Universal Learning Design (UDL) Engagement Principle

 

Image (Brookes, 2021)

Universal Learning Design (UDL)

There is a considerable chance that you have encountered universal design in your daily life, even if you are not familiar with the term. Automatic doors, closed captioning, accessible building infrastructure, and curb cuts that allow wheelchairs to pass are a few examples of universal design. Even though these designs are helpful to people with disabilities, they may also be useful to people without impairments (Morra & Reynolds, 2010).

Utilizing three main principles that offer numerous opportunities for engagement, representation, and action and expression, the universal design for learning framework offers educators a variety of strategies and resources to assist in giving a diverse group of students an equal opportunity to succeed.

In this blog, we'll concentrate on the principle of engagement, and I'll offer three instructional tools that teachers can utilize to enhance student involvement while adhering to the UDL standards.

Engagement Principle

The principle of engagement in UDL has three levels of guidelines that include recruiting interest (RI), sustaining effort and persistence (SEP), and self-regulation (SR).

Recruiting Interest (RI)

The educator should offer the appropriate kind of options for achieving a goal when attracting interest. Giving students a level of autonomy can help them become more self-reliant, experience more pride in their accomplishments, and feel more connected to their study (CAST, 2021). Lessons and activities should maximize relevance, value, and authenticity to engage students in order to recruit all learners equitably (CAST, 2021). In order to create a safe environment in which learning can take place, teachers must first construct a welcoming and encouraging classroom that gives options that lessen risks and harmful distractions for everyone (CAST, 2021).

AnswerGarden

Anyone interested in adopting a quick and effective method to gather group comments can use AnswerGarden. It can be used for online brainstorming, live audience interaction, and classroom feedback. Teachers use AnswerGarden to gauge their students' proficiency with a particular subject. It is employed in conferences and workshops as a playful and interactive icebreaker with the audience (Creative Heroes, 2022).

Sustaining Effort and Persistence (SEP)

To help people maintain effort and focus in the face of distractions, it's vital to incorporate recurring or continuous "reminders" of the goal and its importance (CAST, 2021). All students can find tasks that are highly motivating by being given a variety of demands and resources (CAST, 2021). Peer cooperation can greatly improve perseverance and sustained effort when it is correctly designed (CAST, 2021). Greater diversity and various responsibilities are made possible by flexible grouping, which also offers opportunity to practice cooperating with others to the fullest. Feedback that is pertinent, constructive, accessible, significant, and timely is most effective at maintaining engagement (CAST, 2021).

Kaizena

A Google Docs add-on called Kaizena provides writing-related feedback for students. With Google Classroom and Docs, teachers who no longer use paper have more alternatives for feedback, including the possibility to leave audio comments using the Google Chrome extension (Meyers, 2020).

Self-Regulation (SR)

Each learner has a personal understanding of what motivates them. This is known as self-regulation. To achieve this, students must be able to set personal objectives that are genuinely attainable and cultivate the idea that their goals can be achieved (CAST, 2021). Long-term apprenticeships with scaffolding will be necessary for students to learn self-regulatory skills. Furthermore, it is crucial that students have access to a variety of self-assessment models and scaffolds so they can recognize and select the best ones (CAST, 2021).

myASL Quizmaker

Using American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary form of communication, deaf, hard-of-hearing, and other special needs children, teens, and adults can benefit from myASL Quizmaker's innovative software (IDRT, 2022). With the help of this software, a user (such as a teacher) can design unique tests, exams, and quizzes with automatic ASL graphic and video translations, give them to their students, get immediate scoring and data analysis, produce reports, and give each student their academic results and corrected quizzes. This assistive technology's English-to-ASL translation features a dictionary of more than 30,000 English words, phrases, idioms, numbers, and symbols (IDRT, 2022).

