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The newest version of the UDL Guidelines from CAST

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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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Update March 2019

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Todd Rose's excellent work that makes the case for student-centered learning

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"Todd Rose has achieved a rare feat: he is both provocative and right. He overturns our fundamental assumptions about talent, and offers an empowering way to rethink the world. With exciting stories, fresh data, and bold ideas, this book is far better than average." - Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

"Fascinating, engaging, and practical. Todd Rose dispels the myth that our success can be divined by a simple number or average, whether a grade, a score in a standardized test, or a ranking at work. The End of Average will help everyone-and I mean everyone-live up to their potential." - Amy Cuddy, professor at Harvard Business School, and author of Presence

"Consistently mind-blowing!" - Dan Heath, co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive

"Todd Rose shows that everything we think we know about 'average' performance is wrong. In fact, our one-dimensional understanding of achievement-our search for the average score, average grade, average talent-has seriously underestimated human potential. This book is readable, enlightening, and way above average." - Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of To Sell Is Human and Drive

"Todd Rose's thought-provoking book challenges the explanatory power of the everyday term 'average,' opening our minds to new ways of conceptualizing human variation and human potentials." - Howard Gardner, author of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed

"In the midst of a war for talent, we miss huge opportunities to find it. This stunning book shows how almost all the measures we use reduce complicated individuals to one-dimensional beings. As a result, we overlook how talent, context, and disposition fold together to create individual uniqueness. I couldn't put this book down." - John Seely Brown, independent co-chair of Deloitte's Center for the Edge and coauthor of The Social Life of Information, The Power of Pull and The New Culture of Learning

"A must read for anyone who serves or creates solutions for other human beings. It serves not only as a guide for how to rethink our systems but in many ways is the best self-help book I've ever read." - Jim Shelton, Chief Impact Officer, 2U, Inc., and former United States Deputy Secretary of Education

"The future belongs to enterprises that learn how to value individual employees and individual students, and Dr. Rose's eye-opening account of the fascinating new science of the individual shows a practical path to the adoption of individuality." - Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, Inc., and author of Finding the Next Steve Jobs

One of nine leadership books to watch for in 2016. - The Washington Post

One of seven books to read in January 2016. - Fast Company's Co.Create

Selected for Amazon.com's 'Best Business & Leadership Books' in January 2016.

"Readers will be moved to examine their own averagerian prejudices, most so ingrained as to be almost invisible, all worthy of review." - New York Times

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"Todd Rose has achieved a rare feat: he is both provocative and right. He overturns our fundamental assumptions about talent, and offers an empowering way to rethink the world. With exciting stories, fresh data, and bold ideas, this book is far better than average."

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Supports for UDL implementation from LACOE's Inclusive Design Unit

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Javascript is disabled

We detected that Javascript is disabled in your browser. This website is best experienced when Javascript is enabled.
How to enable Javascript

Teach all students in your classroom, including those that can be the hardest to reach.

Empower students to own their learning and become lifelong learners.

Kristin Brooks

Support your teachers to reach their goals.

Fred Cochran

Increase grad rates and achievement scores.

Implement something that "sticks."

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The Inclusive Design Unit within the Division of Curriculum and Instructional Services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

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Javascript is disabled We detected that Javascript is disabled in your browser. This website is best experienced when Javascript is enabled. How to enable Javascript Kristin Brooks Fred Cochran

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Goals, Structures, and Student Motivation

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Goals, Structures, and Student Motivation

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Carol Ames, University of Illinois

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Hear about this teacher's motivation, philosophy, and approach to using UDL in his classroom.

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Dr. Todd Rose's excellent TEDx talk

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The Myth of Average:  Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty

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A set of free resources - all you need to do is open an account and you'll get access to this and other resources, including the e-book "UDL: Theory and Practice"

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What is CAST UDL Exchange?

It is a place to browse and build resources, lessons and collections. You can use and share these materials to support instruction guided by the UDL principles.

UDL Exchange includes

UDL Resources

Materials such as websites, documents, images, presentations, audio, video, etc. that support implementation of UDL.

UDL Lessons

Lesson plans that address the variability of all learners through the application of UDL.

UDL Collections

Sets of resources/lessons organized around a theme to support UDL practices.

UDL Exchange Tools

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It is a place to browse and build resources, lessons and collections. You can use and share these materials to support instruction guided by the UDL principles. Materials such as websites, documents, images, presentations, audio, video, etc. that support implementation of UDL. Lesson plans that address the variability of all learners through the application of UDL.

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I can only share the PDF - the PPT is too large for Padlet :(

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Free e-book from CAST. Creating a free account gets you access to the book as well as many other free resources.

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Read Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice for Free in Clusive! - CAST

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Our flagship publication is now available at no cost on our flexible and customizable digital reading tool.

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The architects of the framework

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CAST is a multifaceted organization with a singular ambition: Bust the barriers to learning that millions of people experience every day. We do this by helping educators and organizations apply insights from the learning sciences and leading-edge practices to educational design and implementation.

Learn about our mission and values

Join Our Team

We're seeking a Chief Science Officer who will lead and grow our research and development work, a Technical Assistance Specialist who will support our well-established National Centers, and an Executive Assistant who will provide administrative support for members of our team.

Learn about our career opportunities

News from CAST

Search all news

The Joy Zabala Fellowship in Assistive Technology & Accessible Educational Materials will celebrate the life and work of our dear colleague, Joy Smiley Zabala, EdD.

