Preparing Teachers to Use Universal Design for Learning to Support Diverse Learners

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically-based framework for developing curricula that acknowledges learner diversity as a function of human variability. While it is possible to implement UDL without advanced technologies, it is easier and more efficient to provide multiple means of e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of online learning research Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 147 - 171
Main Author Evmenova, Anya
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education 2018
Subjects
Access to Education
Asynchronous Communication
Capacity Building
Early Childhood Education
Educational Strategies
Faculty Development
Graduate Students
Inservice Teacher Education
Lesson Plans
Mixed Methods Research
Online Courses
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Program Implementation
Regular and Special Education Relationship
Special Needs Students
Student Diversity
Teacher Competencies
Teacher Improvement
Teacher Surveys
Teaching Guides
Teaching Skills
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Summary:Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically-based framework for developing curricula that acknowledges learner diversity as a function of human variability. While it is possible to implement UDL without advanced technologies, it is easier and more efficient to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression with technological support. In this exploratory study, 70 educators (including in-service general and special education teachers) learned about UDL implementation in an online course designed using UDL principles. At the end of the study, all educators could recognize specific UDL guidelines and checkpoints in the observed lessons across grade levels and subject areas. They also proposed revised lesson plans that extended the use of UDL to address the specific learning outcomes and learner variability. The thematic analysis was conducted to explore the most common ways to use no technology to high technology tools, providing UDL through blended learning. The findings from this study suggest the importance of modeling UDL practices to encourage implementation in classrooms.
ISSN:2374-1473
2374-1473