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Share your thoughts in the comments below in response to these prompts:
- How might you add multiple means of engagement (the why of learning) in your course?
- How might you apply multiple means of representation (the what of learning) to materials or information you provide your students?
- Brainstorm ways to redesign one of your assignments using multiple means of action and expression (the how of learning).
13 thoughts on “Universal Design for Learning”
The video: “Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education” was highly informative and emphasizes the idealistic inclusive approach to education that prioritizes the diverse learning needs of students. It recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and aims to provide a flexible and adaptable learning environment for all learners.
The key takeaways from the video describe UDL as the building blocks for proactive learning in three criterion:
(1) Engagement
(2) Representation
(3) Action & Expression
Furthermore, in the course(s) I will teach next semester, I plan to implement these proactive strategies as follows:
(1) Engagement-for course(s) that I am redesigning (ENG-201-Introduction to Literature), I will have them write double-entry journals on various readings from The New York Times or supplemental readings that we can discuss in class and have them reflect and make connections to the article or essay by making connections to the text, connections with other texts, or connections with the overall theme of what is going on in society. In addition, students can read and evaluate key vocabulary words and concepts as well as demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the text(s) by writing reflective responses and brief summaries of what they have learned. These connections will help them see themselves in the world along with what they view their personal outcomes for learning in the course and in their overall academic trajectory. This engagement has the key primary rationale of: “I do, we do, you do.”
(2) Representation-Technology is a tool I rely on and I get creative when it comes to adapting my course content to different learning modalities. I usually include multiple modes of content aside from the traditional textbook. I like to use DVDs, Ted Talk videos, YouTube clips, news audio files, linked materials from Blackboard and handouts for grammar, and exercises on how to incorporate quotes from a text using “They Say, I Say” method.
(3) Action & Expression-I normally use Poll Everywhere for students to participate more and have privacy. Students can do think alouds. I can redesign this aspect to use another online platform such as Padlet and have form groups to upload their responses. This can be a “digital” literature circle. For the creatives and the visual learners, I can also add graphic novels to my curriculum. I went to a seminar in May and one of the presenters was Julio Anta, author of the graphic novel, “Si, Se Puede.” This graphic novel discusses Latino heroes who changed the United States. Using graphic novels provide multiple ways for students to engage within the text. Through visual storytelling, students can analyze and interpret complex themes, characters, and plot lines, allowing for diverse perspectives and personal connections. The combination of text and visuals enhances comprehension, encourages creativity, and empowers students to express their understanding in different formats, such as through illustrations or dialogue. Graphic novels can help engage English language learners and all students in the literature classroom. This connects to the idea that students do not fit this one-size-fits-all concept.
In my upcoming Fundamentals of Speech class, I’m all about getting students pumped and engaged. So, I will give them a say in what they want to talk about – after all, who doesn’t love sharing what they’re passionate about? I’ll also try to make the material relatable to their own lives and interests.
I believe in feedback focusing on effort and progress, not just the final product. I want my students to see how far they’ve come and feel good about it! Plus, I’ll throw in some fun challenges and rewards to keep things interesting. And to make sure they’re invested in their learning, I’ll get them involved in setting their own goals.
Everyone learns differently, so I’ll mix things with text, videos, audio recordings, and excellent graphics and visual aids. I’ll ensure the key terms are crystal clear and provide interactive activities like quizzes to keep things fun.
For the final presentation, forget the boring old speech! Students can choose the traditional route or get creative with a multimedia presentation, podcast, or video. I want them to have fun while showcasing what they’ve learned. If they need extra help, assistive technologies are cool, and I encourage them to collaborate with classmates on a collaborative project. Plus, they’ll get to reflect on their own progress and give each other feedback—a win-win for everyone!
I’m about creating a classroom where everyone feels welcome, challenged, and excited to learn. By giving students a voice and catering to their individual needs, I’m confident they’ll learn a ton and have a blast doing it!
Engagement. I have become more comfortable by allowing students to decide the topics they want to research and write about. I adapt the course content according to the topics chosen at the beginning of the semester, but the skeleton does not change much (tools and and activities to write descriptive and expository texts).
Representation. Students have expressed that they like to learn from videos and from conversations with their peers; however, they express reticence in creating videos for the class, or delivering a formal oral presentation. So, I am interested in incorporating new ways in which students can be graded/evaluated without the pressure of a formal oral presentation, especially, because there are group discussions and pair work. I will try to think of a way to do it.
