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The National Center on Universal Design for Learning at CAST.

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At a glance

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed.

This approach to teaching and learning offers flexibility in the ways students access material and show what they know.

UDL also looks for different ways to keep students motivated.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students equal opportunity to succeed.

To understand what UDL is, it helps to understand what it's not. The word universal may throw you off. It may sound like UDL is about finding one way to teach all students. But UDL actually takes the opposite approach.

The goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning. It's about building in flexibility that can be adjusted for every person's strengths and needs. That's why UDL benefits all learners.

This approach to teaching or to workplace training doesn't specifically target people who learn and think differently. But it can be especially helpful for kids with these challenges - including those who have not been formally diagnosed. It can also be very helpful for English language learners.

Watch this video to see what UDL looks like in a fifth-grade classroom.

Dive deeper

Bringing universal design to the classroom

How UDL helps students who learn and think differently

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Ace Parsi, MPP served as the personalized learning partnership manager at NCLD.

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a teaching approach to help all learners be successful. Read about UDL principals and the benefits of UDL for students.

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

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In the 1990s, Anne Meyer, David Rose, and their colleagues at CAST introduced universal design for learning (UDL), a framework to improve teaching and learning. Based on new insights from the learning sciences and creative uses of digital technologies. UDL can help educators improve and optimize learning experiences for all individuals. In this book, Meyer and Rose, along with David Gordon, provide the first comprehensive presentations of UDL principles and practices since 2002. This new look at UDL includes contributions from CAST's research and implementation teams, as well as their collaborators in schools, universities, and research settings. Universal Design for Learning: Theory & Practice includes: * New insights from research on learner differences and how human variability plays out in learning environments * Research-based discussions of what it means to become expert at learning * First-hand accounts and exemplars of how to implement UDL at all levels and across subjects using the UDL Guidelines * "Dig Deeper" segments that enrich the main content * Dozens of original illustrations and access to videos and other online features at http://udltheorypractice.cast.org * Opportunities to participate in a UDL community

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Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice

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In the 1990s, Anne Meyer, David Rose, and their colleagues at CAST introduced universal design for learning (UDL), a framework to improve teaching and learning. Based on new insights from the learning sciences and creative uses of digital technologies. UDL can help educators improve and optimize ...

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Here are 51 easy-to-use, classroom-tested alternatives to the "stand and deliver" teaching techniques that cause so many students to tune out or drop out. Teachers report that these techniques motivate students to participate in learning, as they build confidence and are supported by compelling and safe ways to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of lessons.

Refined through years of classroom experiences and supported by updated research, this 2nd edition delivers a dozen new techniques to engage K-12 students in active learning.

The authors provide detailed descriptions of the Total Participation Techniques (TPTs) with step-by-step instructions-plus reproducible blackline masters for student response cards as well as posters to remind you to use the techniques. They also suggest how you can adapt and personalize the techniques to fit your context and content.

Packed with examples from authentic classrooms, Total Participation Techniques is an essential toolkit for teachers who want to present lessons that are relevant, engaging, and cognitively challenging.

Pérsida Himmele and William Himmele are professors who regularly work with preservice teachers and consult with educators in U.S. and international schools. They are also the authors of Total Literacy Techniques.

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Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner

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Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner [Himmele, Pérsida, Himmele, William] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner

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universally designed leadership: applying udl to systems and schools

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education / administration / elementary & secondary

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education / decision-making & problem solving

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education; k-12; curriculum; teacher preparation; special education; udl; universal design for learning; technology

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education / administration / elementary & secondary

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education / decision-making & problem solving

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Universally Designed Leadership: Applying UDL to Systems and Schools

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Amazon.com: Universally Designed Leadership: Applying UDL to Systems and Schools (9781930583627): Novak EdD, Katie, Rodriguez, Kristan: Books

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) suggests exciting ways to design and deliver engaging, rigorous learning experiences-as a growing international movement of UDL practitioners can attest. However, implementing UDL also requires us to unlearn many beliefs, assumptions, and teaching practices that no longer work.

