Sent on behalf of Dr. Jamie Linn Gunderson, School of Education
As Wildcats commit to fostering inclusive learning environments and maximizing student success at Chico State, it’s essential that we explore innovative approaches that address the diverse needs of our students. One approach gaining momentum in higher education is Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
What is UDL?
UDL, rooted in neuroscience, acknowledges that learner diversity is inherent and should be expected. The UDL framework provides a flexible blueprint for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Integrating UDL into teaching practice fosters inclusivity and enhances learning outcomes for every student by ensuring that all learners can effectively access, engage with, and demonstrate their learning. Interestingly, many existing teaching strategies align with UDL principles, making adopting of the framework both intuitive and impactful.
How does UDL connect to teaching practice? Consider the following:
- Do you facilitate peer interactions within your course? Fantastic; you are fostering collaboration and community, which sustains effort and persistence and engages the affective network of the learning brain.
- Do you provide your students with checklists or templates to organize their learning, assessments, or assignments? Awesome; you are supporting planning and strategy development, which promotes executive function and engages the strategic network of the learning brain.
These examples are just two of many strategies that can motivate learners to engage in content and provide opportunities for learners to cement their knowledge through practice, planning, and/or action. Implementation of UDL can look different across learning spaces and recognizing how your teaching already aligns with the UDL framework is a natural first step. From there, it’s all about the +1 Strategy (Tobin & Behling, 2018) and a healthy dose of self-reflection – “How can I get 1% better in my next lesson/assignment/assessment?”
How are faculty implementing UDL?
Great question, thanks for asking! Research examining the impact of UDL implementation on students is in action on our campus. Currently, seven STEM faculty across Chico State and Butte College, along with many of the 20+ faculty who participated in last year’s UDL Faculty Learning Community (FLC), are implementing UDL in their courses. UDL implementation varies and faculty who participated in the UDL FLC over the past couple of years worked to design their course syllabi and learning materials to be more inclusive and accessible, their course activities to be more engaging and interactive, and their course assessments to be more rigorous and relevant to learner contexts.
Interested in learning more and engaging in opportunities to see what UDL implementation can look like?
Join us for the second annual Universal Design for Learning Faculty Showcase on Wednesday, May 8th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Colusa 100 (and via Zoom). At this event, you will:
- Learn about UDL and its impact on learners.
- Hear from STEM faculty sharing their UDL implementation experiences.
- Explore examples of inclusive instructional materials, assessments, and activities.
You don’t want to miss this opportunity to see UDL in action and hear directly from faculty at Chico State and Butte College!
JLG
References:
- CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 [graphic organizer]. Wakefield, MA.
- Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
- Tobin, T.J,. & Behling K.,T. (2018). Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press.
