The second principle of UDL is representation, or how we display information and convey concepts to learners. Learners utilize the recognition networks located in the posterior part of the brain to intake and process facts about their surroundings. There are a wide variety of learning styles. Some learn best when watching a demonstration or visual outline of a concept, while others may prefer listening to an explanation of something new. It is important to represent the material we intend to teach with the understanding that learners will recognize and connect with different concepts based on their personal experiences and prior knowledge. Representation in UDL entails promoting learning across all learning styles, abilities, and means of communication. Learners should be given opportunities for comprehending material in ways that feel authentic to their identities.

The third principle of UDL includes Action and Expression and is centered around how students learn and express their knowledge and understanding. The frontal lobes of the brain are responsible for helping us execute functions, or act on our feelings and knowledge. As somebody with ADHD, this principle sticks out to me as especially important, so I'm glad that UDL emphasizes its importance. Learners are unique in their motivations and personal goals. As such, educators should take this into consideration and provide students guidance with tasks such as setting goals and organizing time. Leaners should be given opportunities to reflect on their learner identities not only for themselves, but to provide teachers with knowledge for providing a personalized learning experience.

Chapter 4 provides several examples for enhancing representation and accessibility in our teaching. For example, the size and color of text can be changed to accommodate learners with diverse visual abilities. In addition, incorporating both visual and auditory methods into our teaching is more inclusive of students with different preferred learning styles. It also encourages students to try different kinds of learning/study methods for different types of material/assignments. I attached a table from the chapter that was tremendously helpful to me in understanding how this can be applied.

Representation also means making learning possible for students outside of the classroom. In my experience, one of the best ways to interact with information I need to learn is by organizing it. Learners should be able to access, navigate, and organize learning material(s) independently. For example, I have included figures of complex physiological pathways in past lectures that help students visualize the concepts. When asking for feedback, I learned that some students found more complex figures difficult to digest outside of the classroom. From then on, I included summaries or narratives of the images to help guide their learning as they study the images on their own.

In this, Action & Expression supports the "how" of learning by introducing students to multiple methods of executing the same task, per se. By navigating different options and tools, learners can identify the methods that fit their learning styles best. This helps students learn how to create goals for themselves, practice self-management, and develop methods for monitoring their own progress. These skills as a whole are directly translatable to real-world problem solving, as well as learning across virtually all disciplines.