In this lively and fun book, UDL experts Allison Posey and Katie Novak describe colleagues who have implemented UDL and experienced exponential success: increased graduation rates, an increase in the number of students taking AP exams, and decreased special education referrals and out-of-school suspensions.

However, they have also found that sometimes, even when teachers learn about UDL and believe in its power to transform their teaching and learning environments, many still do not change. They don't believe this is because educators are unwilling to make changes, but perhaps because they may not think there is a strong reason to change, or perhaps they do not know the first steps to take.

The authors have wrestled with this dilemma for years, trying many different approaches to teach and model UDL. They have come to understand that for all the research, brain science, and best practices that are behind UDL as a way to reach all students without differentiating learning at every turn, there is an elephant in the room. Most teachers - and they include themselves in this group - have a hard time integrating new learning.

Why is changing what we do so hard? Posey and Novak posit that, to change how we think about teaching, how to manage classrooms, and how to develop curriculum, we must unlearn. In a profession that spends so much time thinking about learning, the process of unlearning is what needs to happen before real change can happen.

Wait, what? The unlearning process has been such a transformative experience for Posey and Novak that they want to invite fellow educators on this journey to design learning experiences that not only are accessible for students but that challenge them to become more autonomous and self-directed in their learning.

They have seen student agency increase and engagement skyrocket when UDL is implemented. They have observed teachers transformed by UDL who celebrated their learning journeys along the way. But this isn't just a book about UDL. It is a book that recognizes the fact that we aren't meeting the needs of all students and we know that we can.

The process of unlearning as part of the learning process has been well documented. What is unique about this book is that the authors support the process of unlearning using UDL. UDL is a tool that guides the design of learning environments to support the anticipated variability of students, to help educators be goal-directed and to prioritize engagement, and to ensure that every individual knows how to be an expert learner who is motivated, knowledgeable, and strategic.

Posey and Novak developed The Unlearning Cycle to support educators seeking to implement UDL in their practice. It includes the following essential elements, though these do not necessarily occur in a linear progression:

1) Understand variability

2) Know your goals

3) Transform tried-and-true practices

4) Prioritize engagement

5) Scaffold expert learning

This book is for teachers and the professionals who support them. It is for educators who are interested in UDL but have not been able to transform practice to increase the outcomes of all learners. As an educator, you can go through the process individual, with a team in a professional learning community, or as a school or district.

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Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL

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Amazon.com: Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL: 9781930583443: Posey, Allison, Novak, Katie: Books

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In this revised and expanded edition of UDL Now! Katie Novak provides practical insights and savvy strategies for helping all learners meet high standards using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a framework for inclusive education that aims to lower barriers to learning and optimize each individual's opportunity to learn. Novak shows how to use the UDL Guidelines to plan lessons, choose materials, assess learning, and improve instructional practice. Novak discusses key concepts such as scaffolding, vocabulary-building, and using student feedback to inform instruction. She also provides tips on recruiting students as partners in the teaching process, engaging their interest in how they learn. UDL Now! is a fun and effective Monday-morning playbook for great teaching.

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UDL Now!: A Teacher's Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today's Classrooms

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Amazon.com: UDL Now!: A Teacher's Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today's Classrooms: 9781930583665: Novak EdD, Katie, Rose Ed.D, David H: Books

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Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL

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Amazon.com: Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL: 9781544380247: Chardin, Mirko, Novak, Katie R.: Books

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UDL Presentation: Dr. Kathy Boothe & Dr. Ruby Owiny

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UDL Presentation: Dr. Kathy Boothe & Dr. Ruby Owiny

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the best way to teach all students effectively and break down barriers to learning-but how can busy teachers get started with UDL right now? Find the answers in the second edition of this bestselling, teacher-trusted primer, created by internationally recognized UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson.

