Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design

Universal Design concepts come from the field of architecture, with the goal to design built environments that are accessible to everyone rather than retrofitting after the fact.  

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

Universal Design for Learning is a framework that guides educators to proactively plan for diversity by removing barriers to learning.   UDL establishes clear goals; provides flexible means to represent information to learners; flexible means of expression or demonstrating knowledge and flexible means of engagement.  The UDL guidelines by CAST provide an indepth dive into these three principles of UDL.  The proposed UDL guidelines 3.0 incorporate Equity into the frame to ensure ALL learners are considered when designing, delivering and assessment learning.  

Why Incorporate UDL?

UDL and Equitable Access Video

Today's classrooms are increasingly diverse.  We realize every student learns differently and there is clearly no average student.  All learners benefit from having a variety of learning formats, flexible assessments, and tools to help with organization of new information and skills.  A one-sized-fits-all system simply does not work in our education system.

UDL provides a variety of strategies and resources to help meet the diverse learning needs in today's classrooms.  Three primary brain networks come into play:

Recognition Networks:  The 'What' of Learning

Gathering facts and categorizing what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks.

Strategic Networks:  The 'How' of Learning

Planning and performing tasks; organizing and expressing ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks.

Affective Networks:  The 'Why' of Learning

Learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. 

Obtained from www.cast.org

Benefits of UDL

• Provides access to content for learning for all students through Accessible documents, Accessible education materials 

• UDL considers and ensures educators remove barriers to learning for all learners

• Increases student engagement

• Empowers students to become self-directed

• More accurate representation of what students know

• Ultimately reduces the teacher's work load

Teaching with UDL

• Based on the Public Schools Program (PSP)

  • Goals & Policies

  • Program & Course Descriptions

  • Services, Procedures & Publications

• Incorporate Formative & Summative Assessment

• Integration of best practices in teaching based on current brain research and how children learn

• UDL is built in to both the Proposed Education Standards under the Accessibility Act NS and the Joint RCE/CSAP Accessibility Plan.