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udl guidelines version 2.0 universal design for learning udl guidelines full-text representation version 2.0 february 1 2011 suggested citation cast 2011 universal design for learning guidelines version 2.0 wakefield ma author 1

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udl guidelines version 2.0 table of contents preface the development of udl and the guidelines introduction what is universal design for learning the concept of udl the three principles vital questions to universal design for learning how has udl been defined what are expert learners what is meant by the term curriculum what does it mean to say curricula are disabled how does udl address curricular disabilities is technology necessary to implement udl what evidence supports udl about this representation how are the guidelines organized how can the guidelines be used the universal design for learning guidelines principle i provide multiple means of representation guideline 1 provide options for perception guideline 2 provide options for language mathematical expressions and symbols guideline 3 provide options for comprehension principle ii provide multiple means of action and expression guideline 4 provide options for physical action guideline 5 provide options for expression and communication guideline 6 provide options for executive functions iii provide multiple means of engagement guideline 7 provide options for recruiting interest guideline 8 provide options for sustaining effort and persistence guideline 9 provide options for self-regulation 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 9 10 12 12 12 14 14 14 16 18 22 22 23 25 28 28 30 32 2

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udl guidelines version 2.0 preface the development of udl and the guidelines at cast we began working nearly 26 years ago to develop ways to help learners with disabilities gain access to the general education curriculum in the early years we focused on helping individuals adapt or fix themselves ­ overcoming their disabilities in order to learn within the general education curriculum this work commonly focused on assistive technology compensatory tools such as spellcheck and skill building software all of which remain an important facet of any comprehensive educational plan however we also realized that our focus was too narrow it obscured the critical role of the environment in determining who is or who is not considered disabled in the late 1980s we shifted our focus towards the curriculum and its limitations asking the important question how do those limitations disable learners this shift led to a simple yet profound realization the burden of adaptation should be first placed on curricula not the learner because most curricula are unable to adapt to individual variability we have come to recognize that curricula rather than learners are disabled and thus we need to fix curricula not learners cast began in the early 1990s to research develop and articulate the principles and practices of universal design for learning the term was inspired by the universal design concept from architecture and product development pioneered by ron mace of north carolina state university in the 1980s this movement aims to create physical environments and tools that are usable by as many people as possible a classic example of universal design is curb cuts though originally designed for people in wheelchairs they are now used by everyone from people with shopping carts to a parent pushing a stroller since our focus was on learning and not buildings or products we approached the problem via the learning sciences and not through direct application of the original architectural principles over time we came to understand that learning involves specific challenge in the area to be learned and so for it to occur we have to eliminate unnecessary barriers without eliminating the necessary challenges thus the udl principles go deeper than merely focusing on physical access to the classroom they focus on access to all aspects of learning this is an important distinction between udl and a pure access orientation this work has been carried out in collaboration with many talented and dedicated education researchers neuroscientists practitioners and technologists as the udl field has grown so has the demand from stakeholders for guidelines to help make applications of these principles and practices more concrete and applicable to curricular design it was because of this call from the field that the udl guidelines were created 3

