This assignment provides the opportunity for you to apply the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in the design of instruction and assessment. Recall that UDL provides access to the curriculum for students with a wide variety of abilities and background. Therefore, UDL aligns with inclusionary practices found in today’s schools. Furthermore, assistive technology supports the UDL framework to provide a means of learning for students with disabilities. To prepare for this assignment, review the CAST (2010) video, UDL at a Glance  (Links to an external site.) and review the Explore model UDL lesson plans (Links to an external site.) (2011) web page, both of which are listed in the Week Three Required Resources. Be sure to also review the Week Three Instructor Guidance page for additional intellectual elaboration on UDL and assistance with this assignment. Begin preparing for this assignment by selecting a specific model lesson from the Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans (2011) page of the CAST.org website. Analyze the lesson for the points described in the Content Instructions included with this assignment, below. Click on the “UDL Connections” buttons located at various points in the lesson to analyze how UDL principles have been integrated. Next, create your assignment to meet the content and written communication instructions below. Use the Grading Rubric to review your assignment before submission to ensure you have met the distinguished performance for each of the components described below. For additional assistance with this assignment, review the Week Three Instructor Guidance page and, if needed, contact the instructor for further clarifications. Refer to: SEE ATTACHED Week 3 Assignment Template Content Instructions · Lesson Description (1 point): Include the title of the model lesson, the subject, and grade levels, and a one-paragraph introduction of the lesson. · Principle 1 (1 point): In one to three paragraphs, describe ways that multiple means of representation are included in the model lesson. · Principle 2 (1 point): In one-to-three paragraphs, describe ways that multiple means of action and expression are included in the model lesson. · Principle 3 (1 point): In one to three paragraphs, describe ways that multiple means of engagement are included in the model lesson. · Reflection (2 points): Close your essay with a personal reflection that addresses the following four areas: o A description of at least two concepts or strategies from the lesson that serve as a means to motivate learners o A description of how, overall, the lesson models differentiated instruction o A discussion of how your understanding of and appreciation for instructional planning has changed as a result of your analysis, o At least one specific concept or strategy from the lesson that you would consider applying to your own practice and the potential impact it may have on the population you serve. Written Communication Ins.

1. This assignment provides the opportunity for you to apply the
principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in the design
of instruction and assessment. Recall that UDL provides access
to the curriculum for students with a wide variety of abilities
and background. Therefore, UDL aligns with inclusionary
practices found in today’s schools. Furthermore, assistive
technology supports the UDL framework to provide a means of
learning for students with disabilities. To prepare for this
assignment, review the CAST (2010) video,
UDL at a Glance (Links to an external site.)
and review the
Explore model UDL lesson plans (Links to an external site.)
(2011) web page, both of which are listed in the Week Three
Required Resources. Be sure to also review the Week Three
Instructor Guidance page for additional intellectual elaboration
on UDL and assistance with this assignment.
Begin preparing for this assignment by selecting a specific
model lesson from the Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans (2011)
page of the CAST.org website. Analyze the lesson for the points
described in the Content Instructions included with this
assignment, below. Click on the “UDL Connections” buttons
located at various points in the lesson to analyze how UDL
principles have been integrated. Next, create your assignment to
meet the content and written communication instructions below.
Use the Grading Rubric to review your assignment before
submission to ensure you have met the distinguished
performance for each of the components described below. For
additional assistance with this assignment, review the Week
Three Instructor Guidance page and, if needed, contact the
instructor for further clarifications.
Refer to: SEE ATTACHED

2. Week 3 Assignment Template
Content Instructions
·
Lesson Description
(1 point): Include the title of the model lesson, the subject, and
grade levels, and a one-paragraph introduction of the lesson.
·
Principle 1
(1 point): In one to three paragraphs, describe ways that
multiple means of representation are included in the model
lesson.
·
Principle 2
(1 point): In one-to-three paragraphs, describe ways that
multiple means of action and expression are included in the
model lesson.
·
Principle 3
(1 point): In one to three paragraphs, describe ways that
multiple means of engagement are included in the model lesson.
·
Reflection
(2 points): Close your essay with a personal reflection that
addresses the following four areas:
o A description of at least two concepts or strategies from the
lesson that serve as a means to motivate learners
o A description of how, overall, the lesson models differentiated

3. instruction
o A discussion of how your understanding of and appreciation
for instructional planning has changed as a result of your
analysis,
o At least one specific concept or strategy from the lesson that
you would consider applying to your own practice and the
potential impact it may have on the population you serve.
Written Communication Instructions
·
Length Requirement
(0.5 point): Four to seven pages including the title and
references pages.
·
Syntax and Mechanics
(0.5 point): Display meticulous comprehension and
organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and
grammar.
·
Source Requirement
(0.5 point): Utilize at least two sources in addition the model
lesson plan and the Edyburn (2013) textbook. All sources on the
references page need to be used and cited correctly within the
body of the assignment.
·
APA Formatting
(0.5 points): Use APA formatting consistently throughout the
assignment. Refer to the Ashford University Writing Center for
assistance with APA style and formatting or your copy of the
APA Style Manual.

