1. Promoting Collaboration A New Function for Special Education
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) The What, the Why and the How for Enhancing Learning for All
Promoting Collaboration
A New Function for Special Education

2. Today’s Session at a Glance
What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
Why UDL?
Components of UDL
Guidelines of UDL
Principles of UDL
Tools, Resources, and Supports

3. What is UDL?
UDL was born from an architectural world intended to design and construct equal access facilities
The concept was then transferred to education.

4. Universal Design
“Consider the needs of the broadest possible range of users from the beginning.”
— Ron Mace

5. What is UDL? (c0nt’d)
A set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn
A way to provide learning opportunities
in the general education curriculum that are inclusive and effective for all )

6. What is UDL? (cont’d)
Universal Design for Learning refers to a process by which a curriculum (i.e., goals, methods, materials, and assessments) is intentionally and systematically designed from the beginning to address individual differences.

7. What is UDL? (cont’d)
The purpose of UDL curricula is not simply to help students master a specific body of knowledge or a specific set of skills, but to help them master learning itself—in short, to become expert learners.

8. What is UDL? (cont’d)
Not an afterthought
Full access is designed from the onset
More cost-effective than retrofitting
More elegant and easy-to-use

9. What is UDL? (cont’d)
UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone.
UDL is not a single, one-size-fits-all solution, but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs.

10. WHY UDL?
Individuals bring a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Neuroscience reveals that these differences are as varied and unique as our DNA or fingerprints.

11. Why UDL? (cont’d)
Three Primary Brain Networks
Recognition Networks
The "what" of learning
How we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks.

12. Why UDL? (cont’d)
Three Primary Brain Networks (cont’d)
Strategic Networks
The "how" of learning
Planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks.

13. Why UDL? (cont’d)
Three Primary Brain Networks (cont’d)
Affective Networks
The "why" of learning
How learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. These are affective dimensions.

14. Why UDL? (cont’d) Provides appropriate accommodations [and] supports
Eliminates or reduces barriers to academic success for all students
Values diversity in the classroom through proactive design of inclusive curriculum
Provides appropriate accommodations [and] supports
Maintains high achievement expectations

15. WHY UDL? (cont’d) Increasing options for access
Increasing options for participation
Increasing options for demonstrating learning
Leading to increased equitable access to the general curriculum 
Higher achievement
Higher graduation rate
Lower drop out rate

16. Why UDL? (cont’d) More Educators are…
Teaching effectively in classrooms with diverse student needs
Spending more time on instruction and facilitating learning
Helping ALL learners succeed

17. Why UDL? (cont’d) More Students are… Engaged in their own education
Learning at greater breadth and depth
Achieving at higher levels
Motivated to continue learning

18. Components of UDL
Goals are often described as learning expectations.

19. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Traditional
Learning goals may get skewed by the inflexible ways and means of achieving them.
UDL
Learning goals are attained in many individualized ways, by many customized means.

20. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Methods are generally defined as the instructional decisions, approaches, procedures, or routines that expert teachers use to accelerate or enhance learning

21. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Traditional
Teacher centered (lecture)
Homogeneous grouping
Burden on student to adapt to “get it”
UDL
Interactivity
Heterogeneous grouping
Rich supports for understanding, independent learning

22. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Materials are usually seen as the media used to present learning content and what the learner uses to demonstrate knowledge

23. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Traditional
Mostly print and everyone gets the same materials
Few options
UDL
Variety of materials and formats to reach learners with diverse abilities, styles, and needs equally well.

24. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Assessment is described as the process of gathering information about a learner’s performance using a variety of methods and materials in order to determine learners’ knowledge, skills, and motivation for the purpose of making informed educational decisions.

25. Components of UDL (cont’d)
Traditional
Confuse goals with means.
Summative—when it’s too late to adjust instruction!
UDL
Many positive means as long as they measure learning!
Supports instructional improvement.

26. Guidelines of UDL Guideline 1: Provide options for perception
Learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner, and difficult when information is presented in formats that require extraordinary effort or assistance.
To reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by:
providing the same information through different modalities
providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user

27. Guidelines of UDL (cont’d)
Guideline 2: Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
A picture or image that carries meaning for some learners may carry very different meanings for learners from differing cultural or familial backgrounds. As a result, inequalities arise when information is presented to all learners through a single form of representation. 
An important instructional strategy is to ensure that alternative representations are provided not only for accessibility, but for clarity and comprehensibility across all learners.