Friday, August 6, 2021

Ensuring fundamental access to learning for all is CAST's primary work, and accessibility is a foundational component of Universal Design for Learning.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

These exciting new resources will allow schools to guide and measure their use of UDL to create inclusive learning experiences and environments.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Upcoming Learning Events

Search all learning events

This online course is designed for anyone interested in the theory and practice of UDL.

Monday, September 13 - Monday, December 13, 2021

This webinar will discuss how students receiving special education services fare while learning remotely, including during recent emergency remote learning.

3:30PM - 4:30PM ET on Monday, October 18, 2021

Learn the core concepts and foundations of UDL, practical applications of UDL to lesson design, and how to support flexible, inclusive instruction.

Thursday, October 21 - Friday, October 22, 2021

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CAST is a multifaceted organization with a singular ambition: Bust the barriers to learning that millions of people experience every day. We do this by helping educators and organizations apply insights from the learning sciences and leading-edge practices to educational design and implementation.

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2014 National Teacher of the Year Finalist Melissa Porfirio uses choice to foster engagement and strategic thinking and to facilitate differentiation

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Information processing model: Sensory, working, and long term memory | MCAT | Khan Academy

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Top 10 UDL Tips for Developing Learning Goals

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Top 10 UDL Tips for Developing Learning Goals

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Katie Novak's excellent book that is a go-to for teachers looking to begin implementing UDL.

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In this revised and expanded edition of 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.

I walked away from UDL Now! with countless ideas. I now need to sit down with the book to pull out the ideas that I want to use with some specific faculty members. If you are an educator or instructional technologist, you need to read UDL Now! and have it as a ready reference in your library.
Stan Skrabut, Ed.D"This revised and expanded edition of UDL Now! is a timely and welcome addition to the growing literature about Universal Design for Learning. Katie Novak's well-articulated know-how about how to put UDL into practice has helped many thousands of educators."David H. Rose, Ed.D, Founder of CAST and of the UDL Guidelines My new favorite book! Fantastic book for guiding educators' efforts to bring out their students' best learning and to continually improve on their craft. A must-read for all teachers and administrators! Amazon Review

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In this revised and expanded edition of 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.

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The UDL Implementation Research Network

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Tuesday, July 27, 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET In the first installment of our panel discussion series, the UDL-IRN Assessment & Measurement SIG will engage with a panel of measurement experts to discuss opportunities and challenges at the intersection of

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Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network

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Tuesday, July 27, 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET In the first installment of our panel discussion series, the UDL-IRN Assessment & Measurement SIG will engage with a panel of measurement experts to discuss opportunities and challenges at the intersection of

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Personalized Learning with the Workshop Model

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Personalized Learning with the Workshop Model

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National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb demonstrates the facilitation of choice with differentiated support

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ELA.RI.9-10.1

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

RI: Reading Standards for Informational Text 6-12

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

1:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.RI.9-10.2

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

RI: Reading Standards for Informational Text 6-\x80\x9312

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

2:
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.W.9-10.2d

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

W: Writing Standards 6-12

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

2d:
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and analysis of content.

a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to
make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
appropriate to the audience'\x80\x99s knowledge of the topic.

c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and
concepts.

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the
complexity of the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or
the significance of the topic).

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How does Mr. McComb use success criteria to help students be more self-directed in their learning while making progress towards the standards?

2. What structures and supports does Mr. McComb have in place to ensure students are engaged and productive during the workshop?

3. How does Mr. McComb formatively assess students during and after the the workshop?

School Details

Patapsco High & Center For Arts
8100 Wise Ave
Baltimore MD 21222

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts / 9 10 11 12 / Teacher

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Making Learning Personalized & Customized

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Sean McComb engages his students in a workshop model in order to provide personalized and customized learning. Students are working on social justice projects that involve research, blog writing, and creative writing on topics of their choices. During class, students work at stations based on where they are in their projects.

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A great exercise to illustrate the increased cognitive demands of multitasking; this video comes from the NatGeo series "Brain Games"

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Test Your Brain - National Geographic on AUSTAR

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A self-check mechanism to monitor your implementation

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Provide multiple means of engagement. Provide multiple means of representation. Provide multiple means of action and expression. At a glance, it is easy to interpret the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for what they are: offering options to students. It seems like a simple feat.

But offering choice is just skimming the surface of full-scaled UDL implementation. When UDL is done well, its efforts result in expert learners: students who are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgable, strategic and goal directed. When you examine this - the end goal of UDL - it's clear that you will need to go far beyond offering choice in order to fully implement UDL in your classroom.

At its heart, UDL is a standards-based framework. This means if your students don't meet a standard - whether that standard is a content standard or methods standard - then you haven't done enough to remove barriers to learning in your lesson design.

UDL isn't a framework you can implement overnight. It takes time, patience, and continued practice to eliminate academic, behavioral, and social emotional barriers that prevent all students from learning at high levels. Even the most experienced teachers can sometimes struggle with universally designing learning experiences, but that's okay. Struggle isn't a bad thing. It means you're sustaining effort and persistence as you work toward a goal that matters. Sometimes, like students, educators need the option to access scaffolds, rubrics (see the UDL Progression Rubric), exemplars, and graphic organizers to help self-assess, monitor progress, and set goals for continuous improvement. That is what this UDL flowchart is here for. It's a visual that helps you to imagine what a lesson would look like if you eliminated all barriers to student learning. Now, of course you may be implementing aspects of the framework all the time. But if you're looking where to grow, consider this tool as your map to UDL-topia.

When you design a learning experience, and you want to determine if you have in fact, considered all the barriers that prevent students from learning, take a moment to look over the UDL flowchart. Have you addressed how you will provide options for motivation, ensure there are options for students to sustain persistence, and help students cope when things get difficult? Have you provided a variety of materials and supports to assist students with comprehension? Have you allowed students to take ownership of their education and choose the way that they express to you what they have learned as they work toward a standard? And finally, have your students met or exceeded that standard or goal?

