PD: The UDL Way
Creating Universally Designed Professional Development
Presenter Contact Information
Becky Young
Twitter: @TechyBeckyYoung
Email: rebeccamyoung@gmail.com
Learning Goals:
- Participants will understand the purpose of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and its connection to andragogy (the method and practice of teaching adult learners).
- Aligned with ISTE Educator Standard 2.1.c
- Participants will be able to apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines when creating professional development (PD).
- Aligned with ISTE Educator Standard 2.5.a
Intention Setting:
"Intentions are guiding principles that can help us, as individuals, connect our present actions to our personal values. They focus on who we are and who we could be in this moment" (Edutopia, 2019). Intentions allow us to take ownership of our actions so we can stay focused on the learning goal(s).
Aguilar’s 7 Principles of Adult Learning
- We need to feel emotionally safe
- We all have our own experiences and areas of expertise
- We need to know why we’re learning
- We want to have some control over what we’re learning about
- We need the opportunity to practice what we’re learning
- We need to see the connection to real problems
- We all want to learn
Source: The Art of Coaching Teams by Elena Aguilar
Information about Malcolm Knowles’ Theory of Adult Learning: TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 11: Adult Learning Theories
Barriers to Learning in Professional Development
Collection of barriers identified by participants: Professional Development Barriers Spreadsheet (to add your ideas, use this link)
UDL Overview
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework to create an inclusive classroom. UDL is endorsed by the Every Student Succeeds Act. By removing barriers, embracing and designing for learner variety, and providing learner voice and choice, we can help learners as they become "expert learners." At the heart of UDL is the belief that all learners are capable of achieving grade-level or other appropriate standards with no exceptions!
UDL centers around three principles that are based in the why, what, and how of learning (the links are to the specific page on the CAST website):
Provide Multiple Means of Engagement (the why)
We can incorporate this principle by providing options to:
Provide Multiple Means of Representation (the what)
We can incorporate this principle by providing options for:
Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression (the how)
We can incorporate this principle by providing options for:
Practical Applications: Multiple Means of Engagement
We can provide multiple means of engagement because we need to feel emotionally safe, to know why we’re learning something, and to have the opportunity to practice what we are learning and because we all want to learn and to have some control over what we’re learning about.
- Asking participants to set their own goals/intentions (Checkpoint 7.1)
- Provide choice in pace, path, or content (Checkpoint 7.1)
- Create authentic activities that can be personalized (Checkpoint 7.2)
- Reduce threats (real and perceived) and distractions (Checkpoint 7.3)
- Consider comfort level of participants, including introverts vs. extroverts (Checkpoint 7.3)
- Provide multiple entry points for different backgrounds (Checkpoint 8.2)
- Create ability for authentic collaboration (Checkpoint 8.3)
- Build in opportunities to reflect on personal progress (Checkpoint 9.1)
- Develop ways for participants to monitor their own progress towards their goals (Checkpoint 9.3)
Practical Applications: Multiple Means of Representation
We can provide multiple means of engagement because we all have our own experiences and areas of expertise.
- Ensure that information (in print or digital) is customizable (for example, that participants can change the speed of a video) (Checkpoint 1.1)
- Provide visual representations of oral information (for example, use captions) (Checkpoint 1.2)
- Use alt text for images (Checkpoint 1.3)
- Make sure the resources used can be used with text-to-speech apps (Checkpoint 1.3)
- Ensure that the meaning of jargon, acronyms, and symbols are accessible to all participants (Checkpoint 2.1)
- When presenting information in text format, also include the same information in graphical form (including images, illustrations, interactive graphics) Checkpoint (2.5)
- Encourage participants to activate their background knowledge through structured activities like KWL (Checkpoint 3.1)
- Highlight the key information for participants to focus on (Checkpoint 3.2)
- Break down the information into easy to understand segments (to avoid the “firehose”) (Checkpoint 3.3)
- Create opportunities to practice and review information (Checkpoint 3.4)
Practical Applications: Multiple Means of Action and Expression
We can provide multiple means of action and expression because we want to have some control over what we’re learning about and need to see the connection to real problems.
- Limit physical barriers to completing tasks (Checkpoint 4.1)
- Provide participants with options to communicate in other ways besides writing (Checkpoint 5.1)
- Encourage the use of sentence starters for written or verbal communication (Checkpoint 5.2)
- Provide opportunities to learn from examples that approach problems differently (Checkpoint 5.3)
- Provide guides to support goal setting (Checkpoint 6.1)
- Cultivate time in PD for check-ins and reflections (Checkpoint 6.2)
- Provide graphic organizers to help organize new information (Checkpoint 6.3)
- Develop questions participants can use to monitor their progress (Checkpoint 6.4)
How do we change barriers into opportunities?
Examples to Explore
Group Reflection
This Padlet includes all of the participants' final reflection responding to this prompt: “As you reflect on your learning today, please share an idea, thought, or point of view that grew for you.” (To add to the Padlet, click the plus sign.)
Feedback Form
I welcome your feedback: PD: The UDL Way Feedback
Presentation Ideas Referenced:
Additional Resources
- This "Would You Rather?" document from Novak Education provides concrete examples that you can use to incorporate the UDL principles.
- CAST website: About Universal Design for Learning
- UDL Guidelines: The UDL Guidelines
- UDL Now!: A Teacher's Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning 3rd ed. Edition by Dr. Katie Novak (book)
- UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes by Dr. Katie Novak and Dr. Catlin Tucker (book)
- Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL by Mirko Chardin and Dr. Katie Novak (book)
- Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support, & Challenge All Learners Using UDL by Dr. Paula Kluth (book)