Of the assigned readings this
week, the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) captured my attention. UDL is an educational framework based on research in the
learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, which guides the
development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual
learning differences. UDL is a
research-based approach for improving the quality of education across grade
levels and subjects for all learners. Recognizing
that the way individuals learn can be unique, the UDL framework, first defined
by the Center
for Applied Special Technology(CAST) in the 1990s,
calls for creating curriculum from the outset that provides:
- Multiple
means of representation to give
learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
- Multiple
means of expression to
provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and
- Multiple
means of engagement to tap
into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them
to learn.
The work of Lev Vygotsky
and, less directly, Benjamin Bloom, has informed this three-part
UDL framework.
Curriculum, as
defined in the UDL literature, has four parts: instructional goals, methods,
materials, and assessments. UDL is intended to increase access to learning
by reducing physical, cognitive, intellectual, and organizational barriers to
learning, as well as other obstacles. UDL
principles also lend themselves to implementing inclusionary practices in the
classroom to benefit special needs students because it allows for differentiated
instruction. With the use of technology,
UDL principles and practices benefit and enhances learning for all students.
References
- Rose, DH,
& Meyer, A (2002) Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age:
Universal Design for Learning Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
- Orkwis, R,
& McLane, K (1998). A curriculum every student can use: Design
principles for student access. ERIC/OSEP Topical Brief No. ED423654.
Reston, VA: ERIC/OSEP Special Project.
- Rose &
Meyer, 2002, p. 75;
- CAST
(2008) Universal design for learning guidelines 1.0. Wakefield, MA: CAST.
Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://www.cast.org/publications/UDLguidelines/version1.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Design_for_Learning
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