Universal Design for Learning: Designing Learning Experiences That Engage and Challenge All Students

Assessment

Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.

1. Briefly describe Universal Design for Learning. Make sure to include and describe the three principles of UDL.

2. Next week, Mr. Schlotzsky will begin a chapter on colonial America. First, the students will take their textbooks home and read the chapter for homework. Then, Mr. Schlotzsky will lecture, write notes on the whiteboard, and give his students handouts. To assess their knowledge, he will ask his students to use the Internet to research colonial America in greater depth and to give an oral presentation.

   Goal: Students will read the textbook chapter, listen and take notes in class, conduct research, and give an oral presentation.

   Help Mr. Schlotzsky evaluate the components of his instruction and remove barriers that might create roadblocks to students’ learning.

   1. Rewrite the goal so that it adheres to the notion of “clear goals, multiple means.”

      For the remaining instructional components (items b–d), use the table below to help Mr. Schlotzsky incorporate the three UDL principles. Because the Methods and Materials components are so closely related, we grouped them together in the table. You can choose to do the same or keep them separate.

      Note: To complete this table, be sure to consult all pages in this module, not just those related to the components.

   2. In the Instructional Elements column, list the elements Mr. Schlotzsky is using for each component (e.g., lecture, oral presentation).
   3. In the Barriers column, list barriers for each instructional element.
   4. In the Removing Barriers column, suggest ways Mr. Schlotzsky can remove these barriers.

      Component	Instructional Elements	Barriers	Removing Barriers
      Assessments
      Methods and Materials

   5. Imagine you are a colleague of Mr. Schlotzsky and you have been incorporating UDL principles into your learning experiences for several years. To help him transition into incorporating these principles, what small change would you suggest he do first to get started? Explain why you would recommend this.

3. Turn a lesson that does not incorporate UDL principles into a UDL-based lesson. Choose either of the options below. Because the Methods and Materials components are so closely related, we grouped them together in both tables. You can choose to do the same or keep them separate.

   Note: When completing the table of your choice, be sure to consult all pages in this module, not just those related to the components.

   Option 1: If you have previously or are currently teaching, select a lesson plan that you have used. In the table below:

   1. Record information about each instructional component of the lesson plan in the Non-UDL Lesson Plan column.
   2. Revise the lesson plan to incorporate UDL principles and record that information in the UDL Lesson Plan column.

      Component	Non-UDL Lesson Plan	UDL Lesson Plan
      Goal
      Assessments
      Methods and Materials

4. Option 2: Using the table below, help Ms. Hamilton convert the 50-minute non-UDL lesson about DNA into a lesson that incorporates UDL principles.

   • Component	Non-UDL Lesson Plan	UDL Lesson Plan
     Goal	The students will read the first three sections of the chapter on DNA in the textbook and turn in handwritten responses to the textbook review questions.
     Assessments	Review questions will be graded.
     Methods and Materials	10:00–10:20 Method: Oral lecture using a slideshow presentation displayed on the whiteboard to summarize the main ideas for sections 1–3 of the textbook (teacher-directed instruction) Materials: Presentation slides, whiteboard 10:20–10:40 Method: Students complete worksheets by labeling diagrams of DNA and writing the definitions for each key word. (independent practice) Materials: Worksheet, pen 10:40–10:50 Method: Students start working on the textbook review questions for these sections, which they will complete for homework. (independent practice) Materials: Textbook, notebook, pen