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The What

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The Why - Engagement

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If you read the latest books and blogs on inclusive education, you've probably heard a lot about the potential benefits of universal design for learning (UDL). Stronger student engagement. Sharper executive function skills. Increased access to the general curriculum for all students.

The UDL framework holds such great promise-but with so many myths and misconceptions floating around, those three letters can seem a little mysterious. What is UDL, really? Is it just differentiation in disguise?

To answer these questions, let's check in with UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson, whose book is making a big splash in the world of inclusive education. In Design and Deliver , Nelson takes on 6 stubborn myths about UDL and debunks them one by one. Whether you're a newbie weighing the benefits of implementing UDL in your own classroom or a UDL devotee hoping the change the minds of skeptics, this post gives you the fast facts you need to move forward.

[INFOGRAPHIC: Grab and share the infographic version of these 6 mythbusters below this post!]

MYTH #1: UDL has no research behind it.

FACT: The UDL framework is solidly grounded in brain research and other empirical data. (To see the research behind UDL principles, guidelines, and checkpoints, explore the National UDL Center's archive of articles .)

Quantifying the positive effects of UDL is a little challenging: though UDL guidelines stay the same, implementation will look different from school to school based on each teacher's knowledge and available resources. But early UDL research has been promising. In two recent studies, Nelson points out, students performed better on standardized measures when they used resources designed with the UDL framework-and had teachers who used UDL guidelines to craft their lessons and design the classroom environment.

MYTH #2: UDL is another word for differentiation.

FACT: Differentiation is just one component of UDL. Nelson describes the difference this way: Differentiation is a strategy that helps you address each student's individual levels of readiness, interest, and learning profiles. UDL is an overarching approach that addresses the environment first, including the physical location and the lesson, unit, and/or curriculum. When you address the whole environment up front, you make sure all students have full access to everything in the classroom, regardless of their needs and abilities.

MYTH #3: UDL is only good to use when you have students with IEPs.

FACT: It's true that UDL grew out of accommodating the individual needs of students with disabilities. But because every student is a variable learner, UDL is a helpful framework to use in any classroom, especially one that includes students of all ability levels. When you design your lessons based on the UDL framework, you create an accessible learning environment where all of your students have the best chance to learn.

MYTH #4: If you purchase a UDL product, then you're doing UDL.

FACT: UDL isn't something you buy or "do"; it's a set of principles and guidelines to use as a decision-making framework. True UDL implementation begins with the learning environment first-creating a classroom and lesson plans that meet all students' needs. UDL-aligned products and strategies can be valuable tools, but they're just a part of your journey toward UDL implementation, not a one-stop solution.

MYTH #5: UDL is just good teaching.

FACT: A person implementing UDL might be described as a good teacher-that part is definitely true! But simplifying UDL as "good teaching" is misleading. Good teaching has no single, agreed-on definition, whereas UDL is a framework with clear principles, guidelines, and checkpoints. Teachers who work hard to include all children in their classrooms and remove barriers to learning are doing a lot of things right, but unless they're referencing the UDL framework to make decisions, they aren't implementing UDL.

MYTH #6: To make UDL work, you have to use technology.

FACT: Tech can be a great way to enhance lessons and engage students. But if your school doesn't have the funds for fancy technology, that doesn't mean UDL is out of your reach. "For centuries teachers have used the resources available to communicate ideas to students," Nelson says. "UDL helps teachers look at available resources and potentially identify new ways to use them."

Nelson suggests that teachers collaborate with peers to identify no-tech or low-tech options that support students' learning outcomes. (A good place to start is #udlchat on Twitter, a hashtag for sharing UDL tips and tricks. UDL experts also use the hashtag for a regularly scheduled professional development chat-check #udlchat for the date and time of the next one!)

What do you think? Have you heard any other stubborn UDL myths? What's the #1 misconception most people have about UDL? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

is an amazing UDL primer. Check out the reviews and sample a chapter .

Here's a neat infographic that sums up the key points in this post. Share it around and help spread the word about UDL (click twice to view at full size):

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6 UDL Myths (and the Facts Behind Them!) - Brookes Blog

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If you read the latest books and blogs on inclusive education, you've probably heard a lot about the potential benefits of universal design for learning (UDL). Stronger student engagement. Sharper executive function skills. Increased access to the general curriculum for all students. The UDL framework holds such great promise-but with so many myths and misconceptions [...]

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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.

