UDLI:

• Is a philosophical perspective for designing and facilitating curricula & courses

• Emerges from:

  • Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 1999-2015)

    • See a course design example

  • Universal Design for Instruction (Scott, McGuire & Shaw, 2001)

 

• Acknowledges, expects & plans for student diversity/heterogeneity & emphasizes:

  • Learner-centeredness 

  • Using a variety of technologies, where appropriate, to best meet the needs of a diverse body of learners

    • Multi-formatted (e.g. written, images, video, concept maps, audio, active/doing, creating, prompts, guides, examples, interactive, etc.)

• Is ever-evolving (you can always make it more UDLI-ized)

• Curricula, programmatic & course-oriented strategies include:

  • Design which is flexible, equitable & adaptable

    • Offers choices for:

      • How to learn

      • What to learn (where appropriate)

      • How to express/act on learning

    • Uses scaffolds, progressions, &/or differentiated instruction

  • Pursues the removal of unnecessary/artificial barriers to learning

  • Priority on authentic/meaningful experiences

  • Meaningful/purposeful assessment (rubrics, rating scales, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions to Ask, When Adapting/Designing Course & Learning Experiences from a UDLI Perspective:

• What significant learning capabilities/goals should the students progress toward?

  • Threshold concepts?

• What strengths & challenges will a diverse class of students have in attaining these significant learning capabilities?

  • What artificial & unintended barriers are currently present?

  • Pre-requiste skills, knowledge & capabilities?

    • Student?

    • Teacher?

    • Support services available to assist:

      • Student learning?

      • Course design?

      • Course facilitation?

• What choices, strategies & opportunities can be integrated to best empower student learning?

  • Options & opportunities for:

    • Engaging students?

      • Increasing relevance, meaningfulness & authenticity?

      • Course flexibility & customization?

    • Representing relevant course information?

      • Accessing relevant course information?

    • Acting on &/or expressing what the students have learnt?

• What resources are available/can be provided to enhance the opportunities to learn?

  • Available & supported technologies?

  • Personalizing learning:

    • Scaffolds, progressions & differentiation?

    • Choice?

• How will a diverse range of approaches to act on & express learning impact the equity of assessment?

• What collaborative options are available within & outside of the course?

• What will be the roles of the student & teacher?

• What course design model will best fit these needs?