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udl guidelines version 2.0 introduction the goal of education in the 21st century is not simply the mastery of content knowledge or use of new technologies it is the mastery of the learning process education should help turn novice learners into expert learners individuals who want to learn who know how to learn strategically and who in their own highly individual and flexible ways are well prepared for a lifetime of learning universal design for learning udl helps educators meet this goal by providing a framework for understanding how to create curricula that meets the needs of all learners from the start the udl guidelines an articulation of the udl framework can assist anyone who plans lessons/units of study or develops curricula goals methods materials and assessments to reduce barriers as well as optimize levels of challenge and support to meet the needs of all learners from the start they can also help educators identify the barriers found in existing curricula however to fully understand these guidelines one must first understand what udl is what is universal design for learning the concept of udl universal design for learning udl is a framework that addresses the primary barrier to fostering expert learners within instructional environments inflexible one-size-fitsall curricula it is inflexible curricula that raise unintentional barriers to learning learners who are in the margins such as learners who are gifted and talented or have disabilities are particularly vulnerable however even learners who are identified as average may not have their learning needs met due to poor curricular design in learning environments such as schools and universities individual variability is the norm not the exception when curricula are designed to meet the needs of an imaginary average they do not address the reality learner variability they fail to provide all individuals with fair and equal opportunities to learn by excluding learners with different abilities backgrounds and motivations who do not meet the illusive criteria for average udl helps address learner variability by suggesting flexible goals methods materials and assessments that empower educators to meet these varied needs curricula that is created using udl is designed from the outset to meet the needs of all learners making costly time-consuming and after-the-fact changes unnecessary the udl framework encourages creating flexible designs from the start that have customizable options which allow all learners to progress from where they are and not where we would have imagined them to be the options for accomplishing this are varied and robust enough to provide effective instruction to all learners the three principles three primary principles which are based on neuroscience research guide udl and provide the underlying framework for the guidelines 4

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udl guidelines version 2.0 principle i provide multiple means of representation the what of learning learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them for example those with sensory disabilities e.g blindness or deafness learning disabilities e.g dyslexia language or cultural differences and so forth may all require different ways of approaching content others may simply grasp information quicker or more efficiently through visual or auditory means rather than printed text also learning and transfer of learning occurs when multiple representations are used because it allows students to make connections within as well as between concepts in short there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for all learners providing options for representation is essential principle ii provide multiple means of action and expression the how of learning learners differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know for example individuals with significant movement impairments e.g cerebral palsy those who struggle with strategic and organizational abilities executive function disorders those who have language barriers and so forth approach learning tasks very differently some may be able to express themselves well in written text but not speech and vice versa it should also be recognized that action and expression require a great deal of strategy practice and organization and this is another are in which learners can differ in reality there is not one means of action and expression that will be optimal for all learners providing options for action and expression is essential principle iii provide multiple means of engagement the why of learning affect represents a crucial element to learning and learners differ markedly in the ways in which they can be engaged or motivated to learn there are a variety of sources that can influence individual variation in affect including neurology culture personal relevance subjectivity and background knowledge along with a variety of other factors presented in these guidelines some learners are highly engaged by spontaneity and novelty while other are disengaged even frightened by those aspects preferring strict routine some learners might like to work alone while others prefer to work with their peers in reality there is not one means of engagement that will be optimal for all learners in all contexts providing multiple options for engagement is essential the pedagogical neuroscientific and practical underpinnings of udl are also discussed at greater length in books such as teaching every student in the digital age by rose meyer ascd 2002 the universally designed classroom rose meyer hitchcock eds harvard education press 2005 and a practical reader in universal design for learning rose meyer eds harvard education press 2006 vital questions to universal design for learning prior to providing a complete articulation of the udl guidelines it is important to answer some questions that clarify the terms and underlying concepts of udl this will 5

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udl guidelines version 2.0 help create the background knowledge and vocabulary necessary for understanding these guidelines the questions include how has udl been defined what are expert learners what is meant by the term curriculum what does it mean to say that curricula are disabled how does udl address curricular disabilities is technology necessary to implement udl what evidence supports the practices of udl how has udl been defined a concise definition of universal design for learning was provided by the higher education opportunity act of 2008 which stated the term universal design for learning means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that a provides flexibility in the ways information is presented in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills and in the ways students are engaged and b reduces barriers in instruction provides appropriate accommodations supports and challenges and maintains high achievement expectations for all students including students with disabilities and students who are limited english proficient in addition to this definition the framework of udl has been elaborated by cast in teaching every student in the digital age by rose meyer ascd 2002 the universally designed classroom rose meyer hitchcock eds harvard education press 2005 and a practical reader in universal design for learning rose meyer eds harvard education press 2006 what are expert learners the goal of education is the development of expert learners something that all students can become from the udl perspective expert learners are 1 resourceful knowledgeable learners expert learners bring considerable prior knowledge to new learning and activate that prior knowledge to identify organize prioritize and assimilate new information they recognize the tools and resources that would help them find structure and remember new information they know how to transform new information into meaningful and useable knowledge 6