It's a lot to think about, no doubt, and we'd love to hear your feedback on how the tool helps you get closer to universally designing your lesson plans at an expert teacher level and determine where barriers may be that are preventing full implementation of universally designed principles in your classroom. And don't get discouraged. I promise you that when I was first universally designing lessons, I didn't even get past the first step, but it gave me something to shoot for. You got this!

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Provide multiple means of engagement. Provide multiple means of representation. Provide multiple means of action and expression. At a glance, it is easy to interpret the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for what they are: offering options to students. It seems like a simple feat.

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Dr. Louie Lord Nelson's book strikes an excellent balance of theory and concrete practice.

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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: 9781598573503: Nelson Ph.D., Loui Lord, Posey M.Ed., Allison, Rose Ph.D., David: Books

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The Swift Center at the University of Kansas provides resources and support for the implementation of MTSS, including inclusive academic instruction with UDL.

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A sample of a Massachusetts District Curriculum Accommodation Plan

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RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

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Novak and Rodriguez have created this rubric to guide implementation efforts.

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The UDL Progression Rubric - CAST Professional Publishing

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How do you measure progress in putting the UDL Guidelines into practice? This 8 page rubric from Katie Novak & Kristan Rodriguez can help.

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A great collection of strategies aligned to UDL checkpoints

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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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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 1 Mathematics

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Shelley Moore's analogy for reaching all learners by teaching to the margins

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Shelley Moore: Transforming Inclusive Education

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UDL Goal-Writing Guidance from Vanderbilt University

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UDL Goal-Writing Guidance from Vanderbilt University

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Page 4: Goals

The teachers at Sycamore Middle School are accustomed to identifying learning goals that are clearly stated, observable, measurable, and that align with grade-level standards. As a practice exercise, the team attempts to apply what they have learned about UDL to a social studies goal developed by one sixth-grade teacher: "The students will read the textbook chapter about ancient Egypt and write in cursive a 500-word report about burial customs." Though the goal is clearly stated, observable, and measurable, the team members agree that it does not adhere to the three UDL principles. They discuss several barriers that may prevent all students in the class from achieving this goal.

Traditional Goal: The students willread the textbook chapter about ancient Egypt and write in cursive a 500-word report about burial customs.

Representation barriers:

Printed text

Some students with certain visual impairments and certain physical disabilities may have difficulty accessing information.

Some students may struggle with decoding text.

Action and Expression barriers:

Writing a 500-word report

Some students may have difficulty with cursive handwriting.

Some students may not be able to effectively organize their thoughts and put them on paper to create a report of this length.

Engagement issues are often not addressed in traditional goals such as the one suggested above.

In the example, the intent of the learning goal could be for the students to a) learn about ancient Egypt, b) to create and write by hand a 500-word report, or c) both. In this particular instance, the teacher wants the students to learn about ancient Egypt. However, he has inadvertently limited the means by which the students can learn the content (i.e., read a textbook chapter) and demonstrate their knowledge (i.e., write in cursive a 500-word report). This is a common occurrence: Teachers unintentionally create learning goals that limit the means by which their students can achieve the goal.

UDL Goal

The Sycamore team learns that the principles of UDL can be applied so that all students can meet the learning goal. As was outlined above, a teacher must first know the intent of the learning goal he or she wishes to create. Once this is accomplished, he or she can allow students multiple ways to access and demonstrate their learning.

The team now realizes that their goal needs to specify that the students will learn about ancient Egypt, and should not involve learning about writing a report. They thus set about applying UDL principles to rewrite the goal in a way that does not confound the means that students use to access information or to demonstrate their knowledge.

UDL Goal: The students will learn about and present information about the burial customs of ancient Egypt.

Representation:

Students are still required to learn about the burial customs of ancient Egypt, but they are now permitted to use alternate methods for accessing that information (e.g., audio books, digital text, internet, video).

Action and Expression:

The students still need to demonstrate that they learned about the burial customs of ancient Egypt, but they now have options for doing so (e.g., handwriting a report, making a film, recording a presentation, creating a diorama).

Issues with engagement are addressed in how students choose to access the content and how they demonstrate their knowledge. Students will complete the assignment in accordance with their learning need or preference (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic).

Additionally, now that the teachers have identified the intent of the learning goal, they can more easily provide scaffolded instruction and support their students. For example, David is overwhelmed by the number of resources he found on ancient Egypt. The teacher helps David to narrow his list of Websites or books to a few that he will initially consult.
scaffolded instruction
Instructional technique in which teachers offer support for students learning new skills by systematically building on their experiences and knowledge until they can apply the new skills independently.

Grace Meo further describes how teachers can identify a goal that is not restricted to one particular means of achieving it (time: 1:07).

Transcript: Grace Meo

Focus on identifying a goal that does not embed the means, the how to achieve the goal, since once you embed the how into the goal you're actually restricting the goal to a certain population of students. You want to remove barriers. You want to design the goal so it is encompassing of all students. For example, if one were to set a goal of writing an essay on the causes and effects of the Civil War, what would happen by including the word "write," you're going to eliminate those students for whom writing is a difficult task. If in fact, though, the goal is a skill goal in which you really do want the students to write a particular thing, then you have to provide scaffolds for the students that have difficulty in achieving that goal. It might be that the process of writing, using a pencil and paper is the difficulty, so you might provide an alternative such as a computer. Or, if it's difficult for a student to understand how to get started, you might provide a sentence starter or structure for the student so they can, in fact, achieve the goal that you want to achieve.

