At the 5:35 mark of his TED Talk “The Myth of Average,” Todd Rose displays the image shown to the right (TEDx Talks). For many people who view his talk, this image brings back memories of classrooms from their own school days. For some, these memories are positive. They recall sitting in quiet, orderly rows and following teacher-directed lessons without any apparent difficulty. For many, however, classrooms such as the one pictured above, and especially the lessons delivered in them, did not allow them to access the curriculum. With few means available for them to engage in the lessons, build understanding of the content, and demonstrate their learning, many students in classrooms such as this were unable to perform to their potential.
Rose makes a compelling argument against one-size-fits-all education in his presentation. According to him, whenever we design anything, whether it is a fighter jet or a single lesson, for our conception of the average of our target audience, we end up creating something that works for nobody (TEDx Talks). There is a great deal of learner variation in every classroom, and so teachers need to rethink how they design lessons and learning environments to provide access to the curriculum for all students.
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is both a philosophy and a practice that represents a radical change from textbook-centred education. It is grounded in a great deal of research in the areas of neuroscience and education, and it begins by recognizing the extent of learner variation in the classroom. Neuroscientists highlight three neural networks that contribute to student learning. The affective network is responsible for learner motivation and engagement and allows for the formation of priorities in response to its monitoring of the individual’s internal and external environments. The recognition network allows the learner to perceive information and use it to create knowledge. The strategic network determines a learner’s ability to make plans, organize information, and initiate action (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014).
Neuroscientists have recently learned a great deal about these three networks. First, there is an incredible amount of variation from person to person in each of these networks. Secondly, personal abilities vis-à-vis the three networks are not static; they shift over time. Finally, whereas it was once believed that certain qualities related to learning resided entirely within the learner, it is now known that the learning environment plays a highly significant role in how these abilities manifest themselves (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014). Taken together, these findings reveal that the combinations of individuals’ learning strengths, needs, and styles are as unique as fingerprints (CAST, 2010).
This new understanding of the scope of learner variation has immediate and important implications for the classroom. Whereas in the past it was common to label students as, for example, “smart/not smart, disabled/not disabled, regular/not regular,” it is now known that this is “a gross oversimplification that does not reflect reality” (Meyer et al., 2014, p. 46). Such categorization ignores the fact that individual students require different conditions to accomplish their best learning. It forces diverse learners to adapt to a narrow definition of competence within an “inflexible learning environment” (Meyer et al., 2014, p. 46). Meyer et al. (2014) suggest that educators should “address the disabilities of schools rather than students” (p. 3). This shift involves designing learning environments and experiences so that students of all strengths, needs, and styles can succeed without being forced to adapt to conditions that are less than ideal for them.
To accomplish such design, educators must first be able to identify the learning goals for their lessons. They must then identify the barriers that may prohibit students from achieving the learning goals. This step requires educators to have a deep understanding of the individual students before them. Once the barriers are known, educators eliminate or minimize them by using the Principles and Guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (shown below) as they plan their lessons (CAST, 2010).
One of the hallmarks of UDL implementation is the provision of options for all learners. The three Principles of UDL call on educators to “provide multiple means of” engagement, representation, and action and expression to students so that they can choose options that are best suited to their learning strengths, needs, and styles. These three principles, it must be noted, correspond to the three main neural networks that have been emphasized by neuroscientists in UDL research. Beneath each principle are three UDL Guidelines and a greater number of more specific checkpoints that provide educators with direction on how to plan lessons and learning environments so that students can harness the related neural network for optimal learning.
Universal Design for Learning, by recognizing and appreciating learner variability as the norm in classrooms, is the answer to the ill effects of one-size-fits-all teaching. It places the student, rather than the textbook or topic, at the centre of the classroom. Through a deep understanding of their students and how they learn, educators can create vibrant learning environments where multiple options for students to engage in their learning, perceive and comprehend information, and express their understandings are not impaired by barriers.
References
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. T. (2014). Universal design for learning: theory and practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
TEDx Talks. (2013, June 19). The myth of average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBmyttcfU4
CAST. (2010, January 06). UDL at a glance. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. T. (2014). Universal design for learning: theory and practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
TEDx Talks. (2013, June 19). The myth of average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBmyttcfU4
CAST. (2010, January 06). UDL at a glance. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4