28. Guidelines of UDL (cont’d)
Guideline 3: Provide options for comprehension
The sole purpose of education is not to make information accessible, but rather to teach learners how to transform accessible information into useable knowledge.
Proper design and presentation of information – the responsibility of any curriculum or instructional methodology - can provide the scaffolds necessary to ensure that all learners have access to knowledge.

29. Three Fundamental Principles of UDL
Multiple Means of Representation
To increase recognition
Multiple Means of Expression
To expand purposeful output
Multiple Means of Engagement
To enhance involvement

30. Multiple Means of Representation
Provide options for perception
Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
Provide options for comprehension
Perception
Customized displays
Auditory alternatives
Visual alternatives
Expression
Vocabulary and symbols
Syntax and structure
Decoding
Understanding
Multiple illustrations
Comprehension
Background knowledge
Patterns and relationships
Information processing
Transfer and generalization

31. Multiple Means of Representation (cont’d)
Examples
Offer text-to-speech, video, audio, and other multimedia; integrate assistive technologies into learning environment
Provide vocabulary support and background knowledge
Highlight critical features & main ideas

32. Multiple Means of Representation (cont’d)
Read aloud
Highlight phrases
Listen to audiotapes
Text-to-speech
What are your ideas?
Generate examples of how you have represented information in alternative formats.
Generate new and creative possibilities.

33. Provide Multiple Means for Action and Expression
Options for physical action
Options for expression and communication
Options for executive functions
Physical action
Vary response and navigation
Optimize tools and technologies
Expression and communication
Multiple media
Tools for construction and composition
Graduated levels of support
Executive functions
Goal setting
Planning and strategy development
Managing information and resources
Enhance monitoring progress

34. Multiple Means of Action and Expression (cont’d)
Examples
Let students show what they know with voice recording, graphic displays, performance, etc.
Provide models of expert performance
Offer executive-function supports such as graphic organizers, outlines, etc.

35. Multiple Means of Action and Expression (cont’d)
Voice recording
Graphic displays
Graphic organizers
Dance or movement
Embedded prompts
Checklists
Spellcheck
Story webs and outlines
Sentence starters
What are your ideas?
Generate examples of how you have allowed multiple means for action and expression.
Generate new and creative possibilities.

36. Provide Multiple Means for Engagement
Options for recruiting interest
Options for sustaining effort and persistence
Options for self- regulation
Recruiting Interest
Individual choice and autonomy
Relevance, value and authenticity
Minimize threats and distractions
Sustaining effort and persistence
Heighten salience of goals and objectives
Vary demands and resources
Foster collaboration and community
Increase mastery-oriented feedback
Self-Regulation
Promote expectations and beliefs

37. Multiple Means of Engagement (c0nt’d)
Examples
Vary levels of challenge and support to prevent frustration or boredom
Tie work to real-world examples
Where possible, give choices
Teach self-assessment and reflection
Implement school-wide positive behavioral interventions and support

38. Multiple Means of Engagement (cont’d)
Flexibility in use of tools
Provide choice in mode of expression
Connect to community opportunities
Use flexible grouping strategies
Create positive school culture
Peer tutoring
Differentiated goals
What are your ideas?
Generate examples of how you provided multiple means for engagement.
Generate new and creative possibilities.

39. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Managing Student Behavior
“Creating classroom norms, expectations and rules are a golden opportunity to establish and sustain student engagement, use it.” - Dr. Mary Magee Quinn

40. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

41. What are the Take -Aways?
Learn more about UDL
Research universally-designed products
Share your UDL resources and lesson plans with others
Consider UDL when adopting curriculum policies

42. Supports for UDL Statutes and Regulations
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)

43. Supports for UDL (cont’d)
US Department of Education
Office of Special Education Programs
Institute for Education Sciences
Office of Postsecondary Education
National Science Foundation

44. Supports for UDL (cont’d)
Exploring the Three Principles

45. Supports for UDL (cont’d)
The Role of Technology in UDL
The Seed Lesson
Example lesson illustrating how all principles of UDL can be met even with limited technology

46. For More Information OSEP Ideas that Work - UDL Toolkit
National UDL Task Force
CAST
National UDL Center

47. Have you smiled today?

53. And Remember: Life may not be the party I had hoped for
And Remember: Life may not be the party I had hoped for But while I'm here I might as well listen to the music and dance!