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This video provides insight into one teacher's own experiences in a classroom without UDL and how he has now structured his classroom to utilize UDL and best serve his students.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because is highlights the importance of UDL by showing how a student was impacted without it. It also points out some of the methods that the teacher uses within his own classroom for incorporating UDL so that his students don't experience the same struggles he did.

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 6 Science

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 6 Science

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This video provides examples of how UDL can be applied within a real 6th grade science class.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because, as a middle school science teacher, it helps to illustrate many of the things that are naturally done in the classroom daily and how they fit into the UDL framework.

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 6 Science

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This video is intended to serve as an introduction to the 3 principles and the practices of UDL.

This resources is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because it helps one to gain a deeper understanding of the principles and what it actually means to utilize UDL.

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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This video is an excellent crash course on UDL. It touches briefly on each of the principles and checkpoints.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because it is a wonderful overview and highlights the key points of UDL. It makes for a great introduction or refresher.

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TEDx: Universal Design for Learning - A Paradigm for Maximum Inclusion

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TEDx: Universal Design for Learning - A Paradigm for Maximum Inclusion

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This video from TEDx provides a short explanation of the origin of UDL, as well as Terence Brady's explanation of why UDL is so important to education.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because it takes a very human look at the reasoning for UDL. It explains how we got from altering sidewalks so that they are usable by everyone, to how lessons can be differentiated for all students.

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Universal Design for Learning—A Paradigm for Maximum Inclusion | Terence Brady | TEDxWestFurongRoad

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Teacher's Guide

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Teacher's Guide

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This article, written by Allison Posey of CAST, walks educators through understanding the purpose of using UDL within their classrooms and how to go about doing so.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because is provides an explanation of what UDL in the classroom should look like and makes suggestions for how to go about implementing the 3 principles (engagement, representation, and action/expression).

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST, an Understood founding partner. UDL guides the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. When you use UDL, you assume that barriers to learning are in the design of the environment, not in the student. UDL is based on brain science and evidence-based educational practices. It also leverages the power of digital technology.

Imagine this: Your students are going to write an essay on the stages of butterfly metamorphosis.

Some students have seen butterflies grow through the different stages at a local science museum. These students are excited to share what they know. Other students don't know anything about butterflies and are nervous about writing on this topic. And some students don't like to write - they dread this activity from the moment you say "essay."

In any class, you know there's a wide range of enthusiasm, background, and skills among your students. When you plan with this range in mind, you can approach the lesson in several ways.

You could share a mini-lesson on butterfly metamorphosis and have students use a guided worksheet as they write. Or you could set up stations where students are grouped using flexible grouping around understanding of the topic, language ability, or reading level.

But take a step back. In any lesson or task, you can anticipate this range of variability among your students. There's another approach you can take to plan for this variability in all your lessons: Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Why use Universal Design for Learning?

The ultimate goal of UDL is for all learners to become "expert learners." Expert learners are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed about learning.

UDL is a powerful approach because from the very start of your lesson, it helps you anticipate and plan for all your learners. It can help you make sure that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning - not just certain students.

You don't need specific tools or technologies to follow UDL's principles either. Instead, your students choose from the tools and resources you already have. They might use them in different ways.

Also, UDL may change how you think about what prevents students from learning. Instead of thinking that something needs to change about the students, UDL looks at the learning environment. The learning environment can include barriers to learning, like the design of the curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials. In this way, the learning environment itself can be "abled" or "dis-abled."

UDL gives you a framework to follow so you can reduce the barriers to learning. The main way to do this is to prepare a learning environment where students have what they need to flexibly meet learning goals.

What does UDL look like in the classroom?

Universal design can be found just about anywhere you look - both inside and outside your school. Curb cuts change sidewalks so that they're accessible to the greatest range of users, including people who use wheelchairs and those pushing strollers. Closed captions make television accessible to people who are deaf or who have hearing loss, as well as people at the gym or spouses who can't agree whether or not to keep the TV on at night. No two forms of universal design are the same.