Resources

Brookes. (2021, July 22). 7 budget-friendly ways to promote student engagement: A UDL Post. Brookes Blog. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://blog.brookespublishing.com/7-budget-friendly-ways-to-promote-student-engagement-a-udl-post/

CAST. (2021, October 15). The UDL guidelines. UDL. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Creative Heroes. (2022). Answergarden ". AnswerGarden. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://answergarden.ch/about-AnswerGarden/

IDRT. (2022). myASLQuizmaker. About myasl quizmaker. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.idrt.com/aboutQuiz.php

IDRT. (2019, November 25). MyASLTech overview. YouTube. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://youtu.be/V3wl55_bIqI

Johnson, M. (2015, March 4). March madness minute #4 answergarden.ch. YouTube. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://youtu.be/_vR8HoUWL-A

Kaizena. (2018, June 29). Kaizena in 2 minutes. YouTube. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://youtu.be/tj--iDSds4Q

Meyers, A. (2020, August 25). Kaizena review for teachers. Common Sense Education. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/kaizena

Why the Universal Design for Learning is (UDL) Important

 

(Campbell, 2015)

What is UDL?

Even if you are unfamiliar with universal design, there is a good possibility that you have come across it in your daily life. Examples of universal design include automatic doors, closed captioning, accessible building infrastructure, and curb cuts that make it possible for wheelchairs to pass. Although these designs benefit those with disabilities, those without disabilities could find them useful as well (Morra & Reynolds, 2010).

The universal design for learning framework provides educators with a variety of strategies and resources to help give a diverse group of students an equal opportunity to succeed using three main principles that provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression.

SMART Board

2014 was when I started out as a teacher. The electronic whiteboard, sometimes known as a SMART board, immediately became familiar to me. Images, workbooks, and videos were primarily displayed using it. The children also used four desktop computers in the classroom for Renaissance reading as well as Star Fall, Prodigy, and Istation during center time.

SMART Board Plus

In 2018, I underwent some professional development that provided a basic explanation of a few new technology programs that may be used in the classroom. However, due to a lack of time and resources, the new technology program was never implemented in the classroom. I never used it; therefore, I can't recall the program. By including some interactive learning with the students, I expanded on how I used the SMART board. It was one of those instances where the teacher still maintained primary control over the whiteboard and the students only used technology when necessary. I would invite children to the board to write on it or choose an answer to a problem when we were working math or phonics. That kept them interested in a short while, but it rapidly grew monotonous because they knew they wouldn't be called again once they had taken their turn.

Five IPads and Twenty Plus Students        

A few months into the academic year, five iPads were distributed to each classroom. I could have added this to a learning center, but I didn't know how, and I preferred to prevent a dispute between students in the first-grade vying for their turn. Kahoot quizzes were the principal use for the iPads. We would play a Kahoot! game when I was a first-grade teacher. and the students would become so enthusiastic. The fact that my class was loud and boisterous made me aware of their level of engagement. The kids are usually interested and having fun when I utilize this tool to wrap up my financial aid presentations. I am most astonished to see how well so many students perform on the quiz, which indicates that they paid attention and took in the information.

Reflection

As they say, "Hindsight is 20/20," I consider my past experiences and what I've learned about the UDL framework, as well as how I may have become a better teacher. I will address the "why, what, and how" of improving the learning experience for all students in my subsequent chapter, which will focus on the three UDL principles.

How will I involve all learners with the technology at my disposal (CAST, 2021)? How will I maintain effort and motivation (CAST, 2021)? How will I promote self-regulation so that students develop coping skills, self-assessment, and reflection (CAST, 2021)? These are some of the questions I would think about when planning for engagement in a lesson.

 Resources

Campbell, S. F. (2015, February 3). Image from https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3206/3030416930_d7555dcd9e.jpg. Flickr. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/samuelfcampbell2003/16432765042

CAST. (2021, October 15). The UDL guidelines. UDL. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Morra, T., & Reynolds, J. (2010). Universal Design for Learning: Application for technology ... - ed. ERIC. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ881564.pdf

 

Who Doesn’t Love Sweet Tea-PACK!

