“Multiple means” in UDL
Universal design for learning (UDL) aims to eliminate systemic barriers to learning and create and nurture a flexible learning environment that offers multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression (CAST, 2018). Incorporating different types of media and various means for student engagement and assessment benefits student success (Meyer et al., 2014). It is important not to confuse the notion of multiple learning modalities and means of engagement for diverse students with different “learning styles” that have been proven to be a neuromyth (Dekker et al., 2012).
So, what do we mean by “multiple means”?
| UDL Principle | Explanation |
Sample Strategy |
| Multiple Means of Engagement | This principle encourages instructors to provide different ways for their students to become interested in course content; be motivated learners; and interact with the materials, the instructor, and each other. | Creating a collaborative classroom environment |
Possible Ways to Implement Strategy: Creating a collaborative classroom environment
- Co-constructing community agreements at the beginning of the semester.
- Offering office/student hours in person and on Zoom, offer office hours for small groups.
- Support self-reflection through small group activities (e.g., write-pair-share, gallery walk).
- Offering a variety of communication channels (e.g., ICON discussion forum, text- chat, in-person tutorials, social annotation tools, etc.) to accommodate communication differences.
| UDL Principle | Explanation |
Sample Strategy |
| Multiple Means of Representation | This principle encourages instructors to provide different ways for their students to perceive and understand course content.
|
Providing a syllabus that clearly identifies all course requirements, course expectations, and due dates |
Possible Ways to Implement Strategy: Providing a syllabus that clearly identifies all course requirements, course expectations, and due dates
- Creating a mobile-friendly syllabus.
- Using ICON (Iowa’s course management system) to share and discuss information from the syllabus.
- Recording a welcoming video (with captions) and posting it on ICON.
- Adding graphic elements to a syllabus (a schedule table, a concept map).
- Using built-in styles, such as headings, helps students more easily navigate your documents.
| UDL Principle | Explanation |
Sample Strategy |
| Multiple Means of Action and Expression | This principle encourages instructors to provide different ways for their students to demonstrate their learning.
|
Providing students with choices to the extent possible within your teaching context. |
Possible Ways to Implement Strategy: Providing students with choices to the extent possible within your teaching context
- Providing different ways for students to participate (e.g., oral participation in class, written participation on a discussion board).
- Allowing students to drop grades.
- Providing choice of format (e.g.,research paper, poster, website, video, podcast), topic, resources, or other aspect of an assignment.
- Offering tiered lesson plans.
For more specific implications for these key Universal Design principles in labs, quizzes, reading assignments, discussions and other teaching contexts, please review this short handout: Harbour, Wendy. “Options for Applying Universal Design to Courses.” Cornell University Faculty Diversity Institute, 2014.
References
CAST. (2018). The universal design for learning guidelines (version 2.2).
Dekker, S., Lee, N.C., Howard-Jones, P., & Jolles, J. (2012). Neuromyths in education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 3(429). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429
Harbour, W. (2014) Options for Applying Universal Design to Courses. Cornell University Faculty Diversity Institute.
Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST.