The term “Universal design for learning” (UDL) refers to an educational approach that aims to make learning accessible to all learners, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, mother tongue or cultural background. Therefore, lessons should be designed from the beginning thinking about different options for representing content, different ways of involving students and different possibilities for expressing their knowledge.
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Universal design for learning: the main principles
Designing according to the criteria of Universal design for learning involves seven main principles:
- equity, it must be usable by everyone;
- flexibility, it’s designed must provide for flexible use to accommodate different abilities;
- simplicity, the project must provide for simple and intuitive use, so it must be easy to understand;
- perceptibility, it’s designed must be presented in such a way that the essential information is clearly perceptible in relation to the various possible modalities or disabilities of the users;
- error tolerance, it’s designed must establish for use in such a way as to minimise risk or unintended actions;
- containment of physical effort, it’s designed must be usable with minimum physical effort and with maximum economy of movement;
- sufficient size and space, it’s designed must establish adequate space for access and use.
Universal design for learning provides flexibility in how information is presented to students, how they demonstrate knowledge and skills. It is a practice that reduces barriers in education, making appropriate adjustments and maintaining a high level of expectation of success for all students, including those with disabilities and other educational needs.
Main benefits of universal design for learning
Universal design for learning has demonstrated several benefits in education. Here are some of the highlighted advantages:
Inclusion
UDL promotes the inclusion of all learners, regardless of their abilities, disabilities or cultural background. By offering multiple options for representation, action and expression, UDL enables students to actively participate in learning and to display their skills in ways that suit their individual needs.
Accessibility
UDL is based on accessibility principles, making learning accessible to all learners. This includes the use of different modes of presenting content, such as text, audio, video and images, to suit the preferences and abilities of learners.
Customisation
UDL offers the possibility to customise learning to meet the individual needs of students. By offering options and flexibility, teachers can adapt teaching approaches and resources to meet students’ different abilities, interests and learning styles.
Engagement and motivation
UDL aims to create an engaging and motivating learning environment. By offering stimulating activities, interesting resources and opportunities for choice, UDL promotes students’ interest and motivation, fostering deeper and more meaningful learning.
Improved performance
The implementation of UDL can lead to improved student performance. By offering options and support for learning, Universal design for learning enables students to develop their skills and competences more effectively, increasing academic success. The UDL approach makes the acquired knowledge more transferable and usable over time, beyond the school/training course.
Links between Universal design for learning & e-learning
Universal design for learning can be linked to e-learning in various ways. UDL aims to make learning flexible and accessible to all learners by exploiting different ways of presenting topics, engagement and assessment. E-learning can support Universal design for learning because digital platforms offer great versatility in building customised learning paths. Here are some links between UDL and e-learning:
Availability
e-Learning can be designed to be available to all learners, regardless of their abilities. This means that online content can be made accessible using alternative text for images, subtitles for videos, assistive reading tools and other features that allow learners to personalise the presentation of content.
Personalisation
e-Learning offers the possibility to personalised learning for different student needs. Through Universal design for learning, learning materials can be provided in various formats, allowing learners to choose the mode that best suits their preferences and learning styles.
Active engagement
e-Learning can be made engaging by using interactive tools, collaborative activities and multimedia resources (videos, simulations, hypertext concept maps etc.). UDL promotes the use of different modes of engagement to stimulate students’ interest and participation, enabling them to learn in a more meaningful and motivating way.
In fact, a good use of technologies, both at school and at home, can give rise to a personalised teaching/learning process, respecting the ways of accessing information that are best suited to the characteristics of the individual learner and suitable for nourishing his or her sense of self-efficacy and reinforcing concepts of relationships and belonging. Moreover, digital platforms allow document sharing, co-construction of work, and the creation of peer education situations.
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