Universal Design for Learning

    Too often, students with and without disabilities are expected to learn in a one-size fits all approach – read a text book chapter on Abraham Lincoln and write an essay on the chapter, for example.  Coyne et al. (2006) stated that Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an “approach to creating more flexible teaching and learning experiences” for all students.  Using a UDL approach (goals methods, materials and assessments), students may, depending on how they best comprehend information (i.e., visually, verbally or tactilely), read the book chapter on Abraham Lincoln, watch a video of his life, or visit a museum featuring Lincoln exhibits, and then have an option of assessments to share what they learned (e.g., taking a written quiz, having someone reading questions to them and recording their spoken answers, or developing a portfolio of photos, timelines and information). 

    To provide students with the opportunities just described, UDL is framed by three main principles: 1) support for recognition learning; 2) support for strategic learning; and 3) support for affective learning.   As seen from the chart below, incorporated into these three principles of UDL are nine guidelines that CAST recommends for accommodating a variety of learners needing to access, understand and engage with educational materials.