The UDL Framework Explained

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn, including students with disabilities. This growing movement aims to improve the educational experience of all students by introducing more flexible methods of teaching, assessment and service provision to cater for different styles of learners.

The goal of UDL is learner agency that is purposeful & reflective, resourceful & authentic, strategic & acton-oriented.

The UDL guidelines provided by US organisation CAST are based on the idea that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ or ‘average’ student, that all students learn differently and that to successfully teach for all students, we have to introduce greater flexibility in to teaching and learning practice. They say that educators should follow 3 core principles when designing learning experiences:

Multiple Means of Engagement (the 'why' of learning)

Stimulate motivation and sustained enthusiasm for learning by promoting various ways of engaging with material

Multiple Means of Representation (the 'what' of learning)

Present information and context content in a variety of ways to support understanding by students with different learning styles or abilities

Multiple Means of Action and Expression (the 'how' of learning)

Offer options for students to demonstrate their learning in various ways EG allow choice of assessment type

The Guidelines

Each of these three principles has multiple guidelines which are designed to give you ideas for how to implement them. You can explore these on the UDL Framework website or see some practical examples on AHEAD's website by using the buttons below to navigate to each page: