2. Universal Design
Every student learns differently. Whether it be due to a disability,
language barrier, or other characteristic. According to the Center
of Universal Design, "is the design of products and environments
to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without
the need for adaptation or specialized design.”
3. Objectives of
Universal Design
“The goal of Universal Design is to maximize the learning of
students with a wide range of characteristics by applying UD
principles to all aspects of instruction (Burgstahler).”
4. Principles of Universal
Design
1) “Provide Multiple Means of Representation”
-How the information is presented to the student
2) “Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression”
-How to ask the students what they know
3) “Provide Multiple Means of Engagement”
-How to motivate and engage students in learning
5. Example of Universal
Design
A teacher creates a lesson plan based on how plants grow. Instead of
simply reading the process from a book, the teacher utilizes universal
design in her plan. She provides multiple videos to show her class how
plants grow. She also brings in seeds, water, a pot, and soil.
The class has the opportunity of growing plants on their own while also
watching the videos to learn about the process.
The teacher meets the needs of every student in her classroom even if
they have a disability or language barrier.
6. What does this mean for the
classroom?
Rather than teaching a lesson to the class in one
way, a teacher will adapt her lesson to meet the
needs of the entire classroom in way that every
student will be able to learn and understand the
objective of the lesson.