Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Supports Inclusive Education

Universal Design: Strategies

Below are some introductory examples of UDL practices that can be used in a variety of settings. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a starting point, because there is so much more we can do to design learning experiences that are more inclusive and equitable.

1. Introduce and affirm a variety of communication methods.

With younger students: Explain that we communicate in many ways, and brainstorm together the broad range of communication methods—both those that include language and those that do not. For example: speech, sign language, writing and numbers, typing, a variety of art methods, movement and dance, touch, pointing, ways to indicate choice, expressions, and more. Affirm and provide opportunities to communicate in ways other than speech.

With older students: Introduce a variety of communication methods and ways of responding and participating. Provide opportunities for discussion and participation using a range of communication methods. Technology can provide multiple ways to brainstorm together and have discussions that include those who may be nonspeaking, which can also benefit those who are not comfortable speaking in a group. Explore collaborative technology tools and apps.

2. Provide information in multiple formats.

With younger students: Use a multisensory approach as much as possible. Include activities that engage two or more senses. Use pictures, videos, music and written words, and invite students to move their bodies (in ways that work for them) as they are learning the information. For example, you might have them repeat the information or touch words or pictures. Bring in objects that can be touched or smelled (being cautious to avoid allergens, including perfume and essential oils, and manufactured scents such as scented markers). For all sensory activities, offer choices so that students can avoid becoming overstimulated. Use graphic organizers, charts and drawings as well as spoken instructions. Consider translating information into the languages spoken at home and sharing resources such as multilingual glossaries.

With older students: All the tips for working with younger students also work with older learners, including adults. In addition to recorded media (audiobooks, podcasts, videos), consider integrating self-paced interactive presentations (like web resources that students click through). At the very least, provide information in written and graphic formats in addition to spoken words. Provide individual copies of information in presentations along with transcripts and notes.

3. Provide feedback in multiple formats.

Feedback should be designed to help learners build both competency and positive learning habits, rather than to judge their learning or compare their learning to others’. Like any other information, it should be provided in multiple formats.

With younger students: Give students examples of what success might look like and what learning is building toward, in ways that are relevant to students’ cultures, interests and goals. Give feedback often to help them notice small improvements as well as make corrections. Pair feedback with tools, supports and reminders to help learners improve. In addition to verbal feedback, offer visual representations of progress, such as sticker charts marking progress toward a goal. Visual representations should either be private to each student or should collectively track the group’s learning; they should not publicly compare students’ learning to each other.

With older students: All the tips for working with younger students also work with older learners, including adults (even the sticker charts—adults love getting a gold star!). Additionally, offer learners ways to monitor their own progress, such as templates to guide self-assessment and reflection, checklists, and scoring rubrics.

4. Actively teach strategies for managing attention, time and tasks.

(Many of these strategies are explained in detail in the UDL Guidelines from CAST.)

With younger students: Model the process of setting goals and making step-by-step plans. Provide organizational aids, including graphic organizers and templates, to help learners categorize information and keep track of processes. Model planning by “thinking aloud” about how to approach a task before beginning.

With older students: All the tips for working with younger students also work with older learners, including adults. In addition, provide checklists and note-taking guides, or engage learners in co-creating these resources. Provide estimates of how much time a task should take and encourage students to ask for support if it is taking much longer than expected. Of course, different learners need different amounts of time for the same task—but if a task is taking much longer than expected, it may be an indicator that the task needs to be reframed or reorganized to better support the student’s learning.

5. Encourage multiple ways of participating in discussion.

With younger students: Vary learning formats with a mixture of direct instruction, collaboration in small groups, and individual thinking and practice time. Leave some time for reflection before asking for responses and give students the opportunity to pass and then come back to them. Offer multiple ways to participate nonverbally, including through gestures and technology.

With older students: In addition to the tips above for younger students, it’s particularly important to leave some reflection time before asking for responses and to use formatted questions as well as open-ended questions. Offer ways to participate nonverbally, including the option of turning in short written notes instead of participating aloud. Integrate technology such as Poll Everywhere and similar apps, which allow participants to respond to questions on their phones or devices and let teachers display the aggregated responses.

6. Provide multiple ways for participants to demonstrate learning.

With younger students: A multisensory approach can be helpful when assessing comprehension and growth, as well as in learning activities. Invite students to show what they know in a variety of ways, such as through movement, singing, art-making, writing, storytelling, making choices or indicating answers, and sharing examples that connect with their lived experiences.

With older students: In addition to the above recommendations, it’s especially helpful to provide multiple options for the same assignment. If you would usually assign an essay (but the goal of the learning experience is not primarily essay-writing), let students choose whether to respond in writing, with a voice memo, or in a creative format such as a presentation or artwork (possibly with a brief written artist’s statement).

7. Ask about needs (and do not assume all needs are or can be documented).

With younger students: Lean into curiosity, observe and ask questions. Little kids want to do well, so if something does not seem to be going well, or a student seems disengaged or careless, it might be because they are not able to do the activity in the way it is being presented. Direct and open communication with the child’s family is key in this situation. View caregivers as partners, and together you will be able to figure out the needs of the child and what strategies, services or supports might be needed.

With older students: Older students will tend to have greater awareness of their own strengths and needs, and they should be your first partners in figuring out what will work best for them. Many teachers collect introduction cards on the first day of class, inviting students to share any nicknames, their pronouns and other information they want the teacher to know. This is a great opportunity to ask about access needs. Since many people don’t think of their needs as access needs, the question should be explained and worded in a way that makes sense for the group. To gain insight into their students’ access needs, teachers can use an expanded learning styles inventory that inquires about comfort level in situations and preferred ways to receive information and respond. Provide these questions in a variety of formats and give multiple opportunities for responding to make the inventory, and the act of sharing itself, more accessible.

Getting to know more about learners can be a multistep and ongoing process rather than a one-time questionnaire. Invite student feedback about learning processes and encourage experimentation so that learners can continue to find approaches to learning that work better for them.