4. · Week Three Instructor Guidance
Welcome to Week Three of EDU620: Meeting Individual
Student Needs with Technology. Please be sure to review the
Week Three homepage and review the specific learning
outcomes for the week, the schedule overview, the required and
recommended resources for the week, the introduction to the
week, and a listing of the assessments for the week. Next, be
sure to read this entire Instructor Guidance page.
·
·
Overview
Knowledge gained in Weeks One and Two prompted you to
consider how technology integration promotes and sustains
student motivation. This week, you will learn about the practice
and principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as it
relates to technology integration into the classroom. Keep
reading for intellectual elaboration about UDL and for
additional assistance with excelling in the Week Three
assessments.
·
· Intellectual Elaboration
·
Universal Design for Learning
UDL characterizes efforts to create universal access to

5. education for all students, including those with cognitive,
physical, and emotional disabilities. Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) can be defined as
· “a set of principles for curriculum development that give all
individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a
blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials,
and assessments that work for everyone--not a single, one-size-
fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be
customized and adjusted for individual needs” (CAST, 2014).
·
Thus, UDL is an approach to designing instruction that benefits
all students of all learning styles, preferences, and abilities.
UDL is not about adapting lessons for a few students; rather, it
is about removing barriers and allowing all students to control
the methods of accessing information.
There are three essential principles to UDL: Representation,
Engagement and Expression. Let’s consider all three in greater
depth and explore examples of how to remove barriers without
adapting or retrofitting lessons.
Representation
– Universally designed course content provides alternative
representations of essential concepts. For example, during the
instructional component of a math lesson on fractions, the
teacher might represent the information in multiple ways—
through a linguistic overview of the related mathematical
vocabulary; a hands-on opportunity constructing and
deconstructing whole-to-part and part-to-whole using
manipulatives; and visually, by modeling fractions on an
overhead projector or Promethean board (Smartboard).

6. Engagement
– Universally designed course content addresses varied skill
levels, preferences, and interests. By having flexible teaching
strategies and course content, students are able to choose
methods that support their interest and skill levels. For
example, when teaching a reading lesson, students could choose
from a variety of options that would allow them to practice
reading fluency and comprehension at a reading level that is
appropriate for them, such as a web-based game, an interactive
storybook, or other digital options.
·
Expression
– Universally designed course content allows for alternative
methods of expression, which means the student has opportunity
for multiple means of demonstrating mastery of the material.
For example, in lieu of a traditional writing assignment,
students could be allowed to demonstrate knowledge on a
subject by doing an oral presentation or creating an artistic
representation that could include a performance-based activity,
such as a role play scenario. Students with speech impairments
may be unable to present the information orally while students
with a visual disability may have difficulty taking a written
exam. Expression in UDL means each student has the ability to
express their learning in a method that is most aligned to their
strengths and preferences.
Therefore, UDL is not about creating different lessons for each
learning style; it is about creating opportunities for multiple
methods of learning. For a look at UDL being implemented in
the classroom, select a video from the following
collection of videos (Links to an external site.)
(examples of classrooms using UDL from Grade 1 to Grade 6)

7. provided by the National Center on Universal Design for
Learning website. From these videos you will notice how UDL
is incorporated into daily lessons that do not create barriers for
learning.
The three essential principles of UDL, representation,
engagement, and expression, are based on scientific
understanding of how the human brain works best when learning
new knowledge and skills.
·
·
UDL and Brain Research
UDL is based on three brain networks: affective, recognition
and strategic. The affective networks address our emotional
connection and ultimate ownership of learning. The recognition
networks address our ability to take in information and
ultimately become resourceful learners. And the strategic
networks address our ability to demonstrate our knowledge and
ultimately become both strategic and goal-directed learners. To
learn more about these three networks, review this
module (Links to an external site.)
provided by the CAST website, which provides a more in depth
look at the three brain networks in relationship to UDL. The
module provides information in video, text and audio format,
which is a variable demonstration of content adhering to the
principle of representation in UDL.
·
·
UDL and Differentiate Instruction