Multiple means of action and expression. The more I provide opportunities for students to collaborate in low- and medium-stake assignments, and to learn from themselves, the more interested they have been in the process of proof-editing and writing their compositions. Whenever I think about and ideal project, it would be a final communal product that incorporates their various skills, like: taking photographs, composing a song/verse, summarizing info, creating posts, etc.
Building on an idea struck upon on this morning’s seminar, I plan to intro the subject of documentary filmmaking via the “I Am From” poem in which students will a little bit about themselves in that framework and then share what they’ve written with a fellow student and get feedback (I plan to have some alternatives to the form as well to give students an option on how they want to complete the assignment). Based on the feedback from their peer, students will then do a second pass (draft 2). That then will be recorded by a fellow student. Then the short clips will be edited into a lyrical doc. This process might be a good way to introduce how documentaries are nonfiction works, and students will be able to see themselves in the individual pieces as well as the final edit.
This assignment should hit all three marks of engagement, representation, action & expression.
Wow! Making a documentary film on the poem “ Where I’m From” is brilliant!! I might have to use this idea, Erica!
Thinking about my public speaking class, I already have assignments built around representation. Students first assignment is to talk about heir interests in a short speech, and their second assignment is about their culture. But I’m not sure how to do multiple means of engagement when the assignment is a two minute speech. The speech is the point, so other means of engagement are difficult to come up with.
How might you add multiple means of engagement (the why of learning) in your course?
The Universal Design for Learning video has useful strategies. As our students come from different walks of life, we need to acknowledge their uniqueness and provide a variety of activities that can show their strength. There are three main topics that were discussed: a) engagement, b) representation, and c) action and expression.
Engagement – When I think of LIN 100-Language and Culture, I engage the students to the topic of language and gender by introducing, the Nigerian writer, Adichie’s TED Talk, “We Should be All be Feminists”. Both male and female students enjoy watching the video. Then, in a handout, I include major quotes from the lecture and ask students to select some of these quotes and write a paragraph or two to respond to these quotes. They explain their opinion and provide examples from their lived experiences. Then, they read another student’s response and write their response to the classmate’s opinion. The is called the warm-up dialogue journal.
• How might you apply multiple means of representation (the what of learning) to materials or information you provide your students?
Representation – In LIN 100, there are many YouTube Videos about a variety of topics related to the course. I also share some Hunter College web articles. As students need to compose a short research paper, some short tables and hyperlinks from They Say/I say book are very beneficial. Also, I believe one or two textbook chapters are very useful.
Brainstorm ways to redesign one of your assignments using multiple means of action and expression (the how of learning).
Action and expression – In order to provide some variety for students to express their point of view or do their assignments in a nontraditional way, I use COMIX BELIEFS webpage. (https://makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/) Students create dialogues to exhibit their understanding of maxims of quality, quantity, manner, and relation and violation of these. These are Grice’s maxims that explain what speakers need to pay attention to when they are engaged in a dialogue. I always share examples of these maxims created in Comix – assignments created by previous students, and students work with each other to create one or two dialogues. Then, they are assigned to do the homework.
1. The maxim of quantity, where one tries to be as informative as one possibly can, and gives as much information as is needed, and no more.
2. The maxim of quality, where one tries to be truthful, and does not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence.
3. The maxim of relation, where one tries to be relevant, and says things that are pertinent to the discussion.
4. The maxim of manner, when one tries to be as clear, as brief, and as orderly as one can in what one says, and where one avoids obscurity and ambiguity
Students would participate in the design of the classroom activities and academic tasks. They would create as a group how to present the material of their author and author’s works. If they want to create a cartoon of the author, they could. A presentation is always welcomed. What I am saying is to give the students as much autonomy as possible within the learning outcome. I usually work with videos to assist me with my points to get students engaged with the material.
Engagement – I’d love to start my assignment by asking students to reflect, through writing or discussion or recorded audio (or perhaps the “Where I’m From” poem – great idea Erica), on how they feel right now about their writing, as well as what their career goals are over the next few years. Whether or not writing factors into their future, I imagine this assignment would be MORE engaging if students are clear on where they are and on where they want to be. What’s intimidating about this assignment? How can we work with or around that? What’s exciting about this assignment? How might it help you express yourself more clearly? How might it help you get somewhere you want to go? I mean, I think these questions can be asked outright, in class and outside it.