Universal Design for Learning looks different in every classroom. But there are commonalities. To start with, there's always a focus on building expert learning for all. Other common elements of a UDL experience include:

All learners knowing the goal

Intentional, flexible options for all students to use

Student access to resources from the start of a lesson

Students building and internalizing their own learning

In a UDL environment, students rarely do the same task in the same way at the same time. The flexible options will differ across developmental ages. But the framework for having clear goals and flexible options is consistent no matter the grade level or content areas.

How can I use the three principles of UDL?

UDL describes human variability based on parts of the brain that manage the "why" (affective network), the "what" (recognition network), and the "how" (strategic network) of learning. Watch as CAST co-founder David Rose explains why UDL emphasizes variability instead of disability.

CAST developed UDL guidelines that are based on three main principles that align with these learning networks. The three UDL principles are engagement, representation, and action and expression.

The chart below includes the three UDL principles adapted from CAST. It also gives you some questions to consider and lists some examples of the principles in action. You can print a one-page version of this chart to have on hand while planning a lesson, activity, or routine for your students.

How can families support this at home?

Families may not be familiar with the concept of students being active participants in setting their learning goals. They may have questions about letting students make their own learning choices.

Explain at back-to-school night or in a class that you'll be using Universal Design for Learning. You can even share a family-friendly article about the UDL approach to teaching.

Assure families that you have high expectations for all students to become expert learners in your classroom. And explain that you'll keep working with the students and their families to build the skills and interest to make that happen.

Additional CAST resources to explore

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UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning. When you teach using UDL, your lessons are designed in flexible ways to meet the needs of individual learners. Read more about UDL.

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Universal Design for Learning: Cornell University

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Universal Design for Learning: Cornell University

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This article from Cornell University provides an excellent summary of UDL and why it is utilized, as well as some suggestions for how to get started on the UDL path.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because it provides a simple and brief overview of the topic as well as some suggestions for early implementation.

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Universal Design for Learning | Center for Teaching Innovation

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Universal design for learning (UDL) is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminates unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. This means developing a flexible learning environment in which information is presented in multiple ways, students engage in learning in a variety of ways, and students are provided options when demonstrating their learning.

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Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons

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Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons

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This document from CAST provides educators with a quick checklist of things to consider when planning lessons to ensure that the lesson is in keeping with UDL.

This resource is relevant to one's understanding of UDL because it serves as a quick reminder of what should be included in a lesson to ensure that all students are being served and have the same opportunity to succeed.

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1. Home

2. Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons

CAST

Author

2020

Abstract

An alternate way to consider the UDL Guidelines is to look at some key questions that each Guideline answers. When planning a lesson or unit, consider these questions to ensure that the environment is flexible and inclusive of all learners.

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Cite As

CAST (2020). Key questions to consider when planning lessons. Wakefield, MA: Author. (Reprinted from Universal design for learning: theory and practice, by Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D., 2014, Author). Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-guidelines-key-questions-planning-lessons

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Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons - CAST

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An alternate way to consider the UDL Guidelines is to look at some key questions that each Guideline answers. When planning a lesson or unit, consider these questions to ensure that the environment is flexible and inclusive of all learners.

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This webpage takes you directly to CAST's UDL Guidelines which is a "set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities".

This resource is useful to helping one understand UDL because it neatly breaks down the key elements of UDL and directly links you to more information on checkpoint.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

UDL Rising to Equity

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey. Do you use social media? Join the conversation happening now in the #UDLrising hashtag.
Meet the UDL Rising to Equity Advisory Board Meet the UDL Rising to Equity Stakeholder Council

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST.

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Edutopia: 4 Principles of a Universal Design for Learning Approach

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Edutopia: 4 Principles of a Universal Design for Learning Approach

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This Edutopia article is a great summary of 4 principles that will set one up for success when using UDL.

This resources is useful to helping one understand UDL because it helps to remind educators that all students can meet high expectations and that the learning experiences of students are not one-size-fits-all, which is key in UDL.

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4 Principles of a Universal Design for Learning Approach

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Teachers can encourage high school students’ success by focusing on learner variability and creating customizable learning experiences.