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udl guidelines version 2.0 2 strategic goal-directed learners expert learners formulate plans for learning they devise effective strategies and tactics to optimize learning they organize resources and tools to facilitate learning they monitor their progress they recognize their own strengths and weaknesses as learners they abandon plans and strategies that are ineffective 3 purposeful motivated learners expert learners are eager for new learning and are motivated by the mastery of learning itself they are goal-directed in their learning they know how to set challenging learning goals for themselves and know how to sustain the effort and resilience that reaching those goals will require they can monitor and regulate emotional reactions that would be impediments or distractions to their successful learning what is meant by the term curriculum purpose of udl curriculum the purpose of udl curricula is not simply to help students master a specific body of knowledge or a specific set of skills but to help them master learning itself in short to become expert learners expert learners have developed three broad characteristics they are a strategic skillful and goal directed b knowledgeable and c purposeful and motivated to learn more designing curricula using udl allows teachers to remove potential barriers that could prevent learners from meeting this important goal components of udl curriculum four highly interrelated components comprise a udl curriculum goals methods materials and assessments here we explain differences between traditional and udl definitions of each component goals are often described as learning expectations they represent the knowledge concepts and skills all students should master and are generally aligned to standards within the udl framework goals themselves are articulated in a way that acknowledges learner variability and differentiates goals from means these qualities enable teachers of udl curricula to offer more options and alternatives varied pathways tools strategies and scaffolds for reaching mastery whereas traditional curricula focus on content or performance goals a udl curriculum focuses on developing expert learners this sets higher expectations reachable by every learner methods are generally defined as the instructional decisions approaches procedures or routines that expert teachers use to accelerate or enhance learning expert teachers apply evidence-based methods and differentiate those methods according to the goal of instruction udl curricula facilitate further differentiation of methods based on learner variability in the context of the task learner s social/emotional resources and the classroom climate flexible and varied udl methods are adjusted based on continual monitoring of learner progress 7

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udl guidelines version 2.0 materials are usually seen as the media used to present learning content and what the learner uses to demonstrate knowledge within the udl framework the hallmark of materials is their variability and flexibility for conveying conceptual knowledge udl materials offer multiple media and embedded just-in-time supports such as hyperlinked glossaries background information and on-screen coaching for strategic learning and expression of knowledge udl materials offer tools and supports needed to access analyze organize synthesize and demonstrate understanding in varied ways for engaging with learning udl materials offer alternative pathways to success including choice of content where appropriate varied levels of support and challenge and options for recruiting and sustaining interest and motivation assessment is described as the process of gathering information about a learner s performance using a variety of methods and materials in order to determine learners knowledge skills and motivation for the purpose of making informed educational decisions within the udl framework the goal is to improve the accuracy and timeliness of assessments and to ensure that they are comprehensive and articulate enough to guide instruction ­ for all learners this is achieved in part by keen focus on the goal as distinct from the means enabling the provision of supports and scaffolds for construct irrelevant items by broadening means to accommodate learner variability udl assessments reduce or remove barriers to accurate measurement of learner knowledge skills and engagement what does it mean to say curricula are disabled curricula can be disabled in the following ways 1 curricula are disabled in who they can teach curricula are often not conceived designed or validated for use with the diverse populations of learners who actually populate our classrooms learners in the margins those who are gifted and talented those with special needs or disabilities those who are english language learners etc often bear the brunt of curricula devised for the fictional average because such curricula do not account for learner variability 2 curricula are disabled in what they can teach curricula are often designed to deliver or assess information or content without consideration of the development of learning strategies skills learners need to comprehend evaluate synthesize and transform information into usable knowledge mainstream curricula remain largely constructed around print-based media which are good at delivering narrative and expository content however they are not ideal for information that requires an understanding of dynamic processes and relationships computations or procedures 3 curricula are disabled in how they can teach 8