Activity

Given the traditionally stated goal below, help the teachers at Sycamore Middle School to a) identify potential barriers that might make it difficult for some students to achieve the goal and b) rewrite the goal so that it incorporates UDL principles. In this case, the intent of the project is for students to learn about a child's experience during the Holocaust and to present this information to the class.
The students will read the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and give a five-minute oral presentation about the author's experiences.
Click here for feedback.

Traditional Goal: The students will read the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and give a five-minute oral presentation about the author's experiences.

Some of the barriers that might make it difficult for some students to achieve this goal are listed below.

Representation barriers:

Printed text

Students with certain visual impairments and certain physical disabilities may have difficulty accessing the text (e.g., not being able to see it, not being able to turn the pages of the book).

Students with learning disabilities in reading may struggle with decoding and comprehending text.

Action and Expression barriers:

Oral presentation

Some students may not be able to organize their thoughts effectively enough to make an oral presentation.

Some students may experience high levels of anxiety or may stutter when required to speak in front of others.

Engagement issues:

The requirement to read a specified book or to give an oral presentation may present barriers for some students.

Some students might choose a different book about the Holocaust.

Some students may want to demonstrate their learning through a means that corresponds to their preferred learning modality.

One Possible UDL Goal: The students will access a biography or autobiography of a child's experiences during the Holocaust through their preferred medium and will complete a project to summarize the child's experiences.

Representation:

This goal allows students to access the content of the book through multiple formats (e.g., printed text, digitized text, audio book).

Action and Expression:

This goal allows the students to demonstrate their knowledge of the book using alternate methods (e.g., written report, diorama, oral presentation).

Engagement:

This goal allows the students to select a book that appeals to them. The teacher may provide a list of biographies and autobiographies from which to choose (e.g., Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, The Upstairs Room, Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944). Additionally, the students can choose how to access the content and demonstrate what they have learned using methods that may reflect their preferred learning modalities.

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The teachers at Sycamore Middle School are accustomed to identifying learning goals that are clearly stated, observable, measurable, and that align with grade-level standards.

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A practical guide from Dr. Ralabate

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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.

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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Buy Your UDL Lesson Planner: The Step-by-Step Guide for Teaching all Learners: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

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Comparison of Cornell notes to other note-taking technique

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 5 Language Arts

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Here is one option for planning UDL lessons. You can find some further guidance for this template in the post below this one.

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A great book for learning about cognitive load, andragogy, and how to avoid the "sit and get"

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Telling Ain't Training is an essential book for all learning and development professionals. When the first edition of Telling Ain't Training was published in 2002, its practical, learner-focused approach quickly became a favorite with learning and development professionals, as well as school teachers, parents, professors, and anyone else who trains, educates, or instructs. Chock-full of myth-busting research and ready-to-use tools, always delivered in a lighthearted and entertaining style, Telling Ain't Training set new standards for the training industry.

That's a tough act to follow, but the long-awaited new edition of Telling Ain't Training does not disappoint. While it has been updated, expanded and enhanced to reflect almost a decade of progress, fans of the original Telling Ain't Training will be relieved to find that its lively, user-friendly tone has been carefully preserved. In fact, this is a book that faithfully practices what it preaches, engaging the reader from page one and immediately involving them in the first of many try-it-yourself exercises that teach trainers how to avoid telling in favor of more interactive training.

This substantially heftier edition covers everything you must know to be a better trainer, plus:

Extensive new chapters covering technology and e-learning

More methods for creating terrific learner-centered training sessions

Expanded evidence and research to support its approach to adult learning

Ways to retrofit your existing training programs and materials

Even more in-depth explanations of how the basic principles of adult learning apply

An extensive index to make the book more referenceable

Additional tools, charts, exercises, illustrations, quizzes, and activities to involve learners.

Errata
Notice to customers who have purchased the Beyond Telling Ain't Training Fieldbook: this book, written as a companion to the first edition of Telling Ain't Training, contains references to specific chapters and page numbers in the original edition. If you purchase the second edition of Telling Ain't Training and would like to use your copy of the Beyond Telling Ain't Training Fieldbook as a companion to this new edition, please download the errata sheet, which contains a list of corrected page numbers and chapters corresponding to the new Telling Ain't Training.

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Telling Ain't Training is an essential book for all learning and development professionals. When the first edition of Telling Ain't Training was published in 2002, its practical, learner-focused approach quickly became a favorite with learning and development professionals, as well as school teachers, parents, professors, and anyone else who trains, educates, or instructs.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
Sponsored by Peergrade and 3Doodler

Let's talk about note-taking. Every day, in classrooms all over the world, students are taking notes. I have my own half-baked ideas about what makes one approach better than another, and I'm sure you do too. But if we're going to call ourselves professionals, we need to know what the research says, yes?

So I've combed through about three decades' worth of research, and I'm going to tell you what it says about best practices in note-taking. Although this is not an exhaustive summary, it hits on some of the most frequently debated questions on the subject.

This information is going to be useful for any subject area-I found some really good stuff that would be especially useful for STEM teachers or anyone who does heavy work with calculations, diagrams, and other technical illustrations. Of course, there's plenty here for teachers of social studies, English, and the humanities as well, so everyone sit tight because you'll probably come away with something you can apply to your classroom.

First, Let's Talk About Lectures

When we think about note-taking, it's natural to assume a context of lecture-based lessons. And yes, that is one common scenario when a student is likely to take notes. But other learning experiences also lend themselves to note-taking: Watching videos in a flipped or blended environment, reading assigned textbook chapters or handouts, doing research for a project, and going on field trips can all be opportunities for taking notes.