Thoroughly updated to reflect new research and developments in the field of UDL, this book gives K-12 teachers a reader-friendly UDL introduction and a practical framework for implementation, with guidelines and checkpoints for designing effective, barrier-free lesson plans and learning environments. You'll learn how to use the three core principles of UDL-Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression-to present information in multiple ways and ensure access for all learners. Throughout the book, detailed examples, stories, illustrations, teacher reflections, and activities reinforce UDL principles and help you put them into practice in both virtual and in-person settings.

Written in first person, like a face-to-face talk with a passionate educator, this research-based book will guide you in designing equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments that meet the needs of diverse learners. An essential UDL introduction for both preservice and inservice educators!

Key insights from the latest neuroscience research

Useful stories and practical tips from teachers implementing UDL

Technology bytes: timely tips and ideas on how to enhance online learning with UDL

Expert guidance on current topics, including culturally responsive teaching, urban education, and a focus on the expert learner

"Ponder this" prompts throughout the book to help readers consider new ideas and discover additional resources

End-of-chapter "check-ins" that help readers apply what they've learned

ONLINE MATERIALS: Designing instruction with UDL is easier than ever with these online resources, available as printable downloads: CAST UDL Guidelines; an Identifying Your Resources chart; a UDL design cycle graphic; a UDL lesson plan flowchart; and classroom resource mapping charts for elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

See what's new in the second edition!

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Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning

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Amazon.com: Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning: 9781681254098: Nelson, Loui Lord: Books

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Many teacher resources explore the fundamentals of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This one takes UDL to the next level for educators who understand the basics-and can't wait to start using UDL in their lesson plans and classrooms.

In this practical, accessible guidebook, UDL expert Patti Kelly Ralabate walks teachers through the entire UDL lesson planning process, from developing learning goals to monitoring student progress. Through vignettes, exercises, video demonstrations, and other immediately useful resources, K-12 educators will discover how to translate UDL from theory to practice and plan lessons that meet every learner's needs. An essential guide for teachers, college instructors, specialized instructional support personnel, IEP team facilitators, curriculum planners, and inclusion facilitators, this book will help educators supercharge their lesson plans with one of today's best teaching approaches-and improve outcomes for students with and without special needs.

THIS BOOK HELPS TEACHERS

Use self-reflection strategies and professional learning communities to continuously strengthen everyday practice

PRACTICAL MATERIALS: To guide teachers through each phase of the lesson planning process, the book includes scenarios, models, charts, application exercises, reflection questions, check-ins, and 7 classroom videos (available online) that bring key UDL concepts to life. Educators will also follow the lesson planning process of three teachers as they apply UDL for the first time.
Watch a webinar to get an inside look?

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Your UDL Lesson Planner: The Step-by-Step Guide for Teaching all Learners

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Your UDL Lesson Planner: The Step-by-Step Guide for Teaching all Learners [Ralabate Ed.D., Patricia Kelly] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Your UDL Lesson Planner: The Step-by-Step Guide for Teaching all Learners

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UDL in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners - Book

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UDL in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners - Book

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Need creative ideas for moving UDL from theory to practice? Get this must-have quick guide, ready for any teacher to pick up and start using now. Whitney Rapp, co-author of the acclaimed Teaching Everyone , walks you step by step through 100 UDL strategies that strengthen student engagement, learning, and assessment. Based on the latest research (but still practical and fun!), these highly effective ideas will help you address diverse learning needs and increase all students' access to the general curriculum. Essential for every educator who wants to know what UDL really looks like, sounds like, and feels like-and how to use this proven approach to teach and reach all learners.