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udl guidelines version 2.0 curricula often provide for very limited instructional options not only are they typically ill-equipped to differentiate instruction for differing learners or even for the same learner at different levels of understanding but they are disabled by their inability to provide many of the key elements of evidencebased pedagogy such as the ability to highlight critical features or big ideas the ability to provide relevant background knowledge as needed the ability to relate current skills to previous skills the ability to actively model successful skills and strategies the ability to monitor progress dynamically the ability to offer graduated scaffolding among others most current curricula are typically much better at presenting information than teaching how does udl address curricular disabilities the usual process for making existing curricula more accessible is adaptation of curricula so that they are more accessible to all learners often teachers themselves are forced to make difficult attempts at adapting inflexible one-size-fits-all curricular elements that were not designed to meet the variability of individual learners the term universal design for learning is often mistakenly applied to such after-the-fact adaptations however universal design for learning refers to a process by which a curriculum i.e goals methods materials and assessments is intentionally and systematically designed from the beginning to address individual differences with curricula that are designed with the principles of udl the difficulties and expenses of subsequent retrofitting and adaptation of disabled curricula can be reduced or eliminated­and a better learning environment can be implemented the challenge is not to modify or adapt curricula for a special few but to do so effectively and from the start considerable research already exists that identifies the effective evidence-based practices for learners presently in the margins unfortunately these best practices have not been available to all learners and typically are offered only after learners have already failed in mainstream curricula they are often then provided in separate remedial or special placements where ties to the general curriculum and its high standards have been severed entirely a udl curriculum provides the means to repair those severed ties and promote the inclusion of all learners is technology necessary to implement udl dedicated educators always find ways to design curricula that meets the needs of all learners whether they are using technology or not however powerful digital technologies applied using udl principles enable easier and more effective customization of curricula for learners advances in technology and the learning sciences have made on-the-fly individualization of curricula possible in practical cost-effective ways and many of these technologies have built in supports scaffolds and challenges to help learners understand navigate and engage with the learning environment 9

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udl guidelines version 2.0 learning and demonstrating effective uses of technology is itself an important instructional outcome technology has permeated all aspects of our economy and culture every learner now in school needs a range of literacies that are much broader and more inclusive of our changing culture further an understanding of these technologies leads to a greater understanding of the possible non-tech options that can be utilized however it is important to note that these technologies should not be considered to be the only way to implement udl effective teachers should be creative and resourceful in designing flexible learning environments that address the variability of learners using a range of high-tech and low-tech solutions the goal of udl is to create environments in which everyone will have the opportunity to become expert learners and the means to get there be it tech or non-tech should be flexible it is also important to point out that simply using technology in the classroom should not be considered implementation of udl using technology does not necessarily enhance learning and many technologies have the same accessibility problems that non-tech options might have technology needs to be carefully planned into the curriculum as a way to achieve the goals however there is an important exception for some students the use of personal assistive technologies ­ e.g an electric wheelchair eyeglasses or a cochlear implant ­ is essential for basic physical and sensory access to learning environments those students will need their assistive technologies even during activities where other students may not use any technologies at all even in classrooms that are well equipped with udl materials and methods their assistive technology neither precludes nor replaces the need for udl overall for a more elaborate discussion of the complementary roles of udl and assistive technology see rose d hasselbring t s stahl s zabala j 2005 in short technology is not synonymous with udl but it does play a valuable role in its implementation and conceptualization what evidence supports udl udl is based upon the most widely replicated finding in educational research learners are highly variable in their response to instruction in virtually every report of research on instruction or intervention individual differences are not only evident in the results they are prominent however these individual differences are usually treated as sources of annoying error variance as distractions from the more important main effects udl on the other hand treats these individual differences as an equally important focus of attention in fact when viewed through the udl framework these findings are fundamental to understanding and designing effective instruction the research that supports udl falls into four categories foundational research of udl research on the udl principles research on promising practices and research on implementation of udl foundational research on udl 10