 

Image credit (Mishra, 2022)

Technology Integration

Utilizing technological resources, such as computers, mobile devices, etc., is known as technology integration. Whether learning is teacher-centered or student-centered depends on the resources available and who uses the technology. Effective technology integration gives students access to current information, tools for gathering and recording data, chances for local and worldwide collaboration, multimedia expression options, and authentic evaluation (Edutopia, 2007). Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) are two popular approaches for technology integration.

Integrating Technology to Enhance Learning with TPACK

Teachers can use the TPACK method to incorporate technology into their lessons. It provides educators with a framework for understanding the technology, subject matter, and pedagogy required to improve learning. TPACK argues for pedagogical approaches that employ technological tools to improve instruction as well as awareness of how content is represented digitally. The TPACK or the sweet spot is where content, pedagogy, and technology all come together.

TPACK Ideas and Definitions	Example Lesson – Financial aid process for students, faculty, and staff.
Technological Knowledge (TK) - What digital resources are available to you, which ones are you comfortable using, and which ones are best suited for the current lesson (PowerSchool, 2022)?	PowerPoint – to create the slides. Screencastify - screen record how to apply for scholarships and accept/decline/modify financial aid offers. VoiceThread – interactive/collaborative presentation Kahoot – engaging game quiz to check for understanding
Pedagogical or andragogical Knowledge (PK) - teachers' extensive knowledge of teaching and learning procedures, strategies, and approaches, including general educational goals, principles, and purposes (Mkoehler, 2012).	Adult education is known as andragogy, and it focuses on helping students gain the knowledge and skills they need to advance their personal and professional development. The key learning stages that a child must pass through in order to advance to the next stage are the focus of pedagogy, the art of teaching children (Western Governors University, 2022).
Content Knowledge (CK) - teachers' expertise in the subjects they are teaching or trying to teach (Mkoehler, 2012). Also known as the “WHAT.” (math, music, English, history, science, financial aid)	Educator must have a firm grasp of the financial aid application and other processes for this lesson to be effective.
Pedagogical/Andragogical Content Knowledge (PCK) - recognizing the most effective methods for teaching a particular subject to a particular audience (adults/student) (PowerSchool, 2022).	Flexible, accessible, problem/solution focused, purpose
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) - knowing how to use your digital tools as a means of achieving the learning results and experiences you desire (PowerSchool, 2022).	To describe the financial aid process, use visual and audio resources such as PowerPoint or VoiceThread.
Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) - understanding how the information can be enhanced or transformed by the digital technologies at your disposal, how it can be given to students, and how students may engage with it (PowerSchool, 2022).	Students and parents can access the material at any time and from any location via VoiceThread. Through comments that are audio, video, or text-based, they can also participate and contribute using this technology.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) - integrating technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge to improve the lesson's activities (PowerSchool, 2022). THE SWEET SPOT!	Students and adults will benefit from the flexibility, accessibility, focus, and collaboration that VoiceThread and Kahoot offer by enhancing the lecture and using a quiz game activity used to check for understanding.

Image credit (Mishra, 2022)

 

 

Resources

Edutopia. (2007, November 6). What is successful technology integration? Edutopia. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description

Mishra, P. (2022). Silly tpack images (over the years). Punya Mishras Web. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://punyamishra.com/research/tpack/silly-tpack-images-over-the-years/

Mkoehler. (2012, September 24). Tpack explained. TPACK.ORG. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from http://matt-koehler.com/tpack2/tpack-explained/

PowerSchool. (2022, April 20). The TPACK Framework Explained (With Classroom Examples). Powerschool.com. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.powerschool.com/blog/the-tpack-framework-explained-with-classroom-examples/

Western Governors University. (2022, May 24). Andragogy vs. pedagogy: Key differences in learning. Western Governors University. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/andragogy-pedagogy-key-differences-learning2205.html