Introduction and Overview of Universal Design for Learning

The Background

The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) came up with Universal Design for Learning to address the various needs and learning styles of students. They took the stance that needs, strengths, challenges, and interests vary from student to student, but the traditional curriculum has been built for just one type of student. Education as an industry has spent decades trying to "fix" students so that they can learn by using this one curriculum, one way of presenting, receiving, and engaging in their education. In UDL, the table is turned, and the curriculum design is now being "fixed" to meet the needs, strengths, challenges, and interests of a variety of students rather than the other way around.

Three Core Guidelines

Providing multiple means of:

1. Engagement
2. Representation
3. Action & Expression

The graphic below shows the three core guidelines of UDL and the path to the goal for each of those. When viewing this graphic, the process is to move vertically in each column from top to bottom in order to reach the goal of students who are -

1. Purposeful & Motivated - Engaged
2. Resourceful & Knowledgeable - Representation
3. Strategic & Goal-Directed - Action & Expression