Lesson Planning with The Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

What makes the UDL lesson plan different?

As discussed in my previous blog post, the Universal Design for Learning is a model that is designed to make learning accessible to all learners. When lesson planning using UDL, we want to remember to use multiple means of representation, engagement, action, and expression. 

When preparing a lesson plan for your learners, you want to think of some alternatives to the methods that are traditionally used for instruction. We want to go beyond lectures, writing and using the textbook as a form of engagement. At the beginning of our lesson planning we want to start with a flexible goal, then consider the assessment and finally consider the the methods we will use. We want to create a goal that doesn't limit our learners ability to show us what they've learned. If the goal we've created is accessible to our learners, then our assessment process will be more affective. 

How do you determine the lesson assessment?

There are two forms of assessments: formative and summative assessment. They are both two completely different things. Let's talk about the difference. 

 Summative assessment occurs at the end of instruction. It is basically a way to check the learners understanding of the entire lesson that was taught by the instructor. They usually come in the form of tests, quizzes, and chapter summaries. 

Formative assessment occurs during the learning process. While instruction is still happening, formative assessment is used to as a guide to help with the learners progress. We want to use this form of assessment to give feedback, provide guidance, and new strategies to the learners.

 

With the UDL model perspective in mind, the assessment process for the learners should be ongoing. This is why we have formative assessments. If the learners are not performing well on our formative assessments, then this means we need to reevaluate our methods to see what we can do to make the instruction more accessible to our learners. 

At the bottom I have listed a few resources that can be very helpful during lesson planning. These links are helpful in guiding us through the lesson planning process using UDL. 

"Remember, that lesson planning with UDL 

benefits ALL students not just a few!"

Resources for UDL Lesson Planning

• Free UDL Resources and Tips | CAST

http://castprofessionallearning.org/free-udl-resources-and-tips/

• The UDL Project 

https://www.theudlproject.com/udl-tools---all-grades.html

• Lesson Planning with Universal Design for Learning

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/universal-design-for-learning/lesson-planning-with-universal-design-for-learning-udl

• CAST | UDL Lesson Builder

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php

• 6 Steps to Planning UDL Lessons

https://blog.brookespublishing.com/6-steps-to-planning-udl-lessons-3-teacher-stories/

This video is connected to the last link on my resource list. All the resources listed above it are FREE but the last resources is a book for purchase. The link still has wonderful helpful information. There is also this video that gives us an idea as to how using UDL could enhance our teaching when it's added to our lesson plan! Please check out the video!