Universal Design for Learning
Imagine a lesson where one student needs very clear instructions to get started. Another needs to see an example. A third learns best by discussing with others. Someone needs a little more time to process the information.
A common solution is to plan teaching for "most students" first and then add various forms of support for those who need it.
Universal Design for Learning, UDL, instead begins from a different thought.
What if we plan teaching so that more students can access the learning from the start?
UDL takes as its starting point that students have different conditions, experiences, strengths and challenges. Teaching therefore does not have to be accessible only to the imagined average student and then be adapted afterwards. Instead, the aim is to build different routes into learning from the beginning.
That can mean, for example, presenting information in several ways, giving students different opportunities to show what they know, and including support for things like planning, getting started and maintaining focus.
Does it work?
The research is still developing, but the results are promising. A meta-analysis of 20 studies, from preschool to adult education, found a moderately positive effect on students' academic outcomes when teaching was built on UDL compared with ordinary teaching.
Another systematic review of research from primary and secondary school also shows positive results in several areas, including learning, motivation, engagement and other aspects of students' development. At the same time, the researchers emphasise that the studies differ a great deal and that better research is still needed on exactly which parts of UDL make the greatest difference.
Equitable teaching does not have to mean identical teaching
What is interesting about UDL is therefore not that all students should receive exactly the same teaching. It is almost the opposite.
One student may need a clear checklist in order to plan their work. Another needs to be able to listen to a text in order to take in the content. A third needs the opportunity to discuss before being able to formulate their thoughts in writing.
When such possibilities exist as a natural part of teaching, the student does not always have to ask for a special solution – and that can matter even for students who have no diagnosis or formal support provision. We all have days when it is harder to concentrate, understand instructions, organise our work or get started. Teaching that allows for such variation can therefore create better conditions for more students.
A different question to ask
This is also an important shift in how we think about support. UDL starts in the learning environment: which barriers can be removed or reduced?
That does not mean individual adaptations become unnecessary. All students are different, and some will still need more targeted support. UDL can make ordinary teaching more accessible from the start and thereby reduce the need to rebuild teaching afterwards – which is perhaps the most important idea behind UDL:
When we design teaching with variation in mind from the beginning, differences between students do not automatically have to become barriers to learning.
Further reading
King-Sears, M. E., Stefanidis, A., Evmenova, A. S., Rao, K., Mergen, R. L., Sanborn Owen, L., & Strimel, M. (2023). Achievement of learners receiving Universal Design for Learning instruction: A meta-analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 122, 103956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103956
Zhang, L., Carter, R. A., Greene, J. A., & Bernacki, M. L. (2024). Unraveling challenges with the implementation of Universal Design for Learning: A systematic literature review. Educational Psychology Review, 36, 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09860-7