Defining UDL
What is UDL? It is a collection of best practices from education, special education, psychology, and neuropsychology that educators can use to design lessons and learning environments so all learners have the opportunity to become purposeful, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic, and goal-directed. Underneath all of that is a single driving factor: learner variability.
Examples like snowflakes, fingerprints, and downhill skiing have all been used to illustrate how each person learns differently. It is with this knowledge that educators seek ways to support all of these different learners. That’s when we put the framework into action.
And while the UDL Framework asserts that all learners can become purposeful, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic, and goal-directed, we have to give learners those opportunities by clearing out barriers. We do that by activating students’ interest, supporting their ability to stick to the learning, and teaching them how to self-regulate.
We help them gain an initial understanding of the skill or concept by giving it to them in different ways.
We help them clarify the language and symbols used and gain overall comprehension.
And then we make sure they can physically participate in the activity of the learning environment, express and communicate what they know, and build their executive functioning skills.
Because UDL is a framework, the what and how of UDL continues beyond this description. This is why Loui has authored books, speaks, and consults. She knows that each individual, school, district, state, and even national government system will have its own needs and preferences when it comes to learning about UDL implementation. Loui has the experience and knowledge to guide the investigation, growth, and adoption of the UDL framework into any system.