Applying UDL in the Development Phase
Whether you have had an opportunity to implement UDL in the design phase of your curriculum, implementing it as you start to develop your curriculum, course or program is effective and impactful for learners.
Things to Consider
When developing your course, think about:
- Including content and resources that:
- Are provided in multiple ways
- Are accessible, concise, and explicit
- Use inclusive language
- Connect students’ prior knowledge to new learning
- Allow flexibility in the pace or order of learning
- Embedding learning materials and resources throughout the course to support navigation and allow easy access to learning materials
- Using multimedia resources, accessible images, and materials to illustrate concepts
- Developing assessments that:
- Specifically assess the learning outcomes or goals
- Are scaffolded
- Provide varied and multiple opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge
- Have explicit instructions and grading scheme or rubric
- Offer additional supports, should they be required
- Encouraging executive functioning skills and independent learning responsibilities
- Building-in opportunities for reflection, self-assessment, review, remediation, extending learning and collaboration
What Educators Say
In UDL at Mohawk College [2:50], Melodie Spencer, a Professor in the Early Childhood Education Program, gives an overview of how she has embedded UDL throughout her courses and teaching philosophy.
https://uwindsor.yuja.com/V/Video?v=479445&node=2019298&a=721239278&preload=false
Activity 3: Test your Knowledge
Now that you’re familiar with UDL implementation in the development phase, let’s test your knowledge! Link the UDL practice to the correct checkpoint(s) in the following 5 question quiz. To complete the quiz, choose the correct response(s), click the “check” button to check your answer, then use the blue arrow to advance to the next question. Repeat until all 5 questions are complete.
This activity is untimed, you may have as many attempts as you would like and your scores and/or attempts are not tracked.
References
Mohawk College Official. (2019, Jan 25). UDL at Mohawk College – Melodie Spencer [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bnijcjiqigs
Text Attributions
- This chapter is adapted from “Applying UDL in the Development Phase” in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) by Darla Benton Kearney. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
