Universal Design for

Learning Guidelines
By: Quentrella Cain

What is UDL?

Universal Design for Learning

is 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.

Why is UDL necessary?

Individuals bring a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Neuroscience
reveals that these differences are as varied and unique as our DNA or fingerprints.

What are the UDL Guidelines?

The guidelines are tools to help teachers and other curriculum developers in
the instructional planning page.

The guidelines support the important process of customizing instruction for

individuals.

Applying the UDL guidelines has been compared to using a Global Positioning
System device.
1. What is your present location?
2. What is your destination or goal?
3. What is the best route for reaching that goal

What Do You See?

UDL Guidelines
By: Dr. Rose
In 1984, Dr. Rose co-founded CAST, a not-for-profit
research and development organization whose
mission is to improve education, for all learners,
through innovative uses of modern multimedia
technology and contemporary research in the
cognitive neurosciences. That work has grown into a
new field called Universal Design for Learning
which now influences educational policy and
practice throughout the United States and beyond.

Principle (1) Provide Multiple Means of

Representation (What)

What How information is perceived and comprehended

Everyone identifies and understands information in different way

No one way can teach all students or even one student

Differences in comprehend (Personal experiences and background knowledge)

1. Present in different ways (options or choices)
2. Support understanding
3. Flexible (determine the most appropriate way to access content)
4. Remove barriers
5. Language options

Principle (2) Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression (How)

How Providing additional options and avenues for how students demonstrate their
knowledge of the learning process

Learners vary in terms of how they communicate and how they solve problems.
1. Models
2. Practice time
3. Supports (that can be gradually released)
4. Goal setting skills (stop and think about your work)
5. Everyone can create
6. Share ideas

Principle (3) Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement (Why)

Why What motivates students to learn?

Some students are most productive, or learn best with specific goals, while others need
a more open-ended approach
1. Choices
2. Ownership
3. Safe learning environment
4. Work has to be balanced (not to hard but not to easy)
5. Collaboration with peers
6. Feedback
7. Develop the ability the set goals manage his or her progress

UDL Guidelines Conclusion

UDL guidelines are flexible and should be mixed and matches to meet the needs of
individual learners

UDL Guidelines are strategies that can be used to overcome barriers in the curriculum

UDL Guidelines successfully implemented provide support for teachers in their goal of
developing expert learners

UDL Guidelines should be considered foundational to understanding how to implement

UDL across different environment.

Questions

Thank You

References
Gargiulo, R. & Metcalf, D. (2013) Teaching in Todays Inclusive Classrooms A Universal
Design for Learning Approach. Wadsworth, Belmont, CA
Hall, T. & Meyer, A. & Rose, D. (2012). Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom.
The Guilford Press New York London