So instead of referring to lectures in this overview, I'll just talk about learning experiences or intake sessions-times when students are absorbing content or skills through some sort of medium, as opposed to purely applying that content or synthesizing it into some kind of product. Even in student-centered, project-driven classrooms where students pursue their own authentic tasks like the Apollo School, or in more traditional classrooms that set aside time for Genius Hour projects, students need to gather, encode, and store information, so note-taking would still be a fit.

What the Research Says About Note-Taking

1. Note-taking matters.

Whether it's taking notes from lectures (Kiewra, 2002) or from reading (Rahmani & Sadeghi, 2011; Chang & Ku, 2014), note-taking has been shown to improve student learning. In other words, if we want our students to remember more of what they learn in our classes, it's better to have them take notes than it is to not have them take notes.

The thinking behind this is that note-taking requires effort. Rather than passively taking information in, the act of encoding the information into words or pictures forms new pathways in the brain, which stores it more firmly in long-term memory. On top of that, having the information stored in a new place gives students the opportunity to revisit it later and reinforce the learning that happened the first time around.

So if you're not currently having students take notes in your class, consider adding note-taking to your regular classroom routine. With that said, a number of other factors can influence the potency of a student's note-taking, and that is what these other points will address.

2. More is better.

Although students are often encouraged to keep notes brief, it turns out that in general, the more notes students take, the more information they tend to remember later. The quantity of notes is directly related to how much information students retain (Nye, Crooks, Powley, & Tripp, 1984).

This would be useful to share with students. If they know that more complete notes will result in better learning, they may be more likely to record additional information in their notes, rather than striving for brevity.

Obviously, some students are going to be faster note-takers than others, and this will allow them to take more complete notes. But you can do quite a bit to help all students get more information into their notes, regardless of their natural speed, and that's what we'll talk about next.

3. Explicitly teaching note-taking strategies can make a difference.

Although some students seem to have an intuitive sense for what notes to record, for everyone else, getting trained in specific note-taking strategies can significantly improve the quality of notes and the amount of material they remember later. (Boyle, 2013; Rahmani & Sadeghi, 2011; Robin, Foxx, Martello, & Archable, 1977). This is especially true for students with learning disabilities.

One frequently used note-taking system is Cornell Notes. This approach has been around for decades, and the format provides a simple way to take "live" notes in class and condense and review them later.

4. Adding visuals boosts the power of notes.

Compared with writing alone, adding drawings to notes to represent concepts, terms, and relationships has a significant effect on memory and learning (Wammes, Meade, & Fernandes, 2016).

The growing popularity of sketchnoting in recent years suggests that teachers are well on their way to taking advantage of this research.

This video combines sketchnoting with Cornell Notes, and it's an approach I think is definitely worth considering.

To explore sketchnoting more deeply, check out this list of sketchnoting resources compiled by celebrated education sketchnote artist Sylvia Duckworth.

5. Revision, collaboration, and pausing boosts the power of notes.

When students are given the opportunity to revise, add to, or rewrite their notes, they tend to retain more information. And when that revision happens during deliberate pauses in a lecture or other learning experience, students remember the information better and take better notes than if the revision happens after the learning experience is over. Finally, if students collaborate on this revision with partners, they record even more complete notes and score higher on post-tests (Luo, Kiewra, & Samuelson, 2016).

With this in mind, it would be a good idea to plan breaks in lectures, videos, or independent reading periods to allow students to look over, add to, and revise their notes, ideally with a partner or small group. This partner work could happen after students have had time to revise their notes alone, or students might be given access to classmates for the duration of the pause.

6. Scaffolding increases retention.

Teachers can build scaffolds into their instruction to ensure that students take better notes. One very effective type of scaffold is guided notes (also called skeleton or skeletal notes). With guided notes, the instructor provides some type of outline of the material to be covered, but with space left for students to complete key information. This strategy has been shown to substantially increase student achievement across all grade levels (elementary through college) and with students who present with various disabilities (Haydon, Mancil, Kroeger, McLeskey, & Lin, 2011).

As instructors experiment with guided notes, certain features show a lot of promise. One that I found incredibly interesting was a style developed by engineering professor Susan Reynolds to accompany her lectures: The notes combine typed information, handwritten content, and graphics, but still leave room for student notes and working out example problems.

Diagrams are pre-drawn, but some key numbers are left out for students to fill in during the lecture. These notes consolidate all the technical material for a lecture into a single document, and the information is organized to align with the lecture. The more I study these notes, the more I see how useful they are, and how well they balance the efficiency offered by guided notes with the need for students to actively participate in the encoding process.

Guided notes created by engineering professor Susan Reynolds. These have not been completed yet.

The same pages of guided notes completed by the instructor during the lecture.

Reynolds' students have had strong positive reactions to this style of notes and consistently attribute the notes as a key factor in their engagement and learning in the course (Reynolds & Tackie, 2016).

While teachers should experiment with different styles, the take-away here is that if you want students to get the most out of a learning experience, provide them with some form of partially completed notes.

In the meantime, you can add another layer of scaffolding by simply adding more verbal cues to your learning experiences (Kiewra, 2002). Research shows that simply saying things like, "This is an important point," or "Be sure to add this to your notes," instructors can ensure that students include key ideas in their notes. Providing written cues on the board or a slideshow can also help students structure their notes and decide what information to include.

7. Providing instructor notes improves learning.

In an article I wrote a few years ago, I denounced instructor-prepared notes as an ineffective method for teaching, primarily because encoding this information required no effort from students and therefore made the learning too passive.

