Resources

Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/understanding-by-design/.

Buck Institute for Education. (n.d.). What is PBL? Buck Institute for Education PBLWorks. https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl

CAST. (2016). Top 5 UDL tips for learning environments. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2016/udl-tips-learning-environments

CAST. (2017). Top 5 UDL tips for fostering expert learners. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2017/udl-tips-fostering-expert-learners

CAST. (2018). UDL and the learning brain. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2018/udl-learning-brain-neuroscience

CAST. (2020). UDL tips for assessment. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-tips-assessments

CAST. (2020). UDL tips for designing learning experiences. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-tips-designing-learning-experiences

CAST. (2020). UDL tips for developing learning goals. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-tips-developing-learning-goals

CAST. (2024). The UDL guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Cuevas, J. (2015). Is learning styles-based instruction effective? A comprehensive analysis of recent research on learning styles. Theory and Research in Education, 13(3), 308-333. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878515606621

Finn, E. S., Shen, X., Scheinost, D., Rosenberg, M. D., Huang, J., Chun, M. M., Papademetris, X., & Constable, R. T. (2015). Functional connectome fingerprinting: Identifying individuals using patterns of brain connectivity. Nature Neuroscience, 18, 1664–1671. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4135

Fuchs, E., & Flügge, G. (2014). Adult neuroplasticity: More than 40 years of research. Neural Plasticity, 2014, Article 541870. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/541870

King-Sears, M. E., Stefanidis, A., Evmenova, A. S., Rao, K., Mergen, R. L., Owen, L. S., & Strimel, M. M. (2023). Achievement of learners receiving UDL instruction: A meta-analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 122(2023), Article 103956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103956

Kolb, B., Harker, A., & Gibb, R. (2017). Principles of plasticity in the developing brain. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 59(12), 1218-1223. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13546

McLeskey, J., Barringer, M-D., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., Jackson, D., Kennedy, M., Lewis, T., Maheady, L., Rodriguez, J., Scheeler, M. C., Winn, J., & Ziegler, D. (2017, January). High-leverage practices in special education. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center.

Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. T. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.

Ok, M. W., Rao, K., Bryant, B. R., & McDougall, D. (2017). Universal Design for Learning in pre-k to grade 12 classrooms: A systematic review of research. Exceptionality, 25(2), 116-138. https://doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2016.1196450

Pape, B. (2018). Learner variability is the rule, not the exception. Washington, DC: Digital Promise Global. Retrieved from https://digitalpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Learner-Variability-Is-The-Rule.pdf

Posey, A. (2019). Lesson planning with Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/lesson-planning-with-universal-design-for-learning-udl

Ralabate, P. K. (2016). Your UDL lesson planner: The step-by-step guide for teaching all learners (1st ed.). Brookes Publishing.

Valizadeh, S. A., Liem, F., Mérillat, S., Hänggi, J., & Jäncke, L. (2018). Identification of individual subjects on the basis of their brain anatomical features. Scientific Reports, 8, Article 5611. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23696-6

Willingham, D. T., Hughes, E. M., & Dobolyi, D. G. (2015). The scientific status of learning styles theories. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 266-271. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628315589505

Chardin, M., & Novak, K. (2020). Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL (1st ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

This book links social justice and UDL; strategies, examples, and applications are included in an adaptable format that can be used with anyone from individual teachers to the whole school.

Novak, K. (2022). UDL Now!: A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning (3rd ed.). Wakefield, MA: CAST, Inc.

This guide to UDL includes topics such as UDL and MTSS, UDL and equity, standardized assessments, and more. Examples and reflection questions are incorporated throughout to assist readers in comprehension and application.

Capp, M.J. (2017). The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A meta-analysis of literature between 2013 and 2016. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(8), 791-807. DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2017.1325074

This meta-analysis assesses pre- and post-test research on UDL. Articles evaluated are grouped according to the UDL principle on which they focus, and effectiveness is reported.

Hall, T., Vue, G., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2004). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation (Links updated 2014). Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved from https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2014/ncac-differentiated-instruction-udl

This article provides an overview of both differentiated instruction and UDL and describes how they can work together. Additional resources are also listed.

Flanagan, S., & Morgan, J. J. (2021). Ensuring access to online learning for all students through Universal Design for Learning. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 53(6), 459–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599211010174

This article notes the importance of the UDL framework in online learning and offers tips for implementation.

Griful-Freixenet, J., Struyven, K., Vantieghem, W., & Gheyssens, E. (2020). Exploring the interrelationship between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction (DI): A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 29, Article 100306. Doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100306

Interrelationships between UDL and differentiated instruction are explored in this systematic review, and three models of their interrelationship are described.

WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) https://webaim.org/

This website provides various tools and trainings, as well as expert assistance, to help organizations and individuals create accessible materials.

CAST UDL Exchange http://udlexchange.cast.org/home/_gl/1*1t9j5ye*_ga*MTY4MzUzNzI4OS4xNjczMDM1MDUw*_ga_C7LXP5M74W*MTY4OTEwNDgwNy44MS4xLjE2ODkxMDQ5MTQuMC4wLjA

This helpful, practical Website provides an interactive wealth of resources, lessons, and collections that you can save, recommend, favorite, or edit for your own needs. You can also share your work with other members of the UDL Exchange community and comment on others’ work.

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative. (n.d.). Indicator 13 IEP Studies. https://transitionta.org/i13-iep-case-studies/

This page features resources to help educators satisfy transition requirements per IDEA, including 11 case studies that provide examples and non-examples for students who vary in grade and disability.

Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network https://udl-irn.org

The UDL Implementation and Research Network is a grassroots effort to promote the research-based practice of UDL. Their site includes blogs, a research database, links to implementation resources, and more.

UDL-IRN. (n.d.). UDL school implementation and certification criteria. Retrieved from https://udl-irn.org/udl-school-implementation-and-certification-criteria/

In addition to being used by individual educators in their own classrooms, the UDL framework can be implemented intentionally and systematically at the school level. Schoolwide implementation is built around four domains: school culture and environment, teaching and learning, leadership and management, and professional learning. For more information on scaling up UDL, check out this webpage.