom.  This is a rather broad but important topic.  As teachers we constantly hear "why reinvent the wheel," so I think using and modifying existing lessons or methods that have worked in the past is the best way to incorporate UDL in the library.

Some resources I found include:

  • The UDL Project: https://www.theudlproject.com/ This website has sample lessons and templates for creating UDL lessons as well as a blog with suggestions on ways librarians can support teachers in implementing UDL.
  • Disability Resource Center: https://ualr.edu/disability/online-education/ This website has specific examples of how to make documents accessible to learners with a variety of disabilities.
  • I am also interested in reading the book titled Creating Inclusive Libraries by Applying Universal Design by Carli Spina, which claims to include concrete examples of how UDL principles can be used in the library.

 

Resources:

CAST. (2018). The UDL guidelines. CAST. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/.

Disability Resource Center. (n.d.). Ten steps toward universal design of online courses.                  University of Arkansas Little Rock. https://ualr.edu/disability/online-education/.

Nicol, J.  (2022). The UDL project. https://www.theudlproject.com/.

Robinson, D.E. (2017). Universal design for learning and school libraries. Knowledge Quest             46(1), 56-61.