Although I stand by the assertion that we should avoid simply supplying students with notes, I need to refine the message: Research has shown that when we give students complete, well-written, instructor-prepared notes to review after they take their own notes, they learn significantly more than with their own notes alone (Kiewra, 1985).

If we combine this strategy with student revision, collaboration, and pausing to improve note-taking and learning-in other words, having students pause during an intake session to collaboratively revise their notes, then let them review instructor notes at the end-we can give our students an incredibly powerful learning experience.

One concern is that providing notes might make students more passive about taking their own notes during the learning experience. Here are some suggestions for addressing that:

Assigning a small grade for student notes would likely compel most students to do them, but this could distort the validity of a grade, as we discussed in another post.

It would probably be more effective to simply build note-taking into the class activities. For example, if students are encouraged to take notes, and then they are given a pause every few minutes to compare and revise notes, it would be pretty awkward for them to turn to a partner and have nothing to contribute.

Sharing the research with students that those taking notes then revising them with instructor notes has greater impact than instructor notes alone might push students to take more notes.

Allowing students to choose a note-taking format that works best for them would also boost student motivation for taking the notes.

8. Handwritten notes may be more powerful than digital notes, but digital note-taking can be fine-tuned.

Studies have shown that students who take notes by hand learn more than those who take notes on a laptop (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014; Carter, Greenberg, & Walker, 2017).

This research confirms what a number of educators suspect about the negative effects of digital devices in the classroom, and some have taken it to mean they should definitely ban laptops from their lectures (Dynarski, 2017). Others argue that prohibiting laptop use robs students of the opportunity to develop metacognitive awareness of their own levels of distraction and make the appropriate adjustments (Holland, 2017).

Because technology is always changing, and because as a species, we are still adjusting to these new formats, I would hesitate to ban laptops from the classroom. Here's why:

Research on this topic is still pretty young: Some researchers have found no significant difference in performance between paper-based and digital note-takers (Artz, Johnson, Robson, & Taengnoi, 2017). My guess is that more research will pile up and get more refined, so we should take a measured approach for the time being.

Other researchers are looking at ways to reduce some of the problems associated with digital note-taking, like distraction: One study found that while doing online research, students who used matrix-style notes and were given time limits were much less likely to become distracted by other online material than students without those conditions (Wu, & Xie, 2018).

I believe we serve our students better by helping them find a note-taking system that works best for them. With that in mind, I would be more likely to have students experiment with hand-written and digital notes, share the research with them, and give them opportunities to reflect on and measure their results.

See What Other Teachers are Doing

To learn more about what other teachers have found to be most effective note-taking methods, I put the call out on Twitter, asking teachers to share what works for them. You can browse that conversation here.

References

Artz, B., Johnson, M., Robson, D., & Taengnoi, S. (2017). Note-taking in the digital age: Evidence from classroom random control trials. http://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3036455

Boyle, J. R. (2013). Strategic note-taking for inclusive middle school science classrooms. Remedial and Special Education, 34(2), 78-90. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0741932511410862

Carter, S. P., Greenberg, K., & Walker, M. S. (2017). The impact of computer usage on academic performance: Evidence from a randomized trial at the United States Military Academy. Economics of Education Review, 56, 118-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.12.005

Chang, W., & Ku, Y. (2014). The effects of note-taking skills instruction on elementary students' reading. The Journal of Educational Research, 108(4), 278-291. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.886175

Dynarski, S. (2017). For Note Taking, Low-Tech is Often Best. Retrieved from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/08/note-taking-low-tech-often-best

Haydon, T., Mancil, G.R., Kroeger, S.D., McLeskey, J., & Lin, W.J. (2011). A review of the effectiveness of guided notes for students who struggle learning academic content. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 55(4), 226-231. http://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2010.548415

Holland, B. (2017). Note taking editorials - groundhog day all over again. Retrieved from http://brholland.com/note-taking-editorials-groundhog-day-all-over-again/

Kiewra, K.A. (1985). Providing the instructor's notes: an effective addition to student notetaking. Educational Psychologist, 20(1), 33-39. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2001_5

Kiewra, K.A. (2002). How classroom teachers can help students learn and teach them how to learn. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 71-80. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_3

Luo, L., Kiewra, K.A. & Samuelson, L. (2016). Revising lecture notes: how revision, pauses, and partners affect note taking and achievement. Instructional Science, 44(1). 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-016-9370-4

Mueller, P.A., & Oppenheimer, D.M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581

Nye, P.A., Crooks, T.J., Powley, M., & Tripp, G. (1984). Student note-taking related to university examination performance. Higher Education, 13(1), 85-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00136532

Rahmani, M., & Sadeghi, K. (2011). Effects of note-taking training on reading comprehension and recall. The Reading Matrix, 11(2). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/85a8/f016516e61de663ac9413d9bec58fa07bccd.pdf

Reynolds, S.M., & Tackie, R.N. (2016). A novel approach to skeleton-note instruction in large engineering courses: Unified and concise handouts that are fun and colorful. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 26-29, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.asee.org/public/conferences/64/papers/15115/view

Robin, A., Foxx, R. M., Martello, J., & Archable, C. (1977). Teaching note-taking skills to underachieving college students. The Journal of Educational Research, 71(2), 81-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1977.10885042

Wammes, J.D., Meade, M.E., & Fernandes, M.A. (2016). The drawing effect: Evidence for reliable and robust memory benefits in free recall. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 69(9). http://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2015.1094494

Wu, J. Y., & Xie, C. (2018). Using time pressure and note-taking to prevent digital distraction behavior and enhance online search performance: Perspectives from the load theory of attention and cognitive control. Computers in Human Behavior, 88, 244-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.008

Come back for more.
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A summary of 8 best practices in note-taking, straight from the research.

