Week 5 Post
1) Article: "Inclusive Instructional Design: Applying UDL to Online Learning"
This article explains how educators can apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create inclusive online instruction. UDL’s three core principles—providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement—serve as a framework to address learner variability and reduce barriers through intentional, flexible design. Technology enhances UDL by enabling diverse ways for students to express themselves and engage authentically.
The UDL design cycle helps teachers identify potential barriers in curriculum and instruction and build in supports proactively, fostering expert learners who are purposeful, motivated, and strategic. For online learning, educators must consider specific challenges related to student engagement and executive function, using strategies to support persistence, organization, and mastery-oriented feedback through formative assessments.
Effective online UDL design also involves leveraging digital tool features and synchronous sessions to reinforce independent learning. The UDL Reporting Criteria supports planning, implementation, and reflection on inclusive design decisions. Ultimately, this approach empowers teachers as instructional designers who create accessible, engaging learning experiences for all students.
This article also connects to the lesson I'm developing on chemical reactions and properties. Although this article is technically about how to implement UDL into online learning environments, it also mentions how teachers are more easily able to implement this instruction into face to face learning. In my lesson, many of my goals are ones that are already included in the UDL design cycle. For example, identifying learners' needs and capabilities, creating clear goals, developing flexible methods and materials, etc. This article also provided a lot of insight into integrating various supports to reduce barriers and maximize learning. I aim to do this within my lesson with UDL supports.
2) After looking at the CAST Universal Design for Learning website, I was able to define two strategies I could implement into my lesson. The first strategy would be foster collaboration, interdependence, and collective learning by using prompts that guide learners in when and how to ask for help. This is because I have found that many of my fifth grade students struggle with asking for help when they need it and independence and general. Another strategy I would implement is cultivate understanding and respect across languages and dialects by linking key vocabulary words to definitions and pronunciations in both dominant and heritage languages. Many of my students are multilingual learners and science is a subject that needs many of its key terms translated because they are ultra-specific.
OOffice of Educational Technology. (2024). A call to action for closing the digital access, design, and use divides: 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (Introduction and The Digital Use Divide, pp. 1–23). U.S. Department of Education. https://tech.ed.gov/netp
Rao, K. (2021) Inclusive instructional design: Applying UDL to online learning. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design. doi: 10.59668/223.3753. Retrieved from: https://edtechbooks.org/jaid_10_1/preparing_teachers_f
Hey Cece! Great job summarizing the article! I liked how you connected it to your chemical reactions lesson, especially how you’re already using parts of the UDL design cycle like setting clear goals and planning for your students' needs. The strategies you chose from the CAST site are super thoughtful, too! Helping students learn when and how to ask for help is huge, especially at the elementary level. And linking science vocab to both dominant and heritage languages is such a smart way to support multilingual learners! Especially in a subject that’s heavy on academic language, that can have a huge impact! Regarding your tech reflection, I agree that it’s not just about access, it’s about helping students actually use tech in meaningful ways. I'm curious to know how you would go about implementing this in an elementary classroom? I feel like just teaching the basics of tech would take up so much time, let alone getting into using it intentionally. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMy 6th graders also struggle with asking for help, I think it is because they are embarrassed of what their classmates might think, so I like that you are integrating a way to learn prompts on when and how to ask for help. Reducing learning barriers, especially for ESL or multi-lingual students is so important, yet sometimes so difficult- especially when it comes to key science terms or vocabulary words. Figuring out a way remove that barrier is a great strategy to implement. I have found that using google translate and providing terms and definitions in both languages helps.
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