100 UDL STRATEGIES FOR:

Classroom space and materials: The best uses of seating, lighting, bulletin boards, and more

Classroom management: From smoother schedules and meetings to effective transition areas

Technologies: Fresh ways to use blogs, videoconferencing, e-books, and more

Content instruction: Teach academic content with tools like music, drawing, mnemonics, and humor

Social interaction: Creative games and small-group activities that sharpen all kidsâ€™ social skills

Executive functions: Great ideas for templates, rubrics, graphic organizers, timers, and web-based materials

Transition to adulthood: Prepare students for the real world with charts, goal plans, and more

Assessment: New ways kids can show what they know-from adapted tests to family projects

Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Rapp's webinar - Supporting Behavior in the Inclusive Class

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Universal Design for Learning in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners

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Amazon.com: Universal Design for Learning in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners: 9781598573909: Rapp Ph.D, Dr. Whitney H.: Books

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"Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. UDL provides rich supports for learning and reduces barriers to the curriculum while maintaining high achievement standards for all." (CAST)

UDL Explained by Chris Bugaj

Digital tools facilitate flexibility, offering multiple ways

Each individual needs to assemble a set of
learning tools to meet his or her unique needs.

"Toolbelt Theory" is based around the idea that as humans we are tool users, and that we choose tools most effectively when that choice begins with the Task at hand, and then considers the Environment in which that task must be performed, the Skill set of the individual (the tool chooser), and the Tools which are available (Thus the acronyn TEST)." --Ira Socol

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"Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. UDL provides rich supports for learning and reduces barriers to the curriculum while maintaining high achievement standards for all."

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Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network

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UDL Resources - Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network

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There are hundreds of UDL-focused resources on Learning Designed for you to explore! Here are aÂ few high profile, UDL-IRN created resources to kick off your resource exploration. A Blueprint for UDL Based on our experiences, we lay out some specific...

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The UDL Implementation Rubric was authored by Melissa Toland, and you can read more about it here. This is an adapted version of The UDL Progression Rubric by Dr. Katie Novak and Dr. Kristian Rodriguez. In the original version, teachers can self-evaluate their performance on each individual checkpoint of the UDL guidelines, whereas the adapted version is less specific in scope and focuses on performance in more general terms in the following areas: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. You can view this rubric to see where you may be in your UDL journey across a spectrum ranging from UDL explorer to UDL idol. Click the link below to download the pdf version of this document.

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CAST UDL Guidelines The two files below outline the UDL guidelines by multiple means of representation, multiple means of action & expression, and multiple means of engagement. Knowing the UDL...

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9 UDL Resources Every Teacher Should Know

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9 UDL Resources Every Teacher Should Know

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Universal design for learning (UDL) is one of the most-discussed topics among our readers and social media followers. We keep our ear to the ground when it comes to UDL-and in today's blog post, we're sharing a few key resources on how to create a universally designed learning environment. From podcasts to videos to creative activities, all of these learning tools are free and ready to use. Take a look and discover a new favorite go-to UDL resource (and recommend one of your own)!

Loui Lord Nelson's UDL in 15 Minutes podcast

Whether you're just getting started with UDL or you're looking for some new tips and strategies, you'll love this series of quick and engaging podcasts with real teachers, led by author Loui Lord Nelson. You'll learn from the success stories and challenges of educators who are implementing UDL in a wide variety of learning environments, from preschool to graduate school. And because the podcast itself was designed using a UDL framework, you'll have many different options for consuming the content, including a recording, a transcript, a video montage using the podcast recording, and a followup blog post.

There are already more than 25 episodes of this awesome podcast to learn from and enjoy! Just click the button below to explore the archive and start listening (or reading, if you prefer).

Katie Novak's AHEAD keynote

Author and UDL expert Katie Novak delivered this dynamic, thought-provoking keynote at the 2017 AHEAD Conference-and it's a must-watch for every educator, no matter where you are on your UDL journey. Titled "UDL Implementation: It Takes a Village," this 47-minute presentation is packed with memorable metaphors, visuals, and "a-ha moments" on

Why UDL is necessary to transform learning for all students

What UDL looks like in practice

How you can create personalized goals and strategies for making the most of UDL in your own school and classroom

Did you know that CAST has established an online "UDL studio" where anyone can create and share universally designed educational materials? Create a free account, and you can:

Browse, read, and interact with the complete library of projects created by other UDL Studio users.