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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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Instructions for the template above

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Daniel Pink's best-seller about autonomy, mastery, and purpose

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Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

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Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us [Pink, Daniel H.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

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Fostering choice through menus

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Learning Menus: Giving Options & Independence

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Crystal Morey uses learning menus to provide students with independent exploration of concepts in her sixth grade math class. Each of her menus has options for an appetizer, main course and dessert task. While students work on their menu tasks, Crystal is able to pull aside a small group to work wit…

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We use the first 8-10 minutes of this lesson for observation by secondary educators.

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A great work by a renowned expert in the field, it's very informative but still accessible and applicable

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Sorry, we just need to make sure you’re not a robot. For best results, please make sure your browser is accepting cookies.

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Elementary Teaching Video
(We watch the first 9:00 in the workshop for elementary)

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Choice Board/Learning Menu Google Templates - FREE!

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Choice Board/Learning Menu Google Templates - FREE!

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Differentiate with Learning Menus and Choice Boards

"...at its core, differentiated instruction means addressing ways in which students vary as learners." - Carol Ann Tomlinson

[Tweet "Interactive Learning Menus with @GoogleforEdu #edtech#gsuiteedu"]

What Are Learning Menus?

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICE! Learning menus (aka choice boards) are a form of differentiated learning that gives students a menu or choice of learning activities. Learning menus and choice boards can be created in a variety of styles and mediums. They've been around for a long time and originated in a static, paper format. But with digital tools, we can bring the menus to life with interactivity and creation. Menus can be a simple list, a tic-tac-toe or bingo-style game, or get as creative and intricate as you like. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas.

Learning Menus Can Be Used with Any Age Group

I have found that menus and choice boards tend to be more popular among elementary teachers, but I used them in my middle school classroom, and now I use them in professional learning workshops with adults. Any grade level can use learning menus!

Learning Menus Can Be Used in Any Subject Area

Since learning menus are so flexible, they can easily be created and adapted for just about any subject area. So no excuses! Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy.

[Tweet "Any teacher who is willing to try can make use of this student-centered strategy. #edtech"]

Are Learning Menus Hyperdocs the Same Thing?

No, but they could be part of a Hyperdoc assignment. I love Hyperdocs! But these two are not one in the same. Keep in mind the definition of learning menus stated above. It is simply a menu of choices from which students can choose. Student choice is the big idea behind learning menus and choice boards.

A Hyperdoc is a complete packaged assignment that also meets some additional criteria. A Hyperdoc doesn't have to include choice, but it could. To learn more about Hyperdocs, visit their site or read the AMAZING book by Lisa Highfill, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton.

Creating a Tic-Tac-Toe Learning Menu in Google Docs

One easy way to dip your toes into the learning menu water is a Tic-Tac-Toe menu. A Tic-Tac-Toe can be used for anything from short activities to more long-term projects, both assessment FOR learning (formative) and assessment OF learning (summative).

Below is an example of a Novel Unit Tic-Tac-Toe menu that I created as a summative project. It was created in Google Docs, nothing fancy, just a table and some color. Depending on how you want to use, you can add links, rubrics, images, video and more. (Click here to use my blank tic-tac-toe template.)
CLICK HERE to use the Novel Study Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy.
Learning Menu Design

Remember when you are creating a learning menu to align it with your learning goals! First, I use the middle square as my non-negotiable, the one activity that I want every student to complete. This could be reading an article, watching a video, or in this case; every student will write a summary and add it to a collaborative Google Slide deck where they will also add links to their other projects. Everything in one place!

Some teachers also make the middle square a free space where students can propose their own ideas to demonstrate their learning. LOVE THIS IDEA!

I had some students who would try to find the easiest or fastest way to complete the tasks. But if you pay attention to the learning design, you can design it so that it gives choice and flexible learning paths, not just an easy completion grade.

I use the color to guide the learning design. Because I use the middle square as a non-negotiable, I control how they make the tic-tac-toe just a little bit more. Every student will do the middle square and one from the blue and one from the yellow. In this summative example, students are mostly creating, but in the example below, you will see how it can also work for activities that guide the learning.

Below is a professional learning example that I designed for teaching Google Chrome. As a trainer, I typically have very mixed groups in my training sessions (multiple grade levels, subject areas, and tech savviness). I usually address general skills, and apps and extensions that are applicable across all grade levels and subject areas as a whole group.

Then I move into an activity like the Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe learning menu to allow teachers to dig deeper into their own subject areas and grade levels AND move at a pace that is comfortable for their level and learning style.
CLICK HERE to use my Chrome PD Tic-Tac-Toe template. On mobile? CLICK HERE to make a copy of the template.
Other Types of Learning Menus

As I said, a tic-tac-toe is just one type of menu. It happens to be a favorite of mine because they are easy to design and are not too overwhelming. But I have used many other types of menus, and I have been curating ideas on this Learning Menu Pinterest Board.

Digital Menu for Student Creation with Google Slides by Tommy Spall

Below is a Google Slide example of a learning menu that takes on the look of a restaurant menu from my friend, Tommy Spall. Follow him @TommySpall. (You can thank me later!) Click here to make a copy of Tommy's template that includes linked slides to lots of Googley projects and room for you to make it your own. (If you are on mobile and having trouble with the template link, try this make a copy link.)

