equality, equity, liberation

The catch 22 of targeted support

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A while ago, I visited a small rural school that had introduced a range of literacy support tools in a systematic way across all of their classes. The school had recognised that much of the content shared and used in their classrooms was in written format and that this was creating a barrier for students.

Soon after implementation, staff were excited to note that one student in particular had started working in class and had answered some questions. The literacy support tools removed a barrier for her, and the success story quickly spread around the staffroom.

equality, equity, liberation
Removing barriers to learning – Liberation representing the concept of Universal Design for Learning, Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire interactioninstitute.org madewithangus.com

One staff member talked to the student in question (let’s call her Jane) about her success using the literacy support tools. Unfortunately, the staff member did not realise that Jane was very sensitive to being singled out and made to feel different from her peers. The small act of talking to her had unintended consequences…. from that moment, Jane stopped using the literacy support tools.

Unintended consequences

This story, while very sad, has reminded me about the way we think of some students as having “additional needs”. We sometimes call them our priority learners; we recognise that they need more help than others to be successful in our classrooms, and we provide targeted resourcing for them.

But, if some students have “additional” needs, does that mean, by implication, that the rest have “normal” levels of need?

The very idea seems flawed when we consider the uniqueness of each and every student. When we embrace diversity, everyone has such a variety of individual learning needs that saying some are “additional” and some are not, no longer makes much sense.

Our traditional approach to supporting students like Jane is to identify their individual needs and provide targeted support. Hence, we design for most of our students and then differentiate or provide adapted resources to meet the “additional” needs of other students.

One of the unintended consequences of this approach is that it tends to focus on the student as the nub of the “problem” and any support they need as “extra” to everyday teaching and learning.

Another unintended consequence is that it can make students feel different or “under the spotlight” — this was the issue for Jane on this particular occasion.

The catch-22 for schools is that we want to continue to provide targeted resources where they are needed but the process of identifying needs requires a focus on identifying a student’s difference from the (illusionary) “norm” of others. Further, the process of identification can result in negative or deficit labelling of students.

That is why Universal Design for Learning resonates for me.

Why Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

He waka eke noa 1
A canoe for one and all 2
If someone is finding learning difficult, UDL asks, what we can do to design teaching and learning that works for everyone rather than what is wrong with the student. UDL aims to cater for a range of students first and foremost by offering flexible and personalised ways to learn rather than focusing on differentiating for the odd “different” student.

Developing strong, trusting relationships and knowing our students well and can help us be aware of how small actions on our part could lead to unintended consequences for our students.

In a recent visit to the school I saw students using a range of literacy support tools in their everyday work. The tools were not used widely but they were a flexible option that could be used when and if the students wanted or needed them.

Just as ramps and accessible toilets aim to make buildings barrier-free environments, the school I visited recently is continuing to identify and remove barriers using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).


Enabling e-Learning video: BYOD supporting inclusion

If you are interested in hearing more about UDL and Inclusive Design, make an inquiry to CORE Education.

 

1 http://www.maori.cl/Proverbs.htm

2 The use of this whakataukī here is to support the ideals of inclusivity.

Image credits:
Removing barriers to learning – Liberation representing the concept of Universal Design for Learning, Interaction Institute for Social Change by Angus Maguire, interactioninstitute.org madewithangus.com (used by permission).

 

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planning with udl

Universal Design for Learning in curriculum planning and lesson design

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In my last few blogs, I have unpacked UDL principles and UDL thinking. Once people understand the basic principles of UDL they often ask how to use those principles in class and lesson planning.

The quick and easy answer is to consider all your learners, and use the UDL principles throughout every aspect of the design and planning process. But this advice is not always practical enough to be very helpful. In response, Linda Ojala and I have synthesised some earlier work from a variety of sources 1 into a framework to support the planning process.

planning with udl

Download this chart (PDF)

Let’s break this down…

Universal Supports

Does the everyday learning environment provide a range of supports to cater for student variability?

Universal Supports are those things that exist in the learning environment that the teacher does not have to think about or plan for daily, thus saving teachers time and energy.

They are typically supports that are common to several learning activities. Universal Supports include the physical, emotional, and learning environment in the classroom as well as well-established systems and protocols that are so embedded that they are simply ‘the way we do things around here’.

Some examples are:

  • having black pens for your whiteboard rather than green ones that are harder to see
  • daily routines and timetables (and visual displays showing these)
  • having a variety of furniture and spaces to suit different tasks and preferences
  • visuals and posters to support thinking frameworks, problem-solving, task completion etc
  • having digital technologies that students can use to personalise their learning.

Goal or Purpose

Ask: Does everyone know what they are doing and why?
Goals give us direction, so it is important that everyone is clear about the purpose of their learning and what they need to do to achieve success. Articulating goals can be as simple as stating them at the outset of a lesson, or writing them on the board, but should always be expressed in ways that are understood by all.

