Universal Design for Learning Framework

This blog post was created as part of my M. Ed. Module: “Introduction to Learning Technologies”

This week we'll explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework and how it can be applied to a lesson plan and integrated into the classroom.

Professional Development with UDL - A Summary

(Smith & Frey, 2022):

This article features a study examining the use of professional development (PD) to facilitate teacher change and to expand their ability to implement the UDL Framework into their classroom practice.

The varied needs of learners (socio-economic differences, learner disabilities, English Language Support) continue to grow and create demands that today’s teacher must address. Teachers must alter instructional efforts and plan for additional student development (e.g. social-emotional learning) while implementing new frameworks and instructional practices. Effective PD is required to equip teachers with the understanding and skills to implement these frameworks and to support all students in an inclusive classroom setting.

Research has identified seven critical elements for effective PD:

• content-focused training

• the incorporation of active learning

• collaboration

  in job-embedded context

• models and modelling of effective practices

• ongoing supports

  using coaching

• opportunities for feedback and reflection

• sustained duration

The UDL Framework serves as a means to facilitate inclusion and greater access to the general education curriculum for the widest range of learners. The Framework consists of three overarching principles:

Multiple Means of Engagement (WHY of Learning): The teacher meets the socio-emotional needs of their learners and recognizes that all learners need to connect with their learning, sustain their efforts and exercise self-regulation skills to reach their goals.

Multiple Means of Representation (WHAT of Learning): This principle extends engagement by representing information in various ways to accommodate sensory and cognitive needs of learners.

Multiple Means of Action and Expression (HOW of Learning): Teachers provide learners with options to show evidence of understanding, by providing multiple tools, choices of expression and action, and support with executive functioning skills, e.g. organization and setting goals.

The Research Study:

The purpose of the study outlined in this article was to examine the impact of an effective PD model (5 day intensive on-site training) on teachers’ ability to implement the UDL Framework in their classroom instructional practices. Here is an outline of the PD schedule:

It aimed to answer three main questions:

1. Did teachers who attended the PD increase their implementation of UDL more than

   teachers who did not attend?

   
   

2. Is there a difference in change in total UDL implementation scores for Special Education and

   General Education Teachers who attended the PD compared with those who did not attend?

3. Is there a difference in change in total UDL implementation scores for teachers across grade

   levels who attended the PD compared with those who did not attend?

   
   

Teachers were evaluated based on the following rubric:

Findings and Results:

This study found a positive correlation between effective PD and improved implementation of UDL (Question 1), however the results for Questions 2 and 3 were mixed and statistically insignificant. The findings suggest that continued research in the area of PD would be helpful - to determine the type of PD, the amount of intervention to be provided, and ways to further measure the impact of PD. Future research should also investigate additional ways to facilitate implementation (e.g. professional learning models, instructional coaches) as well as additional measure to assess the level of UDL implementation.

This module in my Masters of Education course is the first time I have encountered the UDL Framework, and it is the first time I have actively used it in a lesson plan. What this article highlights to me is how much depth there is to UDL, and the value of professional development. I could certainly benefit from more comprehensive and intensive training. I think my implementation and understanding of UDL would be much better developed than by just reading articles and doing research on my own, as I am currently doing. I will share the UDL framework and this article about effective PD with those at my current school in charge of PD, as they are always looking for ways to expand our practice and keep up to date with developments in the educational field.

Integrating UDL Strategies into a Lesson Plan (CAST UDL Website)

As part of this module's assignment, I have created a lesson plan for an Inquiry class, where my grade 3 students will use a tech tool to help them explore, create and share their own Haiku poetry. I can also integrate aspects of the UDL framework into my lesson in order to make it more accessible and engaging, for example:

ENGAGEMENT

• RECRUIT INTEREST: Optimize individual choice and autonomy

  • Students can assign their own meanings to the poems, and choose their own images and comments to demonstrate their interpretations. 

• SUSTAINING EFFORT & PERSISTENCE: Foster collaboration and community

  • Students share their ideas and interpretations with each other. Students can help each other to navigate the tablets and graphic organizers and share their competencies. 

REPRESENTATION:

• PERCEPTION: Offer ways of customizing the display of information

  • Students can choose their own pictures, and within the graphic organizer (Mural) they have a lot of freedom to choose the colors, sizes, fonts, and other ways of displaying their information. 

• LANGUAGE & SYMBOLS: Clarify vocabulary and symbols

  • Students will deepen their understanding of emotional vocabulary, and understand how words and images can be symbols of meaning and emotion that we can access and interpret and share with others. 

ACTION & EXPRESSION:

• PHYSICAL ACTION: Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

  • Students will use easy-to-access tools on the tablets that have real-world applications and transferable skills.

• EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS: Support planning and strategy development

  • Students will use guided practice and group work to understand how a haiku functions and uses language and images to create meaning, and how to navigate the Mural app. This will support students when they have to plan and develop their own haiku using the app.

    
    

Reflections from the 2024 NETP:

In a previous blog post I discussed the 2024 NETP (National Education Technology Plan) and the digital use divide - a divide that exists between students in how they use technology. As educators, we want to discourage the passive use of technology (e.g. individually consuming media and entertainment), and encourage its active use (e.g. students using a variety of tech tools to create, explore, and collaborate on authentic learning experiences).

The NETP recommends making use of the principles of Universal Design for Learning to help educators to bridge this divide, and can be applied in the following ways:

ENGAGEMENT:

• Digital tools can provide interactive learning experiences and multiple

  ways of engaging with learning material.

• Different types of multimedia content (audio, video, infographics, etc.) and the presentation of different content options can help students actively engage in the learning process.

• Technology can also facilitate collaborative learning experiences through discussion boards, virtual classrooms, and group projects, allowing students to work together and learn from one another.

REPRESENTATION:

• Digital tools can allow educators to present information in multiple ways (e.g. videos, interactive simulations, infographics, and

  audio recordings) and students can access content in formats

  that suit their preferences.

• Accessibility features, such as closed captions,

  screen readers, text-to-speech, and adjustable font sizes, also support

  diverse learners.

ACTION & EXPRESSION:

• Digital tools can provide different ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of learning concepts, e.g. written assignments; audio or video presentations such as podcasts, screencasts, or movies; e-books; mind maps; and digital drawing tools.

• Because technology allows students to learn outside of the traditional classroom setting, it can provide increased flexibility for students in alternative learning environments.

References:

• Craig, S, Smith, S., & Frey, B. (2022). Professional development with universal design for learning: Supporting teachers as learners to increase the implementation of UDL. Professional Development in Education, 48(1), 22-37.

• Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides: 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/files/2024/01/NETP24.pdf