By: Cathy Daentl, CESA 5

As educators, we are responsible for designing learning experiences that have a positive impact on our learners. We must tend to more than the academic side of learning, including the emotional aspects of learning. We know how varied learners are and their ability to regulate their emotions is just as varied.

According to Psychology Today, in its simplest form, emotional regulation consists of three parts:

starting behaviors because of emotions,

preventing behaviors because of emotions,

and modulating responses triggered by emotions.

This applies to every emotion and emotional intensity that exists in the human experience. As educators, we are not in control of our learners’ emotions and their ability to modulate their emotional reactions. However, we can design learning experiences with empathy and care for our learners.

We proactively design the engagement features so that our learners have an emotional connection. When there are positive emotional connections, we increase the likelihood that the learners will start the desired behaviors of learning. Engagement features include a clearly articulated learning goal and an opportunity for learners to make personal meaning of the goal (we discussed this in depth in last month’s newsletter) and mastery oriented feedback. We design learning experiences to include scaffolds and supports to use when the learning gets hard. Knowing the goal, getting quality feedback, and being supported throughout the learning process builds confidence in the learners. These pieces contribute to the development of learners’ ability to regulate their emotions which is key to getting the most out of learning experiences.

A key principle of UDL is providing multiple means of representation of the material being studied. Multiple means of representation is a key principle because learners don’t perceive and comprehend information in the same ways. Through the design of multiple means of representation, we ensure that learners can select the option that suits their learning needs and preferences.

Offering options and choices for accessing content is not enough, however.

We must design learning experiences to include an opportunity to discern and evaluate the personal choices learners make. In order to foster a learner’s emotional regulation, we need to support our learners in making decisions about how they will access their learning. We need to support them in understanding if their choice worked for them and why they made the choice they did. In helping them think about the options, we help them eliminate their own barriers.

Only offering options may add to the cognitive load and overwhelm learners feel in our classrooms. True emotional regulation is developed when we support learners in knowing and understanding themselves in relationship to the options and choices.

Co-designing the learning experience with the learner offers the learner the opportunity to communicate and critically think about the options so that the learner maintains focus on the goal. This process offers the learners the opportunity to modulate their reactions and responses, especially when feeling emotionally taxed. This process also develops learner confidence as they are active participants in the design process. Confidence, an emotion, provides the learner a chance to start a positive behavior. Hopefully, continued engagement in the learning process.

Co-designing the experience with the learner also supports the numerous behaviors described as persistence. Even when things go awry, teachers provide options for responding to the content and navigating the learning environment. The opportunity to express concern or excitement in this process helps learners get in tune with their emotions.

Ultimately, the UDL proactive design process actually helps our learners develop their self-regulation capacities so that they can effectively communicate and make thoughtful decisions about how to keep working at learning.

By: Cathy Daentl

As a special educator by trade, I had a front row seat to the discussions around Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

The Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that students with disabilities, to the maximum extent possible, receive their education in the general education environment with students without disabilities. Once the student’s goals are decided upon, the IEP requires that adaptations and modifications are designed first and for use within the regular education environment. Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) are then designed. However, for many learners with IEPs, these are provided in environments other than in general education settings.

It makes me wonder if the conversations IEP teams are having are truly holding the principle of LRE to heart.

Is there an assumption that the variability of this student is so great that the regular ed teachers and peers can’t address barriers and support this student's learning needs?

Does limited collaboration opportunities prevent teams from thinking creatively and designing a general education environment that allows each child to be physically, socially, and intellectually included?

IDEA gives IEP teams complete freedom to select the adaptations & modifications, the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and the Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS). And the possibilities of SAS are limitless, especially with the widening range of assistive technology! IEP teams, which include parents, specialists, and regular education licensed teachers have the required expectation to collaborate and think outside the box. The UDL Framework offers numerous starting points for IEP teams so that the learners with IEPs can remain in their general education classrooms. Classrooms that are designed as the least restrictive environment for all.

With UDL design thinking, we hold true that what is necessary for supporting high levels of learning for some (via the IEP) is often beneficial to all. When we design the learning environment and experience to include clear goals and flexible options for achieving them, intentional peer collaborations, methods to support self reflection and self-regulation, and scaffolds and materials in multiple forms to reduce cognitive load, we are designing a strong, universal learning environment the minimizes barriers and honors learner variation. This is equitable and just.

Are your IEP teams discussing the engagement, the material access, use, and benefit, and the ways to help learners express themselves in various learning contexts so that each learner gets what they need when they need it?

In the video on the right Niel Albero, Wisconsin's connection to our national UDL partners at CAST, leads a discussion on designing for expert learners. Expert learners is the goal for UDL, and we as professionals engage in continuous learning and develop expertise too!

This conversation took place at our annual UDL Forward Virtual Conference. Niel references how applying UDL creates learners who are expert at learning itself, and using the expert learner practices based on research, we can make UDL visible in our classrooms. Niel emphasizes how our instruction changes when we embrace the idea of designing for expert learners. When you click to watch the video, you can also download the transcript.

Participants added a lot of value to the conversation as well. We love to have people participate in conversations like this. Niel will be with us in the next opportunity for UDL conversation at our January Community of Practice on the topic of "Design". Please join us!

Register now!