Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction

This week I had the opportunity to have a discussion with Cheryll Adams who has written books on differentiating instruction and who currently servers as the director for gifted studies at Ball State University. This conference helped corroborate my ideas about maximizing student achievement, throughout my district, by concentrating on professional development in the areas of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI).

The UDL theoretical framework provides for why differentiated instruction is necessary. Based on brain research, UDL shows that students learn differently and that flexibility in instruction supports more learners. The principals of UDL can help teachers’ breakdown their instruction into the three main aspects of learning which are: recognition, strategic and affective. Differentiated instruction then provides the means for designing learning opportunities that take into account each student’s existing knowledge, readiness, language, learning preferences, interests and other factors so that each student’s learning is supported. Differentiated instruction is essentially the “how” for Universal Design for Learning and technology provides the means to make it possible.

I understand that Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction are far more than a collection of tools and strategies. In my work as an educational technologist, I plan on helping educators examine UDL and DI as frameworks of learning and teaching. I will then provide concrete examples and management support as educators implement technology supported differentiated instruction in their classrooms. In my discussions with Cheryl Adams, I confirmed that effective management techniques are critical as educators plan and implement increased flexibility in their instruction.

Effective differentiation begins with understanding the readiness level and learning needs of each student. This requires a variety on on-going formative assessment strategies which can be supported in multiple ways through technology. Using online survey resources, such as surveymonkey, can help educators gather information on the learning needs for each student. In both my own teaching and in my position as a district technology instructional systems specialist, I plan on emphasizing the use of individual student reflection blogs as a formative assessment strategy. Another technology I am advocating that my district purchase, are sets of remote voting devices so that students can all participate in question-answer type activities. The voting devices provide immediate student feedback but also allow students to anonymously respond to questions while electronically keeping track of student specific responses for the educator. Once educators have gathered information about student readiness levels, they can determine what will be most beneficial in term of instruction. By differentiating this instruction, educators can provide flexibility in how student take-in knowledge, explore concepts and share what they have learned.

Most classrooms in my district now have interactive white boards which can help educators’ present information in ways that take advantage of multiple modalities. Online technology resources such as Webquests and interactive tutorials provide efficient methods for educators to differentiate instruction based on variance in readiness levels and learning profiles. I plan to scaffold many of my assignments, and to share this technique with other educators, in order to provide multiple paths for students to take as they work towards essential understandings. Integrating technologies such as video production, voicethreads, and social collaboration tools, can increase student interest and engagement. These tools also provide multiple ways for students to share what they have learned, while also providing sources of formative data for educators to monitor student learning. While all of these tools provide increased options for students to explore and make sense of knowledge, effective management strategies are necessary so that educators experience success as they transition to student centered classrooms.

I have found that elementary school educators tend, on a whole, to be more successful at integrating differentiated instruction. I think this is largely because they already have a toolbox of multiple grouping, management, and motivation strategies that they regularly use with their students. Secondary teachers, on the other hand, tend to rely on teacher centered control and grades. To counter this, I plan to introduce and model a variety of teaching strategies that will help educators in my district to gradually differentiate instruction. This includes the use of flexible grouping supported by training students how to effectively work in group settings. The use of anchor activities can promote independent learning while the educator provides assistance to those students who need it. Scaffolding and tiered lessons are additional instruction strategies that can provide flexibility and organization for differentiating instruction.

By utilizing UDL, Differentiated Instruction and technology, educators can gradually move towards creating learning environments that take into account the individual learning needs of each of their students so that all student experience maximum achievement.