8. As you have learned through your readings in Week Three, the
concept of barrier-free design can be applied to the instructional
methods and materials that are used to teach students. Recall,
UDL characterizes efforts to create universal access to
education for all students, including those with cognitive,
physical, and emotional disabilities. Therefore, UDL focuses
on the entire educational process, including how information is
taught, which materials are used, how students engage in the
learning activities, and how progress is assessed. UDL is
flexible and is based on the premise that there is no “one size
fits all” approach to student learning; teachers must create and
provide experiences for instruction in multiple ways to allow
students multiple ways of expressing mastery of their learning
(Thoma, Bartholomew & Scott, 2009).
To effectively use the UDL approach, educators need to
understand the abilities of the students they teach and create an
environment that allows learning opportunities for all students.
Teachers therefore must use a variety of instructional
approaches to effectively break down barriers to learning that
are inherent in one-size-fits-all approaches (Thoma,
Bartholomew & Scott, 2009).
It is common for educators to talk about modifying instruction
and characterize it as differentiated instruction. Differentiating
instruction is a specific form of instruction that seeks to
maximize each student’s growth by recognizing that students
have different ways of learning, different interests and different
ways of responding to instruction (Tomlinson & Allan, 2000).
Relatedly, UDL is a set of principles for curriculum
development. It is important to understand that UDL and
differentiated instruction are very similar; they are someone

9. interdependent. Therefore, you can think of UDL as a category
of design thinking that informs and guides differentiated
instructional methods. As a visual, imagine that UDL is an
umbrella and differentiated instructional methods are protected
by that umbrella against the elements of instruction that could
otherwise cause barriers to learning. By practicing the
principles of UDL, instruction can be designed to be more
effective for all learners.
·
· Assessment Guidance
This section includes additional specific assistance for excelling
in the discussions and assignment for Week Three beyond what
is given with the instructions for the assessments. If you have
questions about what is expected on any assessment for Week
Three, contact your instructor before the due date.
Discussion 1: Introduction to UDL
This discussion is an opportunity to demonstrate your mastery
with the third course learning outcome:
Apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in
the design of instruction and assessment.
You will have the opportunity to discuss your understanding of
UDL and the impact of UDL in your current or anticipated
teaching or professional role. This discussion also includes how
UDL can partner with technology in the classroom to ensure
every student is provided with the opportunity to learn. Be sure
to take the time to view the CAST video listed in the discussion

10. overview as it presents fundamental information that will not
only inform your response to this week’s discussion and
assignment, but will set the foundation for what you will
continue learning and practicing in the coming weeks
concerning UDL. Additionally, it is important to make a
conscious connection with what you learn this week and what
you will be constructing during Week Six in the Final Project:
Community Event.
Remember to follow the Guided Response prompt for this and
every Discussion each week.
Assignment: UDL/CAST Instructional Plan Analysis
This assignment is another opportunity to demonstrate your
mastery with the third course learning outcome; apply the
principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in the design
of instruction and assessment. For this assignment you will
select a specific model lesson from the
Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans (Links to an external site.)
page of the CAST.org website. Next you will use the
information provided in the content instructions to analyze how
the lesson you viewed represents the three principles of UDL
(representation, action and expression and engagement). You
will also provide a reflection on the video and how the
information gleaned can be applied to your own practice and the
potential impact it may have on the population you serve or plan
to serve in your professional practice.
The value of this assignment is two-fold; you gain exposure to
the CAST Lesson Builder website where actual lesson plans that
follow the principles of UDL are shared and there is the

11. connection with student motivation. Exploration of the lessons
gives you direct insight as to how principles of UDL and
technology can be effectively incorporated. You will
specifically focus on these principles during your analysis by
expanding your understanding of the intent and value of UDL.
Take the necessary time to explore a variety of sample lessons
making sure you click on the UDL Connections icon located
within each lesson so as to get a breakdown of how each
principle is incorporated into the lesson. It is recommended also
that you give attention to the discussion points you will include
in the reflection component of the assignment as each concept
has a relationship to each other and to your own personal
relevancy as it pertains to your current or anticipated
professional role.
· References
Center for Applied Special Technology. (2007). Principles of
universal design. Retrieved from
http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines_theorypractice
CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version
2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author. Retrieved from
http://udlonline.cast.org/page/module1/l134/
CAST. (n.d.). UDL online modules: Module 1: Introduction.
Retrieved from http://udlonline.cast.org/page/module1/l134/
Explore model UDL lesson plans. (2011) Retrieved from
http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php

12. Thomas, C. A., Bartholomew, C., Scott, L. (2009). Universal
design for transition: A roadmap for planning and instruction.
Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Tomlinson, C. A. and Allan, S. D. (2000) Reasons for optimism
about differentiation: Its basis in theory and research. In
Tomlinson and Allan. Leadership for differentiating schools and
classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
·