MIDTERM: UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARING 1

Midterm: Universal Design For Learning

Sofia Nesci

SUNY Cortland
MIDTERM: UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARING 2

Children across the world have different wants, needs, interests, skills and more.

Children in schools should be looked at as individuals because children have a variety of

learning needs. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach that sets guidelines

for instructional methods, materials, and assessments that can be accommodated or

modified for individual students.

There are three primary brain networks that UDL focuses on. These brain

networks are, recognition networks, strategic networks and affective networks.

Recognition network is the what of learning, meaning what materials or resources are

needed to fulfill a childs needs. This is when a person gathers information from their

senses such as identifying letters. One of the UDL principles is Provide Multiple Means

of Representation (National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2014). This

principle helps educators have a better understanding about how to positively affect a

students recognition network. If a child has vision impairments, the teacher should make

sure that the child is sitting close to the front or print out what is on the board and give it

to the children. This UDL guideline will help to improve a childs recognition network in

order for the child to feel comfortable in the classroom.

The second brain network that UDL focuses on is the strategic network. This is

the how of learning. This network is a childs ability to plan and perform tasks.

Strategic tasks include how a person extracts ideas or how one finds the answer to a math

problem. The UDL principle for this brain network is, Provide Multiple Means of Action

and Expression. In the description of the principle it states, Some may be able to

express themselves well in written text but not speech, and vice versa (National Center

on Universal Design for Learning, 2014). This means that because students have different
MIDTERM: UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARING 3

learning approaches and understandings, some students may work better writing but not

verbal communications and other might work better speaking and not writing. Of these,

AT is particularly valuable because it provides independent means for the student to

overcome his or her limitations by, for example using a spellchecker or audio version of

the history book (Rose, Hasselbring, Stahl, Zabala, 2005). A suggestion from the UDL

would be for teachers to provide options for physical action in order for students to have

different choices on how to meet their educational needs.

The last brain network is the affective network. This is the why of learning.

This network is based on how the educator is able to keep learners interested and

engaged. Principle three is, Provide Multiple Means of Engagement. Because todays

society is based around technology, students interests may certainly be something like an

IPad, or a Chrome Book. It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep the students

focused and involved, which is why it is essential to have well qualified teachers who

also understand and use UDL.

It is important to appropriately incorporate technology into the classroom in order

to stay up to date and keep the students focus and using UDL as a guideline would be

extremely beneficial. Using technology appropriately in the classroom is beneficial and

enforce the three main UDL principles because students will be able to express their

understanding of material in different ways.

MIDTERM: UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARING 4

References

National center on universal design for learning. (2014, July 31). UDL and Technology.

Retrieved February 9, 2017, from National Center on Universal Design for

Learning, http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udltechnology

Rose,D.,Hasselbring,T.,Stahl,S.,Zabala,J.(2005).AssistiveTechnologyand

universaldesignforlearning:Twosidesofthesamecoin.HandbookofSpecial

EducationTechnologyandResearch,510.