Representation – I’ve been resistant to technology (videos, compellingly designed assignments), erring more on the side of in-class reading and discussion. My feeling has been: isn’t reading fun when we do it together? Isn’t talking about the reading fun when we do it together? Isn’t that enough? But I’ll resist that impulse in myself! I’d like to include links to short comic strips, podcasts with discussion on the texts (The New Yorker’s fiction podcast has been wonderful in this realm, as they also include a reading of the text), and short videos that tell stories using cartoons or actors (I’m thinking of the Who Was? Show on Netflix). I’d also like to ASK students for their own contributions. What does this assignment or our reading remind you of? Can you share this with the class?
Action and expression – The assignment itself, which will involve a 9-panel comic, should have space in it for multiple means of expression. This is what I’m building into the assignment now as I design it. There are many ways to draw a picture, to distill and relay a story, to convey information. What’s appealing to you? Think big or think small.
I’d also like for my assessment to focus on reflection on the assignment, rather than on the work itself.
If you’re thinking about your work, you’re more likely to be able to adapt and revise as needed.
I’m planning to design the course syllabus of HUM 201, a course I’ll be teaching starting July 18. Students will be able to understand the nature of helping process by demonstrating application of some of the basic counseling and intervention techniques. Students will be assigned to do several projects which will be appropriate for their learning styles. For example, a major assignment is to conduct a mock counseling session with hypothetical client played by a volunteer student. Counselor will be asked to develop at least five questions to ask from the client and lead the session for at least 10 minutes. While some students may find this assignment interesting and motivating, other might feel anxious about role playing in front of a crowd. There is an option to write a reflection paper for those who don’t wish to do mock session. I hope this could represent multiple means of engagement. Secondly, I will incorporate several learning materials. For each module (4 modules in total), reading materials which will be at no cost, youtube videos, podcast, documentary films, and exercise sheets. In case some students would like a deep dive into subject matter, I’ll provide extra resources including journal articles, news article etc. I always leave room for students to fully express themselves in their preferred means. Under weekly assignment tab, students who are not so vocal in class discussion prefer to leave their written statements. This showed me that no student is left behind from the discussion and assured that they are part of learning environment which is extremely crucial.
Truthfully, I feel overwhelmed by this assignments. In the video, they discuss embedded hyperlinks and in the website there are a ton. I clicked on one and found even more. It seems to an endless rabbit hole. For me this is super off putting.
The video is clear and I get the larger points and agree, but I don’t teach a course that is going to ‘help in their career’ and it is one that pushes many of them to get out of their box . It is more about self growth — something a college education should be about.
Perhaps it is just my mood this moment or too many hyperlinks. I will be thinking about all of this and see what directions it takes me.
The video sparked a few ideas for how I can enhance my course:
Engagement
I love the idea of asking students to create their own goals for the assignment. I ask them at the beginning of the semester what their goals and hopes are for the course, but we never re-visit the question. Perhaps it can be a working document that we build on each session. A version of this could also be a guiding question for the Open Pedagogy assignment
Representation
Embed hyperlinks to vocabulary and symbols: I have a handouts each week with a copy of the slides, plus a list of all of the artwork, plus hyperlinks to reference material for further exploration, as well as vocabulary words. I am quite sure most students don’t ever look at it. I welcome any suggestions about how to activate this for the students, without giving rthem an additional assignment.
Concept maps: I ask students to create a concept map when they brainstorm their exhibition project. I love the idea of using them throughout the semester as a collaborative activity.
Action and Expression
This is the main work I need to do for the Open Pedagogy assignment. I need to support the students in their choice, but also find a way that this will fulfill the requirements of a Writing Intensive course. The students need to use writing as a tool for thinking as a foundation for whatever format final project will take.
Engagement To get my student engaged and prepared for the upcoming assignments, I will lead them through guided discussions of the texts from class. There will also be brief informal writing assignments in which they analyze and discuss their opinions on assigned texts as well as connecting them personally.
Representation To help my students become familiar with the audio assignments, I will play them snippets from podcasts that are similar to the assignment as well as YouTube videos of dramatic readings of poetry from class. I will discuss with them what attributes create a strong interview, story, and dramatic reading.
Action & Expression Through their audio assignments and written reflections, the students will engage more deeply with the texts (and possibly with each other.) By creating their assignments, they will finding creative ways to demonstrate their interpretations of the texts as well as having an opportunity to express and share their identities. By focusing a large part of my grading on their written reflections/explanations, I can have the students consider the thought process that went into creating their projects and what factors influenced the decisions that they made.