Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Resources

 Universal Design for Learning

In this blog post, I will discuss Universal Design for Learning (UDL). To begin, I read the article UDL and Intellectual DIsability: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?, by Kavita Rao, Sean J. Smith, and K. Alisa Lowrey (2017). The purpose of the article was to review the current research on the application of UDL  for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) and to identify future research needs.

According to Rao, Smith, & Lowrey (2017), UDL is a framework that aims to address the diversity among learners by outlining the various ways individuals comprehend, communicate, and interact with information. It seeks to give learners multiple ways to process information, express their ideas, and engage with the information. UDL seeks true inclusion of learners with disabilities. That inclusion should be meaningful and produce positive efforts in academic, social, and behavioral achievements. 

 The UDL  framework consists of three principles, which are divided into  nine guidelines, which are divided into 31 checkpoints. This image is a graphic organizer created by CAST (2018) that represents the UDL framework. The organizer can be downloaded in multiple formats and languages at this link.

Despite UDL being recognized for its potential to foster inclusion in education, its specific impact on students with ID remains underexamined. The article aims to investigate how UDL has been utilized to promote meaningful inclusion for students with ID, analyze existing research on its effects, and propose avenues for further study. It underscores the importance of purposeful planning and curriculum design inherent in UDL to enhance inclusionary practices for all students, particularly those historically marginalized in general education settings. The authors advocate for future research that places UDL at the forefront of inclusionary interventions for students with ID, aiming to demonstrate its relevance and effectiveness in advancing meaningful inclusion in both curriculum and classroom engagement.

CAST Universal Design for Learning Website

For the second portion of this blog post, I am reviewing UDL strategies on the CAST website to find strategies that I could meaningfully implement into my lesson planning. I gathered strategies from the principle that says that educators should provide multiple means of engagement (2018).  The strategies that I identified came from Checkpoint 8.3 Foster Collaboration and Community and Checkpoint 9.3 Develop Self-Assessment and Reflection. For Checkpoint 8.3, I will have my students working in groups of three. I will place the students in strategic groups that allow for peer tutoring. My class established team norms early in the year. I will ensure that students are abiding by the team norms. The students will be provided with rubrics so that expectations are clear. I will ensure that students understand their roles and responsibilities. For Checkpoint 9.3, I will ensure that students are guided through self-assessment and that they have time for reflection. Students will complete a group work self-assessment. In this assessment, students will report on how they feel they performed as a teammate. I will also provide students with ten prompts for reflection. The students will select three prompts from those ten and answer them in their journals. 

Reference:

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 [graphic organizer]. Wakefield, MA: Author.

Rao, K., Smith, S. J., & Lowrey, K. A. (2017). UDL and Intellectual Disability: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 55(1), 37. doi:10.1352/1934-9556-55.1.37