Group or whole-class goals should allow for student variability so that each student can see how the goal is appropriate for them. Lastly, always make sure that the means of achieving the goal is not confused with the goal itself.

For example, if students are researching content material, the means of doing the task may include reading, but, unless you are purposefully targeting reading, this should not be part of the goal. In this scenario, students who cannot read the material (such as those with dyslexia), can still successfully complete the task by using tools like text-to-speech technology.

How the goal is met should not interfere with achieving the goal of learning that content—just as a GPS doesn’t provide only one route to a destination but may offer alternative routes based on variable factors, such as traffic, non-highway options, and so forth2 .

Teaching approaches and activities

Ask: Will the teaching approaches and options for completing activities work for everyone?
When planning teaching approaches and learning activities, consider if the way you plan to do things will work for each and every student in the class.

For example, the following poster by Richard Wells may make us rethink the effectiveness of whole-class teaching.

the class a teacher talks to

If you know (or think it is likely) at the outset that it won’t work for everyone, ask:

  1. Why are we doing it this way?
  2. Is there another way of approaching the teaching and learning that is more likely to work for everyone?
  3. What extra supports are needed to ensure everyone is successful?

Co-creating with students often provides a powerful alliance as students can identify innovative ways to do things and provide ideas about the things that work for them.

Resources and Materials

Ask: What resources or materials will I need to make it work for everyone?
Supporting resources can help students to know what to do, how to do it and what success looks like.

Resources that support students to undertake the task come in a variety of formats and include:

  1. frameworks that break tasks down into steps
  2. exemplars
  3. visuals to aid comprehension
  4. cheat sheets
  5. word lists
  6. materials or multimedia resources that allow students to learn in a variety of ways.

Ask: Are the resources or materials accessible and usable by everyone?
When designing resources, consider whether they are accessible and usable by all. Worksheets and workbooks are inaccessible for students who need reading support and those who have low vision or who are blind.

By digitising content, students can personalise how they access the material. For example, the text could be read aloud using text-to-speech, enlarged for students who have low vision, or converted to Braille.

Assessment and outputs

Ask: Can the students show what they know in a way that works for them?
For some students, assessments in specific formats or under certain conditions may not provide a good gauge of their learning. A strengths-based approach with flexible assessment conditions can more accurately assess student learning.

For example, if we ask a student who has difficulty using a pen to write to show their learning and comprehension, we may learn very little about their learning and a lot about their writing ability — something it is likely we already knew.

Flexible assessments options can be achieved by:

  1. using a range of formats for evidence of learning (e.g. audio, video, and a variety of multimedia options)
  2. identifying barriers for students, and providing tools such as text-to-speech, voice typing and other reader/writer options to overcome these
  3. provide flexible timing, scheduling, and accommodations to gain the best evidence of learning.

Final word

We hope this framework helps you apply UDL principles in a class or lesson-planning context. In the end, it is really about having that important question at the heart of everything you do: Will it work for everyone?

 

Resources and further information about UDL:

 

1 Including work from CAST, Chrissie Butler, and this article by David Gordon

2 How UDL can get you to personalized learning, eSchool News, David Gordon (CAST).

Image “The class a teacher talks to”, by Richard Wells @EduWells More @Eduwells.com under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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udl thinking

What is UDL (Universal Design for Learning) thinking

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework based on learning and neuroscience that aims to create learning environments that are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. At its heart, UDL celebrates the uniqueness of each and every learner.

E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū.
The tūī sings, the kākā chatters, the kererū coos.

Just as this whakatauki sees each bird as unique, UDL sees the diversity and variety of students in a class recognising and valuing the individual.

Every student is uniqueUDL thinking — Every student is unique — so, how do I design learning so it works for everyone?

The UDL worldview contrasts with industrial-age education that aimed to build a compliant workforce to work in factories. In this view, students in a class were viewed as essentially the same (same level, same subject).

Industrial age thinkingIndustrial age thinking — My students are essentially the same so I plan lessons for the whole class
and they all learn the same things at the same time.

In the industrial-age education model, students who did not fit into the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach were seen as needing something different and special to help them to learn. They were often not included in classes with their peers because their needs could not be met using the one-size-fits-all approach.

udl thinkingThinking — I plan lessons for the class but I have someone different in my class, so what special things will I do for that person?

UDL is a framework for purposeful design for all

UDL relies on a strengths-based approach where the focus is on making the curriculum work for students rather than the student fit the curriculum. It is about smart, purposeful design for everyone from the outset. It is the opposite to a one-size-fits-all approach, but it does not mean that teachers are expected to plan 25 lessons for a class of 25 students. UDL aims to build student agency and utilise flexible learning pathways so that everyone can seamlessly access and engage in learning.

