Reflective Entry #1
After seven years of funding delays, the wait is finally over. The digger is on-site and we are ready to replace our six, 1950’s single-celled classrooms with a new purpose-built two-storey flexible learning environment. What has been clearly evident throughout this planning exercise is that we need to have clear systems and processes in place before we shift to this new teaching and learning space. We have the perfect opportunity to research the principles of UDL- Universal Design for Learning to ensure our student’s many diverse needs were catered for within this new space and discover how this approach utilises collaboration and digital technology.
In Moore’s article on Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, she states that “at the heart of UDL is the view that ‘failure to learn’ is not a measure of the inherent capacity of the learner but a reflection of learning systems that fail to address the needs of all learners.” (2007) Therefore, we need to consider; how do we incorporate this philosophy and the main principles of UDL into the design and development of our new classroom block that will represent our school’s pedagogy around collaborative and digital learning that will address the diverse needs of all our learners? As the Ministry of Education states "what matters most in schooling" is "achieving equity and excellence in outcomes for an increasingly diverse student population" (Ministry of Education, 2015, p.7).
Neuroscience has established that each person’s brain activity is unique, not one person is the same. (Kanai 2011) Which means every student’s learning needs are as unique as their fingerprints. This then makes the case for UDL where Al-Azawei, A., Serenelli, F., & Lundqvist, K. (2016) in their review of UDL, state the “traditional teaching approach of ‘one-size-fits-all’ cannot meet learner diversity in contemporary learning” anymore. Each student will develop and learn in a very different way to their peers. This is where the UDL guidelines that have been set out so that the educators can design the learning in a way that can cater to the individual needs of each student.
Universal
If we are to understand UDL we need to fully explore each term and it’s potential in the UDL framework.
Universal means that any student anywhere in the world can access and understand the curriculum content, so true Universal learning is ubiquitous and equitable.
Figure 1
Flow chart on Brain Networks
Note. Explanation of the three primary brain networks. From Cedar Education. Website URL. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/mtss-udl-di-dev/UDLstart.html
Learning
Cedar education as seen in figure one names the three primary brain networks in learning that guide the set up of a UDL space. Recognition, skills and strategies, caring and prioritising. (Cedar education n.d) Below are the networks and the way in which they have been developed within the UDL model.
Figure 2 - The different networks pathways
Note. Primary brain network. From Cast.org Website URL.
https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
Caring and prioritising- (Affective network) Why we are learning
This has also been called engagement. This is where interest is stimulated and the motivation for learning occurs. Cast states in their guidelines that many factors affect this area of the brain some are; “neurology, culture, personal relevance, subjectivity, and background knowledge”.(CAST n.d) Our learners are motivated intrinsically by different external factors. Some are motivated by exciting sensory experiences others find this frightening and would rather strict routines to adhere to.
Recognition network - What we are learning
Another term for this is Representation, our learners perceive information differently, this can be because of a special need, culture, familial background or some may find it easier to listen and others to visualise. So it is vital in a UDL setting that students have a variety of representations of the curriculum for them to learn especially in a digital environment.
Skills and strategies (strategic network) - How we are learning
This is namely action and expression. Each child will express themselves in a very diverse way. Again this is affected by their physical ability as well as their own experiences. Some students may enjoy speaking rather than writing information others may find that they can show someone their understanding rather than voice it and so on. It is also important to utilise multiple media forms to teach students as well as allowing them to use that same media to demonstrate their own understanding, in UDL no child will be singled out which shows that it is also a collaborative philosophy.
Design
Design is how we tailor the curriculum and learning experiences to fit the unique fingerprint of our students’ learning needs. The guidelines also give a framework that teachers can use to make sure that they are covering all aspects of the UDL philosophy. Core Education as shown in figure 5 has developed a framework for educators to use when they are considering their UDL and if they are truly making it inclusive, collaborative and accessible for all students.
Figure 5 - know your learners
Note. Predictable variability. From Core education.or
UDL develops the 21st-century skills that our students need to ensure their success in the future. With this philosophy, students will also be engaged in their learning and have access to all the tools for learning, including digital, available to them. UDL engages not just our tamariki but also their whanau and the local community. It also supports genuine inquiry with our students and their interests while allowing students to grow in their collaborative relationships with peers. For this reason, we know that as a school, implementing UDL in our newly built learning environment will enhance our teaching and learning programme and develop agentic students providing them with the tools they will need to succeed.
Al-Azawei, A., Serenelli, F., & Lundqvist, K. (2016). Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Content Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Journals from 2012 to 2015. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(3), 39-56. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v16i3.19295
CAST. (2011). Universal Design for Learning (UDL)Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA:
Retrieved from http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm.CAST. (2015). CAST. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.VW1yKyFViko.Center for Universal Design. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm.
Jonassen, D. (2001). How Can We Learn Best from Multiple Representations? The American Journal of Psychology, 114(2), 321-327. doi:10.2307/1423521
Kanai, R., Rees, G. The structural basis of inter-individual differences in human behaviour and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 12, 231–242 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3000
Moore, S. (2007). David H. Rose, Anne Meyer, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. In Educational Technology Research & Development (Vol. 55, Issue 5, pp. 521–525). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-007-9056-3
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