Universal Design for Learning

Today's classrooms are populated by diversity never known before.  Many cultures, learning styles, abilities, and needs are present.  It has become the responsibility of the classroom teacher to implement strategies, teaching methods, and tools that will broaden the scope of learning access to include all students. 

The principles of Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning provide a sturdy scaffold for meeting the needs of all students, but many teachers are unaware of the resources available to them.  They long to see their students succeed and wish to remove barriers to learning, but they do not know how. 

This WebQuest is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to UD/UDL and to equip teachers with a beginner's toolkit for planning and implementation.  While self-guided and paced, the WebQuest is intended to be explored by teams of three to four professionals who share their thoughts, questions, and conclusions.  Ask participants to bring some of their favorite lesson plans to their work stations.  They will revise these to include application of UDL principles at the conclusion of the WebQuest.  Plan on several sessions to cover the entire quest.

Teaching Standards Addressed

1.a.  Teachers lead in their classrooms. 

1.d.  Teachers advocate for their students. 

2.c.  Teachers treat students as individuals.

2.d.  Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. 

3.d.  Teachers make instruction relevant to students. 

4.a.  Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students. 

4.b.  Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students. 

4.c.  Teachers use a variety of instructional methods. 

4.d.  Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.

4.h.  Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned. 

Resources Utilized

The Advocacy Institute. (2011). Universal Design for Learning Classroom Scenarios. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/classroom_scenarios.shtml

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). CAST UDL Lesson Builder: Watch a Video. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). Tools and Activities. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). UDL Toolkits. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/toolkits/

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). What is Universal Design for Learning? Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). UDL Solutions Finder. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/udlsolutionsfinder.cfm

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). UDL Curriculum Self-Check. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://udlselfcheck.cast.org/resources.php

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2011). UDL Goalsetter. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/udlgoalsetter.cfm

McCarthy, P. (1992). Common Teaching Methods. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/comteach.htm

North Carolina State University. (2004). Universal Design Education Online. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.udeducation.org/resources/index.asp

North Carolina State University. (2011). Center for Universal Design Publication List. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/pubs_p/pud.htm

North Carolina State University. (2011). Principles of Universal Design. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/pubs_p/docs/poster.pdf

Pacer Center. (2007). Universally Designed Technology in Schools. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.pacer.org/stc/udt/index.asp

Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

University of Buffalo. (2011). Unlimited by Design. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011, from http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/ubdweb/page1.htm#