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udl guidelines version 2.0 udl draws from a variety of research including the fields of neuroscience the learning sciences and cognitive psychology it is deeply rooted in concepts such as the zone of proximal development scaffolding mentors and modeling as well as the foundational works of piaget vygotsky bruner ross and wood and bloom who espoused similar principles for understanding individual differences and the pedagogies required for addressing them for example vygotsky emphasized one of the key points of udl curricula the importance of graduated scaffolds these are important to the novice but that can be gradually removed as the individual acquires expertise scaffolding with graduated release is a practice that is as old as human culture and is relevant to learning in almost any domain from learning to walk or ride a bike unaided to the long apprenticeships of neurosurgery or aircraft flying principle level research the research basis for the general principles of udl is also grounded in modern neuroscience the three basic principles are built upon the knowledge that our learning brains are composed of three different networks recognition strategic and affective the guidelines align these three networks with the three principles recognition to representation strategic to action and expression and affective to engagement this empirical base in neuroscience provides a solid foundation for understanding how the learning brain intersects with effective instruction this alignment is further extended and clarified by the guidelines and checkpoints promising practices research promising lines of research include work identifying the specific practices that are critical to meeting the challenge of individual differences research that has been amassed over decades and by many different researchers these studies are labeled as promising because they appear to fit within the udl framework but they have not been tested in a udl environment or using the framework it is important that these practices are studied within a udl environment for them to be considered effective udl practices this is an area in which we greatly encourage contributions from the field implementation research fourth there is research on specific applications of udl within learning environments including conditions necessary for implementation common barriers and lessons from the field this new area of research is in its early stages but will take a more prominent place as full-scale curricular applications and system-wide implementations are developed it should be noted that this is another area in which we greatly encourage contributions from the research field additional research questions as with any field there are many research questions that still need to be answered these include questions like how do teachers or districts start implementing udl how do teachers progress in their implementation of udl what are the most vital components of udl how can udl be implemented most efficiently how do we know when schools are ready to implement udl along with many others these and other questions of implementation and effectiveness need to begin to be studied systematically on a large 11

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udl guidelines version 2.0 scale of course there are also many questions that are not articulated yet which will develop as the field does about this representation this is the text representation of the guidelines it features full descriptions of each principle and guideline as well as descriptions and examples of each checkpoint of course this type of representation is not always best for everyone so we have also created a graphic organizer and a teacher checklist and have plans to develop other representations these are all available online through the national center on universal design for learning http www.udlcenter.org this text-version of the guidelines is the second revision in what we consider a dynamic and developmental process as such they are not to be thought of as final they will constantly evolve with our understanding of the research from the fields of udl education psychology neuroscience along with others since this document lacks finality we greatly encourage participation and collaboration from implementers advocates and researchers as well as people working in other fields with the goal of making the guidelines more accurate and inclusive as with the first version of these guidelines our intention remains to collect and synthesize comments from the field weigh them against the latest research evidence and in consultation with an editorial advisory board make appropriate modifications additions and updates to the udl guidelines on a regular basis this is just a beginning and we hope a promising one for improving opportunities for all individuals to become expert learners how are the guidelines organized the udl guidelines are organized according to the three main principles of udl representation action and expression and engagement these are arranged differently depending on the purpose of the representation but the content is consistent to provide more detail the principles are broken down into guidelines which each have supporting checkpoints in short they are arranged from principle least detail guideline checkpoint most detail how can the guidelines be used these guidelines should be carefully selected and applied to the curriculum as appropriate the udl guidelines are not meant to be a prescription but rather as a set of strategies that can be employed to overcome the barriers inherent in most existing curricula they may serve as the basis for building in the options and the flexibility that are necessary to maximize learning opportunities in many cases educators may find that they are already incorporating many of these guidelines into their practice 12

