UDL and Our Learner Centered Principles

Published by Mike Neumire on 6/25/2024

As you learn more about the Universal Design for Learning Framework, which we are choosing to ground our efforts in moving forward, all its valuable guidelines and checkpoints might feel familiar. This is, in part, because it is an arrangement of research-based quality teaching practices. It is also because our own learner-centered principles have many direct connections to the framework. Let's take a closer look at the intersections of our learner-centered principles and the UDL framework.

1. Learners working collaboratively in a respectful and meaningful manner

UDL Checkpoint: 8.3 - Foster collaboration and community

This checkpoint emphasizes creating opportunities for students to work together, fostering a sense of community and respect among learners. By encouraging collaboration, it aligns with our principle of meaningful and respectful group work.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students could work in diverse groups to conduct a research project on a current social issue, utilizing online collaborative tools like Google Docs to share resources and build their presentation. In an elementary classroom, students who read the same book might work as a group to create a book trailer video on Canva. 

2. Learners using effective communication to create, share, and build upon ideas

UDL Checkpoint: 5.2 - Use multiple tools for construction and composition

This checkpoint supports the use of various tools for communication and composition, enabling students to express their ideas in diverse ways. This aligns with our principle of effective communication by providing multiple means for students to share and build upon ideas.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students could each assume a role or perspective in creating a presentations using tools like Google Slides or Canva to share their analysis of a literary work, allowing for varied expression and collaboration. In the elementary classroom, students could use an app like Seesaw to record and share their storytelling projects, providing a platform for both verbal and visual expression. Other students could then comment on their Seesaw posts to continue the conversation, or even comment on posts from students in other classrooms. 

3. Learners taking responsibility for their own learning by setting goals and monitoring progress

UDL Checkpoint: 6.4 - Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

This principle also aligns well with checkpoint 8.1 - "heightening the salience of goals and objectives" - but that checkpoint is highlighted elsewhere on this list.  This checkpoint focuses on tools and strategies that help students monitor their own progress, which directly supports our principle of students setting goals and taking responsibility for their learning.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students might use a digital portfolio to set learning goals at the beginning of the semester and regularly update it with reflections and evidence of their progress. In the elementary classroom, students could use Seesaw to accomplish a very similar task. 

4. Learners making relevant connections between what they are learning and their own lives

UDL Checkpoint: 7.2 - Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity

This checkpoint encourages making learning relevant and authentic, helping students connect educational content to their own lives, which aligns perfectly with our principle of making relevant connections.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students could engage in a project-based learning assignment where they research local environmental issues and propose actionable solutions that they present to the community. In 3rd grade, students participate in a "Market Day" where they get to explore different jobs and then make choices about how they would spend their "salary" on things like housing, health, entertainment and transportation. 

5. Learners using critical thinking skills to develop and refine their understandings

UDL Checkpoint: 3.2 - Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships

This checkpoint emphasizes highlighting key concepts and relationships, which is crucial for developing critical thinking skills as it helps students understand and refine complex ideas.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students might analyze primary source documents in history class to identify biases and compare differing perspectives on a historical event. In an elementary classroom, students might talk about how they solved an old math problem, to help them think about how they may try to solve a new, unfamiliar one. 

6. Learners having some autonomy and choice

UDL Checkpoint: 7.1 - Optimize individual choice and autonomy

These two are practically the same, word for word! 

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students might have a menu of "5 minute projects" that they can choose from at the end of any lesson or project to demonstrate what they've learned. Maybe one student wants to create a brief, AI-generated children's story that drives home the main points of a lesson, and another student wants to flex their Youtuber skills and aspirations by making a quick explainer video. The key is that these options are developed on a lesson-by-lesson basis, but that they are just part of the classroom system and students can choose them throughout the year, so that they take on the bulk of the connection-making work. In an elementary classroom, students could choose books from a curated selection for independent reading time based on their interests and hobbies.

7. Learners reflecting on their work and the work of others

UDL Checkpoint: 9.3 - Develop self-assessment and reflection

This checkpoint emphasizes the importance of self-assessment and reflection, which aligns with our principle of encouraging learners to reflect on their work and the work of others.

