Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
What is Universal Design for Learning?
Universal Design for learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn (Cast, 2020). This framework provides a set of guidelines for developing instruction for all learners. Universal design for learning does not represent a class accommodation, it is a framework designed to benefit all learners.
UDL Guidelines
The three UDL principles were developed to guide the design, selection, and application of learning tools, methods and environment. They have undergone considerable elaboration and revision since it鈥檚 conception, these principles are:
Provide Multiple means of Engagement: UDL鈥檚 ultimate goal is to enable learners to become experts. Expertise involves developing interest, purpose, motivation, and self-regulation. It is important to design learning experiences that allow learners to be challenged, to build self-knowledge,and to persist through failure.
Provide Multiple means of Representation: Expertise requires constructing knowledge and perceiving information in the environment. This depends upon the different methods and media used to present this information. It is important to provide learners with options to process information so that they can transfer it to a variety of situations.
Provide Multiple means of Action and Expression: For learners to become experts they need to be able to set goals, monitor their progress, utilize strategies to manage information. Novice learners might approach learning through trial and error, they experiment until they find strategies that work for each of them. It is important that learners are guided and receive support through these processes.
UDL in Canvas
Canvas as an LMS allows instructors to start implementing the UDL framework through the different native and third party tools in Canvas. Below are some suggestions to start implementing UDL in your Canvas Course.