For example, if a student cannot access reading material, UDL asks how else the information could be presented, or how the task could be redesigned to cater for anyone who found the reading or content difficult. It does not focus on remediation of the student’s reading difficulties. Of course, I am not suggesting that reading problems should be ignored – they should be addressed as part of a well-balanced literacy programme. What I am saying is that poor reading should not be a barrier to learning.

Flexible options always depend on the specific learning intention for the group but in this example (to access reading material), options could include:

  • students using text-to-speech technology to read the passage aloud
  • offering ebook options
  • adding images to support understanding
  • peer reading (tuakana/teina options).

The aim is to offer flexible options that allow all students to be independent and successful without the teacher having to create multiple resources for multiple individual students.

 

Using an iPad to support independent writing for a student with ADHD

Video: from the TKI website

UDL thinking — creating an inclusive education

UDL is about what we believe is important and how we address the needs of students in our everyday classes. By working to remove barriers and design for all, we can help all students to be successful learners.

UDL thinking is a personal value and belief that we can apply to everyday decisions about the way we do things and the way we design lessons and curriculum.

 

Source for images:

All images are by: Daniel Nodder (daniel.nodder@gmail.com)

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equality vs equity

Unpacking UDL, differentiation and adaptation

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In this blog I offer you my thoughts about what UDL (universal design for learning) is (and is not) and how it is differs from differentiation and adaptation.

The concept of UDL is really well articulated in this Enabling Elearning video when the student (Felix) says: “Last year I had dyslexia and I felt different. This year I don’t feel different; it’s much easier”.

Felix had been in a class where he was the only student using a laptop to support his learning (as he has dyslexia).  His individual learning needs may have been met, but he felt ‘different’ and ‘special’. He then went to a class where everyone was using technology. Felix was able to independently access the tools he needed when he needed them, just as everyone else in the class did – it felt easier and he felt more included.

Hence UDL aims to remove barriers from the start to make learning work for each and every learner, rather than designing learning for the (mythical) average and then providing supports for a few who don’t match that mythical average.

The idea is that support and flexibility are embedded in the learning environment as much as possible, so busy teachers do not have to address them on a daily basis. When a range of learning supports and flexible options are embedded into the everyday learning environment they become normalised and every student can use them (or not) as is appropriate.

In contrast, differentiation and adaptation provide individual supports and are one component of UDL – they are something that you would do for an individual when you have already looked at more universal supports that help every learner.

The difference between an individual support approach and a more universal approach is shown clearly in the image below. UDL is represented in the right hand picture where the barrier is removed and no-one needs individual supports to see the game. Differentiation and adaptation is represented in the middle box where each individual has different supports to see the game. Of course both options are better than no supports but the universal design option aims to create a learning environment that is usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.

equality vs equity
Image Credit (with permission): Via Advancing Equity and Inclusion — A Guide for Municipalities ©CAWI

Differentiation and adaptation are very important options for removing barriers to learning, but because they often focus on individuals, they can sometimes do more to set students apart from their peers than to include them. That is why it is so important to try to design learning that works for everyone before looking at individual approaches to address learner needs.

UDL thinking — creating an inclusive education

I believe that the real power of UDL is in transforming our thinking.

UDL is about asking … ‘Will that work for everyone?’ And it involves smart, purposeful design for everyone from the outset so that, as much as possible, individual adaptations are not necessary.

It is an approach we apply to everyday decisions and lesson or curriculum design. I believe the important thing is that we are constantly trying to make learning work for everyone. We may not always succeed, but trying is important.

For me, that UDL attitude is one of the essential keys to an inclusive education.

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Syllabus –Lynda Barry – Notes from an accidental professor

My dream learning environment — a flexible space that supports creative endeavour

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Syllabus –Lynda Barry – Notes from an accidental professor

What spaces makes your brain hum? Who is your dream teacher and how do they teach? What kind of learning space supports your creativity? I asked myself these questions in the podcast My dream learning environment. Here’s the transcript. Take a look:

Q: Kia ora, Chrissie — and thanks for agreeing to be interviewed.

A: No worries. It’s a pleasure.

Q: OK, so let’s start with the question we ask each guest as an opener: If you could study anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

A: University of Wisconsin — to study with Lynda Barry.

Q: Woah, no hesitation there! Why Wisconsin?

A: Because Lynda Barry is there and she works in a way that would totally make my brain hum. I would be camping outside the door to get in each day.

Q: That’s quite an endorsement.

A: Yep, she’s a total inspiration and a mentor. A maker and a teacher and a wonderful rule breaker and explorer. Best of all, she only gives feedback by saying “good” and laughing uproariously, and for me that is the perfect fit.

Q: I think you might need to tell us a bit more.

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