Implementing UDL in the classroom
In terms of teaching objectives, since the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to enable all students to participate in learning, its proposed teaching objectives are relatively broad and flexible. UDL emphasizes the achievement of teaching goals rather than the means needed to achieve them. For example, the teaching goal of “requiring students to write 300 words of composition” could be changed to a flexible goal of “completing 300 words of composition”. Then, students can use different writing methods to achieve their goals. Visually impaired students can use braille, oral or voice output devices to complete their compositions. UDL always focuses on providing flexible materials and support in achieving goals, rather than changing or reducing the goals of teaching and learning.
Creating a UDL with Grammarly
To figure out whether Grammarly (the app I reviewed in assignment 1) is an appropriate tool to create a universal design learning or not, it’s critical to Understand the affective system in UDL. Affective system is a system that determines what is more important, what should be done first and what actions should be taken to complete it. It mainly controls people’s emotions and feelings, so students’ learning motivation, interest, feedback, sense of participation, experience, and whether textbooks can attract students’ attention will affect their future learning. Grammarly, as a professional ai-based proofreading tool, can give language learners timely positive feedback, which perfectly meets this requirement.
I find the affective system fascinating and am not familiar with it. I am interested to learn more about how this system is connected to UDL because the idea of UDL is providing opportunities for all learners and the system you speak of seems to look at prioritizing learning, specifically the social and emotional aspects, based on your description. My understanding of UDL takes the social/emotional components out of the equation so that decisions are not made with biases in play. Your example of Grammerly is good in that it is an option for anyone to use which gives it a UDL feel plus it does give instant feedback and helps all learners who struggle with editing or grammar, not just those deficient in that area.
Hi Jiahao,
I shared your point that UDL emphasizes on the flexibility in learning and teaching to accommodate individual learning differences, not to change or reduce learning goals. About Grammarly, in my opinion. it makes students be more dependent on it. I am not convinced that Grammarly is effective to help learners improve their writing. It is just a promptly responsive tools for important documents such as cover letters, contracts, or reports.
Sincerely,
Kate
Hi Jiahao
Indeed, as you said, UDL emphasizes the achievement of teaching objectives rather than the means needed to achieve them. Therefore, teachers can present the taught content in various ways to meet the different needs of students. For example, content presentation can be conducted simultaneously in the form of text, electronics, pictures and videos, so that it can be full of the preference of all students in the class to receive information. Educators need to recognize the diversity of learners and the diversity of learning styles. It can be said that no two students have the same learning ability or learning type. Universal learning design requires that the curriculum design should aim at the physiological and cognitive characteristics of learners and try to eliminate the learning obstacle caused by perception.
Best,
Sheng Li