Assignment 2: Application of Universal Design for Learning

Part 1: Case Study and Universal Design for Learning

Joseph is a thirteen year old boy in year eight. He has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is displaying behavioural difficulties in the classroom.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins at birth and usually continuing throughout

a person’s life; it has an estimated occurrence in 3.4% of children (ADHD Australia, 2017;

Thapar & Cooper, 2016). ADHD is often characterised by difficulties in attention,

hyperactivity and impulsivity (DuPaul, Weyandt & Janusis, 2011). Joseph is showing signs of

difficulties in following instructions, paying attention during class and is often disruptive

towards other students in the class. He is not engaged in the content and spends most of the

lesson playing with equipment from his pencil case. Joseph is mostly disengaged from the

classroom activities when there is theory to write from the board or there is a less hands on

approach. He generally becomes more engaged when he sees the relevance of the activities or

group work is involved where he gets to work with his friends. Joseph has problems with self-

management and organisation which are problematic when trying to get him to stay on task or

complete work (Johnson-Harris & Mundeschenk, 2014). Joseph can get frustrated in class

when he finds the work too difficult or hard to understand. This is a challenge for students with

ADHD where they underperform and have higher levels of frustration associated with feelings

of failure and disappointment towards not being able to grasp basic educational skills (Wiener

& Daniels, 2016). On the other hand, Joseph enjoys doing activities on the computer and can

often better recall information that he has learnt in this way, which is another of his strengths.

Overall, he is achieving below the academic average across many subjects and discussions with

other teachers have provided similar observations.

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With a more inclusive classroom approach, students with learning difficulties are increasingly

seen in mainstream classrooms (Vitelli, 2015). With this in mind it is important for teachers to

adjust their learning and teaching strategies to meet the wide range of learning needs in the

classroom. Some approaches to inclusivity are more effective than others, and these approaches

benefit the needs of all learners and not just the few with learning difficulties. Using an

approach that develops lessons that are accessible to all students creates an inclusive classroom,

as opposed to altering a lesson plan to suit the needs of one student (Johnson-Harris &

Mundschenk, 2014). The continued application of frameworks when designing lessons from

the start can create a more authentic learning experience for all students rather than being

treated as an afterthought when a student is seen to be struggling with the content. One effective

approach that designs classroom activities and makes the accessible to all students is the

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework (CAST, 2018; Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey,

2011).

The curriculum is seldom implemented in classrooms in the way it is written. It is up to teachers

to translate the curriculum into meaningful activities which are accessible and meet the learning

needs of all students (Loreman et al., 2011). The translation of the curriculum in this way

follows the UDL. The UDL is an effective approach where the curriculum has been designed

to meet the many learning needs in the classroom (CAST, 2018; Loreman et al., 2011). This

approach offers different teaching and learning strategies for students in order to maximise

engagement and facilitate learning in classes with a wide range of learning needs and styles

(Miller & Lang, 2016). The use of UDL promotes inclusion of all students and is used to

develop lessons geared toward student’s strengths while also accommodating their needs

(Johnson-Harris & Mundschenk, 2014). UDL also has at its core, that students should be given

multiple opportunities to display their knowledge and understanding through the use of

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appropriately incorporated varying assessment techniques (Miller & Lang, 2016). This frame

work consists for three fundamental principles; multiple means of representation, multiple

means of expression and multiple means of engagement (CAST, 2018; Loreman et al., 2011;

Rao & Torres, 2017). When these principles are used together in the creation or amendment of

a lesson plan students will receive a more authentic and meaningful learning experience which

meets the varying learning needs of the class. When creating an inclusive classroom what meets

the learning needs of one student often benefits the many.

Multiple means of representation involve providing students with options and offering different

ways of presenting content information that will help students to comprehend and meet their

learning needs (CAST, 2018; Rao & Torres, 2017). Therefore, the same information should be

presented in many different ways and often many different times so students can develop a

deeper understanding and knowledge in the content area. Having different alternatives for

expressing information both auditory and visually can help make information comprehendible

to all learners not only those with learning difficulties. The use of symbols or imagery promotes

a better understanding and an alternative for conveying information. In Joseph’s case, the use

of a multiple means of representation approach in the design of classroom activities could

decrease disruptive behaviours and increase his academic outcomes (Johnson-Harris &

Mundschenk, 2014). In providing information multiple times and with the use of varying

methods for displaying this information Joseph may develop a deeper understanding for the

content, this may also help other students who require additional learning support but aren’t as

in need as Joseph.

The adjusted lesson plan uses multiple means of representation by first creating a learning

environment which addresses student wellbeing through a mindfulness breathing exercise.

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Mindfulness can help to reduce stress, anxiety and improve overall wellbeing (Maynard, Solis,

Miller & Brendel, 2017; Wyn et al, 2000). This will not only meet the needs of Joseph in

decreasing his stress in the classroom and improving his mental wellbeing, allowing him to be

a successful member of the class but will also provide wellbeing to the whole class, which in

turn may also improve their educational outcomes. Furthermore, images are paired with the

written method on the practical worksheet to represent how the experiment will be carried out.

