Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) was originally created by, “David Rose, Anne Meyer, and colleagues at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) (Eddyburn, 2005). The principles for UDL were created after the reauthorization of IDEA. When IDEA was reauthorized in 2004, it was seen not only as something that could help student with disabilities, but also as a way to help other students who were struggling. The goal of UDL was to combine, “brain development, learning, and digital media” (Eddyburn, 2005) to create a curriculum that was accessible for all students. This would allow students to use all available tools to meet their learning needs.

As teachers examine curricula, it is important that they look at the barriers to learning within the curricula based on the learners they have in their classroom. By identifying the barriers, teachers can adapt the curricula to meet the needs of each of their students. There are checklists available to assist with evaluating the curricula.

A study completed by Dewi, Dalimunthe, and, Faadhil examined 12 journal articles claiming the effectiveness of UDL in K-12 education. The outcomes of the studies were mostly positive with an increase in student engagement when computer programs that addressed their learning styles were used. Their findings indicated that teachers who were trained in the implementation of UDL were more effective at providing this type of instruction to their students.

References

Dewi, S.S., Dalimunthe, H.A., Faadhil. (2018). The effectiveness of universal design for learning. Journal of Social Science Studies, v6(1). doi: 10.5296/jsss.v6i1.14042.

Edyburn, D. (2005). Universal design for learning. Special Education Technology Practice, 7(5), p. 16-22.

Ralabate, P. (2011). Universal design for learning. Meeting the needs of all students. Ashawire, v. 16. https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.FTR2.16102011.14