When UDL Guides the Use of Technology
Technology is a learning tool used in many classrooms. We know that it can have a positive impact on learning. Organizations like The International Society for Technology in Education (www.ISTE.org) work hard to promote pedagogically strong use. They push for educators to see technology as something more than engagement and we are responsible for designing how it will be used. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-influenced design behind Rebecca Chappell’s use of Quizlet provides a perfect example and the guidelines provide a perfect structure for the description.
Though Rebecca and her co-teacher knew they wanted to use Quizlet, they took the time to design the entire process through the lens of UDL. They knew they would recruit the interest of their learners right away. They also knew they needed to sustain their effort and persistence and would need some support in identifying how they would self-regulate their learning. It would be a mistake to think that the learners would gain skills toward becoming engaged expert learners (purposeful and motivated), so they addressed the second and third guidelines through environmental supports. These included private conversations and additional instruction on how to use Quizlet more effectively for their learning needs.
They knew that this tool would help represent the information to their learners, but the learners needed guidance on how to find those supports and use them. Rebecca describes how the students perception was enhanced because they could use words or images to represent the vocabulary, that the tool is designed to support learners’ clarification of vocabulary (language and symbols), but she and her co-teacher needed to step in to support students’ growth in comprehension. The design of that lesson hinged on students’ background knowledge rather than a curriculum-generated vocabulary list.
Students’ access to the tool was ensured (physical action) and the tool did give the learners a platform to compose their own definitions, further connecting them to the vocabulary, but this was a choice that Rebecca and her colleague made. They could have easily added in definitions for the learners to memorize or had the learners simply use dictionary-generated definitions. Rebecca and her colleague knew the value of learner ownership. While the exercise of learning more vocabulary would help the learners become more knowledgeable, they needed to ensure a different use of the tool to ensure their learners gained skills related to becoming more resourceful. They knew this through their work with UDL. Finally, Rebecca and her colleague worked with their learners on appropriate goal setting. This was part of the learning environment. They knew that their learners needed this support to be successful in their strategizing and goal setting.
What made this lesson even stronger, though, was the clarity Rebecca and her co-teacher have around what I call the roots of UDL. This is a fully inclusive setting, so Rebecca and her colleague are always working to ensure full access for every learner. They understand that the methods and the materials chosen for the environment need to be flexible and need to be used flexibly. They know that the lesson needs to be goal driven so the students know what they were working toward and how they will know when the students have met their learning targets. The rigor is still high even through the barriers are lowered and the students are provided choice within the structure of the lesson. Some of that choice is inherent within the online tool, but choice actually begins outside of the technology. In the case of the shared lesson, it was in the selection of the vocabulary.
This podcast provided a wonderful example of how the design of the lesson and learning environment is what provides a way for expert learner growth. It is a solid combination of goals, methods, materials, and assessment. None of those can stand alone and all must be influenced by the entire UDL framework. When that happens, we watch the growth of expert learners.