These visual cues provide an alternative method of representation of the same information

which would be beneficial to Joseph who struggles with the written language. Symbols and

images have been described as powerful learning tools and a preferred method of presenting

information by some students (Perso & Hayward, 2015). The use of visual representation with

written instruction would help Joseph and other students develop a deeper understanding of

how the experiment is to be set up and performed. By allowing the worksheet to be accessed

online will also help Joseph in being more organised and have all the information easily

accessible in one location. This would also benefit other student who may occasionally loose

worksheets or wish to revise topics at home.

Multiple means of expression involve providing students with a variety of methods in which

they can communicate their knowledge and understanding of class content and also a variety

of ways in which students can complete tasks and operate within the classroom (CAST, 2018;

Rao & Torres, 2017). This approach expresses the importance of instructional technology in

the teaching and learning process and it can form the bases of a new teaching platform which

encourages students to express their understanding in new and different ways. Technology is

increasing popular, with younger generations preferring this choice of communication

(Dawson, 2008). The use of technology in the classroom would allow Joseph to work to his

strengths and help to improve on his academic outcomes. Encouraging the use of technology

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also creates more choice for students and may assist Joseph in improving on his behavioural

disturbances by engaging him more in the content (Johnson-Harris & Mundschenk, 2014).

The adjusted lesson plan uses multiple means of expression by presenting students with choices

on how to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the content. Students are asked

to contribute to a class discussion both at the beginning and end of the lesson this allows

students to verbally share their understanding of the water cycle with the class and for the

teacher to assess their understanding. This follows the UDL framework and would benefit

Joseph in allowing him to collaborate with his peers and verbally express his ideas which he

otherwise may have trouble expressing in written form. Students are also asked to write and

draw their observations of the experiment, this also follows the UDL allowing students to work

individually or collaboratively on this task. Collaboration has been identified as a powerful

teaching strategy in student learning and helps to promote engagement in the task and enables

students to build upon one another’s understanding while developing a deeper understanding

themselves (Perso & Hayward, 2015). This works with Josephs strengths and also presents

another platform by which students can be assessed on their understanding.

Multiple means of engagement involve providing students with a variety of methods to engage

and encourage students (CAST, 2018; Rao & Torres, 2017). This approach recognises the

importance of providing students with choice and creating authentic tasks which increase their

relevance to the students and in turn increase interest in the tasks and content (Rao & Torres,

2017). Students are provided with opportunities to self-regulate, self-assess and this increases

motivation. In setting high expectations of students they are more motivated to succeed and

studies show that academic achievement increases with high expectations as opposed to low

expectations (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968). Engagement is an important influence of academic

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success, by using Joseph’s strengths and working on his needs a more engaging learning

environment would be created that helps him to achieve his educational outcomes (Callow &

Orlando, 2015).

The adjusted lesson plan uses multiple means of engagement by using different teaching and

learning strategies aimed at engaging and involving students in the learning process. The use

of the practical experiment to model the water cycle already meets a learning needs of Joseph

by allowing him to have a hands-on approach. Science concepts can be difficult to understand

but when students see the theory in action they are able to develop a deeper appreciation and

connect the relevance of the content to real life (Withee & Lindell, 2006). The use of

information communication technology (ICT) has also been identified as an important tool in

classroom engagement and also contributes to the UDL framework (CAST, 2018; Dawson,

2008). The inclusion of the experiment video allows the teacher to show the students exactly

what is happening at each stage of the practical when the students were modelling the water

cycle. This engages students and allows them to develop a deeper understanding through visual

representation that they would not receive through a written or verbal explanation of the

phenomenon. Joseph has been described as lacking in written communication skills, so this

approach to learning would greatly benefit him in being able to reach his educational outcomes.

This approach would also be beneficial to other students in providing another way of viewing

and understanding the content. Furthermore, the use of a Google Doc to compile student

observations allows for class collaboration and for students to engage in the content, while also

providing them with a source of information which they can access later.

Throughout the use of the UDL framework a more enriched and meaningful learning

experience has been achieved. The use of this framework not only meets the learning needs of

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Joseph but also benefits other students in the class, as an inclusive classroom is one where all

the learning needs of all the students are met and all students are given access to achieve the

educational outcomes.

Part 2: Adjustment to Lesson Plan using UDL

Multiple Means of Representation

Multiple Means of Expression
Multiple Means of Engagement

Science – Year 8 Modelling the Water Cycle Practical Experiment

2.7.18
Period 3
Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Strategy

5 mins Mark roll Mindfulness breathing exercise.

Teacher facilitates class discussion on importance
5 mins Class discussion
of water. Recap water cycle.
Teacher explains practical experiment for the
lesson.
Power Point presentation shows pictures of
Power Point
10 mins experiment set up and images are also paired with
Experiment worksheet
method description on experiment worksheet.
Worksheet will be provided online through Google
Classroom.
Students collect equipment, show set up to teacher
and get the ok to proceed with lighting the Bunsen
burner and proceeding with the experiment.
30 mins Practical experiment
Students record their observations in written and
drawn form to explain their modelling of the water
cycle.
Teacher facilitates class discussion on experiment
and observations.
Teacher shows video of a previous practical to
10 mins Class discussion break down the steps involved in the water cycle
and how it was modelled in this experiment.
Student observations during class discussion are
added to Google Doc.
Teacher asks students to pack away the laboratory
5 mins Pack up equipment and stand behind their chairs quietly
until the bell rings.

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