Universal Design aims to help all students learn effectively by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action/expression. It offers flexibility in how students are taught and assess their knowledge in order to reduce barriers. While sometimes focused on students with disabilities, Universal Design benefits all learners. The principles guide teachers to help students succeed inside and outside the classroom by addressing their different interests, abilities to persist, and needs for comprehension or skills expression. Implementing Universal Design requires support from administrators and focuses on ensuring each student reaches learning goals, not just some. It provides pathways for every student to learn, not just certain types of learners.

1. Universal Design
By: Katie Maus

2. Universal Design
• Although sometimes the Universal Designs are almost
always geared to help the education for those with
developmental disabilities, it also helps those who do
not have any kind of disability
• Universal Design helps students see the problem,
think about the problem and then engage with their
peers to try to come up with the correct answer but
with their own work
“DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities,
Internetworking and Technology):
• publications & video presentations
• promote UD in many different
places” (UD Processes, Principles &
Applications)

3. What is it?
•
“Universal Design for Learning is somewhat of a layout or framework for
teachers to help them teach their students to meet certain goals, tasks while
using different materials that are available to them. However UDL is not based
on a certain group of learners in the classroom, it actually is based upon for
everyone but can be adjusted to meet some individuals who may need the
assistance” (Cast)
•
“We want children understand the “what, how and why” of what the teacher is
teaching them” (Cast)

4. Universal Design Learning
•
1.
We use these principles as guidelines to help us as teachers help our students
become successful inside & outside of the classroom
“Representation
1. Perception
2. Language & symbols
3. Comprehension
2.
Action & Expression
1. Physical action
2. Expressive skills & fluency
3. Executive functions
3.
Engagement
1. Recruiting interests
2. Sustaining effort & persistence
3. Self regulation” (UDL)

5. Implementing UDL
•
When students start to struggle they are sometimes being
looked at like they have some kind of disability which in
some cases is not true so some teachers strive to change
that thought process and try to help those students so they
can receive a better understanding of what it is they are
struggling with.
 We all have struggled with one or more subjects throughout our
career and as future educators we cannot let the child just sit
back and not want to learn or just give up, we have to motivate
them in doing well in the classroom and outside the classroom
so they understand the material and so that they can broaden
that material and hopefully help someone else that might be
struggling
 As much as we love to succeed, we sometimes hit a few road
bumps along the way, with the help of teachers and peers we
can achieve the one goal that everyone is trying to receive and
that is to succeed in the classroom so they can move on and
learn more things they need to know (Implementing UDL video)
(Implementing UDL video,
google search)

6. Implementing UDL continued…
•
As future educators, it is important to get the support from the
Administration team so that they know what you are trying to
accomplish in the classroom so that they can entrust in your ability
to help the child learn what it is they need to learn
 They want teachers to use UDL not just for certain types of learners but
for all students so that each student can benefit from it and not certain
ones
 When a teacher feels that each student is all on the right path then they
know that the extra time and effort that they put into helping the students
reach one common goal then it is a satisfactory accomplishment that the
teacher has finally reached as well as her students

7. Sources
•
Universal Design: Process, Principles, and Applications. (n.d.). Universal
Design: Process, Principles, and Applications. Retrieved February 25, 2014,
from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/
•
Universal Design for Learning
•
Implementing UDL
•
CAST: Universal Design for Learning. (n.d.). CAST: About UDL. Retrieved
February 26, 2014, from http://www.cast.org/udl/