Much like someone will ask for a Kleenex when they need a tissue, a Q-tip if they want a cotton swab, or say they “Googled” something regardless of the actual search engine used to obtain digital information, the term “UDL” has become a metonym or generic trademark. Colloquially, “UDL” is used to ubiquitously describe a multitude of accessible teaching approaches and practices. While the Learning Catalogue module on Accessible Teaching Techniques explores a broad selection of accessible teaching approaches, and touches on the basics of UDL, this module is a deep dive into the UDL framework developed by the Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST).
The Origin of UDL
In the mid 1980’s two Harvard educated researchers, Dr. David Rose and Dr. Anne Meyer, were investigating the ways newly emerging technology – the personal computer – could enhance learning opportunities for students with disabilities. Their original intent was to enhance the student’s individual capabilities by augmenting them with these new devices but as they began to work with a cohort of disabled students they soon realized the biggest barrier was actually the fixed, inflexible curriculum.
The prescriptive nature of the classroom was preventing student learning in unintended ways. The rigid structure of a curriculum dictated what instructional content was presented, how students would engage with the content, and described how students would demonstrate mastery of the content. With this realization the research team changed focus and began using what was known within the cognitive sciences alongside what is made possible through technology to modify the curriculum, adapting it to meet the diverse student needs.
The UDL framework emphasizes flexibility in how instructional material is presented, how students demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and how they are engaged in learning.
Dr. David Rose, CAST co-founder, describes the origin of UDL on the CAST YouTube channel.
The Science Behind UDL
Drawing on cognitive psychology theory and neuroscience research, Rose and Meyer describe learning as involving three related and connected cognitive networks.
The three broad networks related to learning are:
- Recognition: the part of our brain that engages with the content in front of us – the neurological pathways from our eyes, ears and other senses and the parts of our brain that decode this sensory information.
- Skills and Strategies: the part of our brain that helps us decide how we are going to learn the content in front of us – should we take notes?, would creating a mnemonic help?, what first principles do we need to memorize?
- Prioritizing and Caring: the part of our brain that filters what’s important to pay attention to and what is background noise that can be discarded.
Rose and Meyer concluded you need three things to learn: knowledge, skills and enthusiasm. Ideally the best teaching practices will help learners attain all three.
Why Use UDL?
Studies have shown when UDL principles are applied students perform better (reviewed in Al-Azawei, Serenelli, & Lundqvist, 2016). Instructors report an appreciation for UDL because it addresses individual student needs while maintaining academic integrity and rigor (Hills, Overend, & Hildebrandt, 2022; Kennette, & Wilson, 2019).
References
Al-Azawei, A., Serenelli, F., & Lundqvist, K. (2016). Universal design for learning (UDL): A content analysis of peer-reviewed journal papers from 2012 to 2015. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(3), 39-56.
https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v16i3.19295
CAST (2018). UDL: The UDL Guidelines. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Hills, M., Overend, A., & Hildebrandt, S. (2022). Faculty perspectives on UDL: Exploring bridges and barriers for broader adoption in higher education. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1), n1.
https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.13588
Kennette, L. N., & Wilson, N. A. (2019). Universal design for learning (UDL): Student and faculty perceptions. Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education, 2(1), 1-26.
https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v2i1.17
Posey, A., Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2017, August 9). Celebrating a career of innovation: A retirement farewell conversation with David Rose. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_pfwtNGF8
Rose, D. (2011, October 7). Introduction to UDL. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGkL06EU90
Rose, D. (2019, August 23). “From Affect to Effect: Why emotional design is at the core of Universal Design for Learning” David Rose, Keynote Address – Universal Design in Education Conference. 2015. Dublin Ireland. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shsfhDqZ1ss