Coming soon! UDL Guidelines 3.0

The UDL Guidelines are a living, dynamic tool that is continuously developed based on new research and feedback from practitioners. In 2020, CAST launched our most recent effort to update the UDL Guidelines, with a specific focus on equity. There has been a strong call from the field-both practitioners and researchers alike-to more fully develop the Guidelines to address critical barriers rooted in biases and systems of oppression. The current update aims to respond to this call and to work toward fulfilling the promise of the Guidelines as a tool to guide the design of learning environments that more fully honor and value every learner.

Since our launch in 2020, we have been committed to a community-driven, inclusive, and transparent updating process. As part of this effort, we are:

Collaborating with an Advisory Board, a UDL Guidelines Collaborative, and a Young Adult Advisory Board to guide our work

Conducting focus groups with a diversity of participants to learn from their perspectives, lived experiences, and feedback

Reviewing the research on the UDL Guidelines research pages to understand the balance of different research fields, methodological approaches, epistemological approaches, and author positionalities

Conducting literature reviews of equity-oriented research that connect to and extend the Guidelines, such as disability studies and critical pedagogy studies

We are excited to share this next iteration of the UDL Guidelines in 2024. If you are interested in receiving our UDL Guidelines 3.0 newsletter to stay updated on our progress and to share your ideas and perspectives, please complete this brief form.

Review the Summary

Explore the Full Draft

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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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UDL Framework 2.2

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Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans

This section of the UDL Lesson Builder shows you customized, UDL lessons aligned to standards and tailored to include principles and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning. As you review the lessons, be sure to click on to read or hear teacher think alouds that explain applications of UDL.

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CAST UDL Lesson Builder: Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans

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This section of the UDL Lesson Builder shows you customized, UDL lessons aligned to standards and tailored to include principles and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning. As you review the lessons, be sure to click on to read or hear teacher think alouds that explain…

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UDL Lesson Plan

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CAST's most recent guideline version

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Guidelines in question-format

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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UDL  Now! Great for book study independent or group. Concrete strategies and discussion questions.

Elevating Co-Teaching through UDL  Concrete strategies, scaffolding for discussions and decision making, great resource!

Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice

Also available online for free here

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/Engagement

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/Representation

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Webinar: UDL Now! Revised with Katie Novak

Webinar: Universally Designed Leadership

Webinar: UDL and Cultural Variability

Webinar: UDL Planning for Lessons and Collaboration

Top  10 UDL Tips for Designing an Engaging Learning Environment

Top 5 UDL Tips for Reducing Stereotype Threat

Stereotype Threat Webinar

English Language Learners and UDL

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https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/ActionAndExpression

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Sign up for the CAST newsletter

Participate in our next #UDLchat on Twitter

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UDL Theory and Practice book

UDL Myths and Facts

Visual Concept Map

UDL Exchange

National Center on UDL

BookBuilder

CAST free learning tools

BCSC Tech Tools

UDL Strategies from Goalbook

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Your First Step Toward a UDL-designed Classroom: Change How You Think About Barriers

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Your First Step Toward a UDL-designed Classroom: Change How You Think About Barriers

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles while planning instruction for students with special needs.

After you read this, tell us your experience: Does instructional planning in your school sound more like the first or second example? What are your barriers, if any, to adopting the planning approach Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris took? What resources can we develop to help you? Read on, and then share your thoughts in the comments below!

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There are often two questions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that I hear when training:

1. Why would I do this? It is no different from differentiated instruction, and

2. How in the world would I do this? It is huge!

Two quick vignettes of teachers planning for instruction illustrate the answer to both questions.

Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Snyder are planning instruction for Dawn, a student with complex instructional needs who is included in Ms. Jacobs' English class.

Ms. Jacobs: We are reading The Giver for the next couple of weeks. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Snyder: Dawn can't read, so I don't think The Giver is going to be possible for her. And the subject matter doesn't really connect to her daily life so maybe I'll give her an adapted copy of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge instead. It also deals with the importance of memories and forgetting and it is written at a second grade reading level so it should be easier to understand than The Giver.

Ms. Jacobs: Oh, that is a great idea. And maybe her timeline could be sequencing from her daily schedule instead of from history?

Now compare these teachers to Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris, who are also planning for a student with complex instructional needs included in Mrs. Summers' English class.

Mrs. Summers: We are working on the themes and ideas in The Giver. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Harris: I love that book-but it can be a bit of a barrier for some of our students unless we pair it with some accessibility supports. We can easily get some adapted versions of The Giver and maybe offer students the opportunity to partner read or use their online text readers.

