Universal DesignMaddy Wimmer

Universal Design of Learning

• In past years in our school’s curriculum there has been a focus on the average student.

• Cognitive research shows that this “average student” does not exist

• Universal Design for learning is a framework based on cognitive neurosciences for designing learning experiences that work across a wide spectrum of learners

• its main purpose is to make sure that everyone is a successful learner and that everyone is an expert learner

The Three Broad Principles

• 3 principles come form careful analysis of what learning really is in particularly research that has been done by thousands of other researchers in cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, and neuropsychology

• looked at what comprises learning, how does learning really work. and what are its differences among individual learners

• from that work 3 principles were abstracted that are involved in any learning situation

• how does the learner pick up information

• how do they express and act on that information

• how are they engaged in that information

Principle1. How we present information to the learner.

• Provide multiple means of representation. There is no one way we can present information in a way that everyone can learn it, so in Universal Design they discuss multiple means of representation so everyone can make since since of the information

1. Provide options for participation

2. Provide options for language and symbols

3. Provide options for comprehension

Principle2. Provide multiple means of action of expression

• How students express what they know. Students differ, so we must provide multiple means of expression over the course of our teaching and learning.1. Provide options for

physical action

2. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency

3. Provide options for executive functions

Principle3. Provide multiple means of engagement

• In many ways most important principle. If we do not engage students in learning, don’t make it important to them, don’t make them motivated for learning, then none of the other forms of representation or expression are that important.

1. Provide options for recruiting interest

2. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence

3. Provide options for self regulation