Professional Development BINGO Board by Amber Teamann and Melinda Miller

Another option is to make it a full out BINGO board, like in this example from my friend Amber Teamann and her collaborator Melinda Miller. (Follow them at @8Amber8 and @MMiller7571, and yes, you will thank me for this one, too!)

Amber and Melinda are both elementary school principals. They issued this BINGO PD Challenge to her teachers over the summer, and I thought it might inspire you with some other options for choice and challenges in your classroom or professional learning. You can learn more details about PD Bingo in Amber's blog post.

Using G Suite to Create Learning Menus

The possibilities are truly endless! Consider all the ways you could use G Suite to create learning menus and the extended activities and links. Try thinking of the ways you could create menus using these G Suite tools:

Google Docs

Google Slides

Google Drawings

Google Sheets

Google My Maps

Google Sites

How to Use Google Templates and Assign in Google Classroom

If you enjoyed this post, you will love the more in-depth look at the power of choice boards and more examples in this post and podcast episode.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) Using Google Docs

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I love learning menus, and it is one of my favorite ways to incorporate student choice and to differentiate learning. And with digital tools like G Suite for Education, it's super easy to make menus interactive, digital, and more dynamic! Digital Differentiation offers teachers and students many ways to reach all learners.

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The Three Dimensions of Improving Student Performance

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The Three Dimensions of Improving Student Performance

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A great resource by Dr. Robert Rueda

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The full TED talk, not just the parts we watch in the workshop

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Start with why -- how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound

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Though it focuses on post-secondary settings, this work is valuable for those seeking to make the case for UDL on their campus and in their district/LEA.

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Thomas J. Tobin is the Conference Programming Chair and Faculty Associate in the Learning Design, Development, & Innovation department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as an internationally-recognized speaker and author on topics related to quality in technology-enhanced education, especially copyright, evaluation of teaching practice, academic integrity, and accessibility/universal design for learning.

Before joining UW-Madison, Tobin served for five years as the Coordinator of Learning Technologies in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and spent seven years in the Learning and Development arm of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

Since the advent of online courses in higher education in the late 1990s, Tom's work has focused on using technology to extend the reach of higher education beyond its traditional audience. He advocates for the educational rights of people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He holds a Ph.D. in English literature, a second master's degree in information science, a professional project management certification, a master online teacher certification, Quality Matters certification, and recently completed his Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification (he tells his nieces and nephews that he is in 41st Grade).

Tom serves on the editorial boards of eLearn Magazine, InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, the Journal of Interactive Online Learning, and the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.

His books include

Evaluating Online Teaching: Implementing Best Practices (2015) with Jean Mandernach and Ann H. Taylor.

The Copyright Ninja: Rise of the Ninja (2017).

Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (2018) with Kirsten Behling.

Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers (in press, 2019) with Katie Linder and Kevin Kelly.

Tom was also proud to represent the United States on a Spring 2018 Fulbright Scholar fellowship, under which he helped Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary to develop its first faculty-development program, and he provided workshops and training to twelve other colleges, universities, and military programs throughout Hungary.

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Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education)

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Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education) [Tobin, Thomas J., Behling, Kirsten T.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education)

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Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection

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Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection

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Dr. Tesia Marshik is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Her research interests in educational psychology include student motivation, self-regulation, and teacher-student relationships.

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Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection | Tesia Marshik | TEDxUWLaCrosse

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A great blog post from the Cult of Pedagogy

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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. The simplicity of these rubrics - with just a single column of criteria, rather than a full menu of performance levels - offers a whole host of benefits:

Teachers find them easier and faster to create, because they no longer have to spend precious time thinking up all the different ways students could fail to meet expectations.

Students find them easier to read when preparing an assignment. With only the target expectations to focus on, they are more likely to read those expectations.

They allow for higher-quality feedback, because teachers must specify key problem areas and notable areas of excellence for that particular student, rather than choosing from a list of generic descriptions.

Want to Learn More?

I first talked about this type of rubric in an earlier post ( Know Your Terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics). If this is the first time you've encountered this type of rubric, reading this will give you some background knowledge on all the different types of rubrics and why the single-point deserves world domination.

To give credit where it's due, I did not come up with the name single point rubric. Although the idea for a simplified rubric with a single set of criteria came to me independently, when I went looking for academic support for its use, I found that the type of rubric I had in mind was given the name "Single Point Rubric" in 2000 during a conference presentation by someone named Mary Dietz. Attending that conference was a researcher named Jarene Fluckiger, who published a study on its effectiveness in 2010. (The reference to Dietz is in Fluckiger's paper, but no one named Dietz has published anything on the topic.)

Show Us Your Rubrics!

I urge you to take one of your most convoluted rubrics and make a single-point version of it. Then show it to the world, so other teachers can learn: Take a screenshot of it and post the picture on Twitter with the hashtag #singlepointrubric. If you aren't on Twitter or don't feel like doing this, just put a link to your rubric in the comments below. Help us start a movement to rid the world of ineffective rubrics!

Another Variation (Added in 2017)

After considering some of the limitations of this format, I played around with the rubric a bit more and came up with this variation:

The original version of the single point rubric allowed no space for actually pointing out when the student hit the standard, apart from maybe circling or highlighting the middle column. With this format, teachers can pinpoint where the student is on each descriptor, then offer feedback, either constructive, positive, or both.

To grab a copy of this for your own modification, click here.

Need Ready-Made Rubrics?

My Rubric Pack gives you four different designs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs formats. It also comes with video tutorials to show you how to customize them for any need, plus a Teacher's Manual to help you understand the pros and cons of each style. Check it out here:

Stick around.
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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. Try one for yourself and let us see it!

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A great tool for looking at UDL in Early Learning