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udl guidelines version 2.0 the guidelines should not just be applied to one aspect of the curriculum nor should they be used with only a few students ideally the guidelines would be used to evaluate and plan goals methods materials and assessments for the purpose of creating a fully accessible learning environment for all 13

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udl guidelines version 2.0 the universal design for learning guidelines principle i provide multiple means of representation learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them for example those with sensory disabilities e.g blindness or deafness learning disabilities e.g dyslexia language or cultural differences and so forth may all require different ways of approaching content others may simply grasp information quicker or more efficiently through visual or auditory means rather than printed text also learning and transfer of learning occurs when multiple representations are used because it allows students to make connections within as well as between concepts in short there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for all learners providing options for representation is essential guideline 1 provide options for perception learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner and difficult when information is presented in formats that require extraordinary effort or assistance to reduce barriers to learning it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by 1 providing the same information through different modalities e.g through vision hearing or touch 2 providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user e.g text that can be enlarged sounds that can be amplified such multiple representations not only ensure that information is accessible to learners with particular sensory and perceptual disabilities but also easier to access and comprehend for many others checkpoint 1.1 ­ offer ways of customizing the display of information in print materials the display of information is fixed and permanent in properly prepared digital materials the display of the same information is very malleable and customizable for example a call-out box of background information may be displayed in a different location or enlarged or emphasized by the use of color or deleted entirely such malleability provides options for increasing the perceptual clarity and salience of information for a wide range of learners and adjustments for preferences of others while these customizations are difficult with print materials they are commonly available automatically in digital materials though it cannot be assumed that because it is digital it is accessible as many digital materials are equally inaccessible educators and learners should work together to attain the best match of features to learning needs implementation examples display information in a flexible format so that the following perceptual features can be varied o the size of text images graphs tables or other visual content o the contrast between background and text or image 14

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udl guidelines version 2.0 ooooo the color used for information or emphasis the volume or rate of speech or sound the speed or timing of video animation sound simulations etc the layout of visual or other elements the font used for print materials checkpoint 1.2 offer alternatives for auditory information sound is a particularly effective way to convey the impact of information which is why sound design is so important in movies and why the human voice is particularly effective for conveying emotion and significance however information conveyed solely through sound is not equally accessible to all learners and is especially inaccessible for learners with hearing disabilities for learners who need more time to process information or for learners who have memory difficulties in addition listening itself is a complex strategic skill that must be learned to ensure that all learners have access to learning options should be available for any information including emphasis presented aurally implementation examples use text equivalents in the form of captions or automated speech-totext voice recognition for spoken language provide visual diagrams charts notations of music or sound provide written transcripts for videos or auditory clips provide american sign language asl for spoken english use visual analogues to represent emphasis and prosody e.g emoticons symbols or images provide visual or tactile e.g vibrations equivalents for sound effects or alerts provide visual and/or emotional description for musical interpretation checkpoint 1.3 offer alternatives for visual information images graphics animations video or text see below are often the optimal way to present information especially when the information is about the relationships between objects actions numbers or events but such visual representations are not equally accessible to all learners especially learners with visual disabilities or those who are not familiar with the type of graphic being used visual information can be quite dense particularly with visual art which can have multiple complex meanings and interpretations depending on contextual factors and the viewer s knowledge base to ensure that all learners have equal access to information it is essential to provide non-visual alternatives implementation examples provide descriptions text or spoken for all images graphics video or animations use touch equivalents tactile graphics or objects of reference for key visuals that represent concepts provide physical objects and spatial models to convey perspective or interaction 15

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