Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that aims to provide all students with equal opportunities to learn by removing barriers. There are three broad UDL principles: providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement. UDL encourages teachers to present content in various ways, allow for diverse modes of student expression, and make learning engaging. Proper implementation of UDL requires teachers to anticipate barriers for all students and utilize flexible materials and team teaching.

1. Universal Design for
Learning
By Willy Golden

2. Principles and Practice
• There is no “average” student.
• Students who struggle, are
ESL or ELL, and students with
disabilities are marginalized by an “average student” curriculum.
Gifted and talented are underserved too.
• UDL designs a curriculum which can enable all students to become
expert learners.
• There are three broad principles under UDL:
• Providing Multiple Means of Representation.
• Providing Multiple Means of Action and Expression.
• Providing Multiple Means of Engagement.

3. Principles and Practices
• Providing Multiple Means of Representation.
• There’s no one way to present information for everyone to
learn it successfully, so teachers must present content of each lesson in
various ways.
• This ensures each learner is able to understand the table, language, symbols,
ect.
• Providing Multiple Means of Action and Expression.
• Students differ widely in how they can express or show what their
skills, what they know or what they have learned.
• Incorporating the theory of multiple intelligences is helpful
with these two pillars.
• Providing Multiple Means of Engagement.
• Most important principle.
• If students aren’t engaged and interested, they
won’t learn.
• If you don’t make what’s being learned important to the students,
then the other forms of representation don’t even matter.

4. Guidelines of UDL Principles
I.
• Provide options for perception.
• Provide options for language and symbols.
• Provide options for comprehension.
II.
• Provide options for physical actions.
• Provide options for expression skills and fluency.
• Provide options for executive functions.

5. Guidelines Continued…
III.
• Provide options for recruiting interest.
• Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence.
• Provide options for self-regulation.

6. Implementing UDL
• Teachers must use the UDL framework when designing lessons.
• S/He must anticipate what will be a barrier for certain students
and utilize the available materials to help them over come
those barriers.
• Team teaching is key. Team teachers and the principal must participate
and assist in implementing the
Universal Design for Learning.