What does it look like?

In a secondary classroom, students could be given rubrics and then engage in "speed feedback" (a remix of the speed dating structure" to give one or two recommendations to each of their peers to improve their writing piece. The class could then come back together and generalize the most important revision tips to make a guide for the next year's students to follow. In the elementary classroom, after completing an art project, students could participate in a gallery walk where they provide and receive feedback using a simple “glow and grow” framework.

8. Learners using technology as a tool for learning and communicating

UDL Checkpoint: 4.2 - Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies

 This checkpoint focuses on making tools and technologies accessible to all students, supporting our principle of using technology as an essential tool for learning and communication.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students should be empowered to select the right tool for the job. They may choose to use Canva if they feel that the visual component will be essential to convincing their peers of an idea, etc. This requires that students have a lot of exposure to the tools available to them. This is where your trusty neighborhood instructional technology coach can help! In the elementary classroom, students might use educational apps like Book Creator to author and publish their own digital stories, incorporating text, audio, and illustrations.

9. Learners developing their own questions to guide their learning

UDL Checkpoint: 8.1 - Heighten salience of goals and objectives

 This checkpoint encourages setting clear goals and objectives, which can be student-generated questions that guide their learning, aligning with our principle of learners developing their own questions.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, teachers might flip a traditional lesson into a problem-based approach, where they are presented with the problem first, rather than the solution, and given space to develop questions that might help them solve that problem. In an elementary classroom, students could brainstorm questions about a social studies topic and then research answers in small groups, creating a class “question and answer” book.

10. Learners producing meaningful work that demonstrates learning

UDL Checkpoint: 5.3 - Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance

This checkpoint emphasizes providing support to build skills over time, ensuring that students can produce meaningful work that demonstrates their learning, aligning with our principle of meaningful student output.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students create teaching materials, like presentations, videos, blogposts, etc. that could be used in future classes or to educate their community. In the elementary classroom, students could produce a class newspaper where they write articles, draw illustrations, and interview each other on topics they have studied.

11. Learners persevering and using a variety of strategies to effectively solve problems

UDL Checkpoint: 9.1 - Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation

This checkpoint focuses on promoting positive beliefs and high expectations, which can help students persevere and use diverse strategies to solve problems, aligning with our principle of perseverance and problem-solving.

What does it look like?

In the secondary math classroom, students work on complex math problems using a variety of strategies such as manipulatives, peer collaboration, and online tutorials, documenting their process and solutions. They could then create a priority list of those strategies, organized by how helpful they were. In the elementary classroom, during a STEM challenge like building cardboard aqueducts or aluminum foil solar cookers, students build structures using various materials, documenting their attempts and modifications as they strive to create a stable structure.

12. Learners energized by engaging learning experiences

UDL Checkpoint: 7.3 - Minimize threats and distractions

This checkpoint emphasizes creating a safe and engaging learning environment by minimizing threats and distractions, which helps students become more energized and engaged in their learning experiences.

What does it look like?

In the secondary classroom, students who can choose from a menu of short project options throughout the year experience less of a threat because they not only know what to expect, but actively get to choose how to engage in demonstrating what they know or have learned. They may stick to the "safe" choices at first, like writing a blog post instead of creating a video, but may choose to take more risks when they get to see other options in action, like how other students create videos without having to record their faces or voices. In the elementary classroom, students might choose to participate in a class discussion because they have options other than raising their hand and talking in front of the whole class. Instead, they might type their response on Nearpod, and may even feel safe enough to take the risk of drawing something to accompany their typed response. 

By aligning our learner-centered principles with the UDL framework, we can foster an environment that nurtures creativity and curiosity among both educators and students. Understanding how UDL strategies complement our existing practices allows us to view these approaches not as additional tasks, but as integral components of an innovative and dynamic classroom.  This work results in a community of learners who are not only knowledgeable but also inventive, inquisitive, and prepared to tackle the challenges of an ever-changing world.