Mrs. Summers: Yes, that makes sense. We may want to highlight key words or pictures to summarize the main points for some of our students who will still need additional help. And while we are at it, let's think about how to make it a bit more engaging for some of our students...maybe we can start with timelines related to their own lives and then move from there to historical events that shaped their world instead of from a historical event to themselves. It can go both ways.

Mr. Harris: Plus we could use some online timeline creation tools, pictures, or text-based timelines to provide students with lots of ways to engage with the timeline and get interested in the task.

The difference between these two conversations is subtle, but it illustrates one of the key ways differentiated instruction and UDL differ-as well as one of the biggest leaps teachers need to make if they are going to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The biggest difference (and the most vital change teachers need to make to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment) is moving from the idea that the student is what creates barriers to learning to the idea that the curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment create the barriers. And, while the conversations above may seem only minutely different, the belief that the student has the potential to access and make progress toward any goal significantly changes the way teachers approach planning, instruction, and assessment.

Consider the classic study by Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) that examined how student performance and teacher expectations were tied together. They found that "when we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur" (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985). Our instructional decisions are based on our expectations, even if we are not necessarily consciously aware of them.

When we work from the premise that the barrier is within the student, then our job as educators is to fix the student so he can access instruction and materials. This belief sets up limits for all the things a school system can't change about a student: missing limbs, intellectual disabilities, an impoverished home, language and cultural differences, etc. When we work from the premise that barriers are within the instruction and materials, then our job as educators is to change instruction and materials to remove and reduce those barriers. We, as educators and school systems have control over those things.

This doesn't mean it isn't difficult. Looking at creating a UDL classroom may seem absolutely overwhelming. Consider the CAST website for their curriculum self-check: it is HUGE. There are so many things to think about. And then, on top of that, for students with complex learning needs you are still probably going to need to add some individualized supports on top of the universally designed curriculum, like Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris did when they added summarized text or pictures to represent key concepts and ideas from the full text. Conceptualizing the barrier as being within the curriculum, instruction and materials rather than the student may seem overwhelming for what initially seems like a tiny difference in how these two sets of teachers plan and teach. In my experience though, it is that single key difference that helps create a UDL classroom. It is that single key difference that improves students' opportunities to learn and sets up systems that improve student performance. In addition, it is that key difference that sets the stage for inclusive practices. So, if you want to build an inclusive classroom, the biggest step you can take is to change how you think about barriers.

Want to hear more from Deborah Taub? Be sure to check out this podcast she did on alternate assessment over at Think Inclusive, and this post on leaving behind the notion of inclusion as a place.

More on presuming the competence of all learners: "Presuming Competence: What It Is, What It Looks Like"

Deborah Taub is Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment, where she provides research and professional development assistance for states, territories, and other entities working to develop and sustain best practice. She has assisted states in building and evaluating systemic programs, especially around issues of inclusive practice for students with complex instructional needs, such as those with low incidence disabilities or who are dually identified as having a disability and ELL. Dr. Taub has designed, implemented, and evaluated alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, developed UDL and standards-based curricula and instruction, and conducted validity and alignment evaluations. She's an advisory member of National Center for Universal Design for Learning's UDL Taskforce, and a member of the TASH Inclusive Education Committee and the Council for Exceptional Children's CCSS Advisory Group.

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Your first step toward a UDL-designed classroom: Change how you think about barriers (Guest post) - Brookes Blog

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles [...]

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Top 5 UDL Tips for Supporting Expert Learning

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Top 5 UDL Tips for Supporting Expert Learning

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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UDL and Learners with Severe Support Needs

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UDL and Learners with Severe Support Needs

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When the Barriers Aren’t Just Physical (Published 2016)

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The first school we tried was wheelchair-accessible, but there were still barriers. Luckily, the second one found other ways to let my son in.

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PDF Version, ready to print

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        Videos to help Look for Universal Design for Learning

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        Videos to help Look for Universal Design for Learning

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https://padlet.com/CASTUDL/LookingForUDL

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Cross-Pollinating UDL and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

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Cross-Pollinating UDL and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

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Posted temporarily

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Let's go bowling!

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Shelley Moore: Transforming Inclusive Education

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Guideline 2.0 organizer with examples of each checkpoint

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Guideline 2.0 organizer with examples of each checkpoint

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Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Word Version, ready to download and edit to fit your goals and context