Set up your own UDL studio where you can develop new projects and share them with other educators.

Access free resources for copyright-free media to use in your UDL projects, plus guidance on developing your own text, animations, audio, and video.

UDL Sample Activity Pack

Want some classroom strategies for providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression? Download this sample pack from the book Universal Design for Learning in Action by Whitney Rapp. You'll find ready-to-use guidelines and activity suggestions, along with a Why It Works section that clarifies the research supporting each idea.

The lively #UDLchat on Twitter is one of the best ways to connect with other UDL-minded educators and share ideas, questions, challenges, and tips. If you want to see what these Twitter meetups are like and uncover some UDL gems from past chats, the National Center on UDL has a year's worth of #UDLchat discussions archived on Medium.com. Explore chats on creating the perfect UDL "cocktail," supporting teacher preparation and UDL knowledge-building, engaging the brain, bringing UDL from theory to practice, and more.

Need a refresher on the UDL Guidelines? CAST has you covered! The online home for the recently-updated Guidelines includes:

An introductory video by CAST's co-founder, David Rose

A downloadable version of the helpful UDL Guidelines graphic organizer

A FAQ about the goals, development, organization, and use of the Guidelines.

A summary of the research evidence used to develop the Guidelines.

UDL Lesson Planning webinar

After you've explored the fundamentals of UDL, your next question is probably "how do I use UDL in my lesson planning?" Find answers in this hourlong webinar with Dr. Patti Ralabate, author of Your UDL Lesson Planner. Dr. Ralabate walks you through 6 easy steps you can follow to get started with UDL in your lesson planning, from defining clear goals to refining lessons through careful reflection. (This webinar is prerecorded and ready to watch anytime-no registration needed.)

If UDL in 15 Minutes has you itching for more podcasts on universal design for learning, check this one out-especially if you're interested in how to implement UDL on the postsecondary level. Host Lillian Nave investigates the what, why, and how of UDL with her guests, who are designing and implementing strategies in postsecondary settings with learner variability in mind. (Both audio and transcripts are provided.)

Past episodes include:

Responding to Neurodiversity and Shifting Campus Culture (with Elizabeth Coghill)

Training Faculty Jedis (with Danielle Wilken)

Creating Inclusive Space for All (with Zach Smith)

UDL Principles and Practice video series

See what UDL looks like in real classrooms! Developed by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, this series of six brief videos will give you vivid examples of UDL in practice, in classrooms ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 6.

Have a favorite online UDL resource to recommend? We'd love to hear about it-add your suggestion in the comments below!

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9 Free UDL Resources Every Teacher Should Know About - Brookes Blog

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Universal design for learning (UDL) is one of the most-discussed topics among our readers and social media followers. We keep our ear to the ground when it comes to UDL-and in today's blog post, we're sharing a few key resources on how to create a universally designed learning environment.

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CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website

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iSolveIt math puzzles - This mobile digital learning environment supports the development of logical thinking and reasoning skills, which are essential competencies of algebra and mathematics in general. The site includes a collection of tablet-based puzzles that have been designed using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). (isolveit.cast.org/home)

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a teaching approach to help all learners be successful. Read about UDL principals and the benefits of UDL for students.

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Novak Education - UDL, MTSS, and Inclusive Practices PD for Educators

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High-quality, evidence-based professional development on MTSS, UDL, and Inclusive Practices. Professional Learning for teachers and leaders.

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Design the Future

This year's Symposium will be held online and on-demand from Wednesday, July 28 - Friday, July 30, 2021. Learn more about our theme, The Future Designed, and download our submission guide. Proposals are due by 11:59 pm PST on Friday, January 15, 2021.

Learn more & submit your proposal today

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This year's Symposium will be held online and on-demand from Wednesday, July 28 - Friday, July 30, 2021. Learn more about our theme, The Future Designed, and download our submission guide. Proposals are due by 11:59 pm PST on Friday, January 15, 2021. Learn more & submit your proposal today