means of representation udl

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Listen to this page:

Continue your work on the How Do You Teach? Checklist that you started earlier.

Complete the second section of the checklist to consider the ways you currently create a learning environment in which ideas and information are represented in multiple ways.

What does Multiple Means of Representation mean?

Multiple means of representation is about providing learners various ways to access and engage with course materials and information. In its simplest form, this could mean offering textbooks in audio or multimedia formats. This principle also refers to how students comprehend information in different forms, such as decoding syntax, vocabulary, notation, symbols, and disciplinary language. The goal is to support students in using multiple representations and developing fluency in traversing across them. Offering flexibility in presenting information also acknowledges differences in how learners comprehend and perceive information. For example, students with visual impairment may find print materials inaccessible, and students with diverse language, cultural backgrounds, and access needs may encounter barriers to information when educa tor s assume common backgrounds. In a learning environment that applies this principle, material and content are presented in a variety of ways at the outset.

The principle also includes pedagogical approaches to a topic or concept. An educa tor could decide to give a concept overview (lecture) followed by an example and an application of the concept through an in-class exercise. Other examples of approaches include statistics, case studies, and expert opinion. If one approach is ineffective, a different approach may work better.

USask Lens:

“I understand memorization and retaining concepts specifically is a really large aspect of learning, but to integrate a concept really fully you have to be able to connect it to other ideas. I would like to see more of an emphasis on making sure that the connections between different units in course material are presented really clearly to students, because that provides a really good line for them to start drawing their own connections and contribute to their own retention and learning over the course.”

-Student testimonial from the Wellness Strategy Report

Utilizing multiple means of representation is one way to ensure that “connections between different units … are presented really clearly to students”.  Multiple means of representation provide all students with the opportunity to access, engage, and make sense of concepts.

The following short video from the Southern Illinois Professional Development Center offers an overview of this UDL principle.

What might “Multiple Means of Representation” look like in the classroom?

This table provides some examples for implementing multiple means of representation in a postsecondary classroom. Categories are listed on the left, with ideas for implementation on the right.

Web Resources

For more resources on how to provide multiple means of representation, see the guidelines and checkpoints from CAST at: Principle: Provide multiple means of Representation

Reflection: One Small Step

What UDL strategies would you like to try when designing (or redesigning) your next course?

Use the following questions for considering this principle in more depth as it might apply to your course (and remember – start with just one small step!).

Questions for Considering Multiple Means of Representation:

• How can you ensure your course materials are accessible to as many students as possible?
• How might you present main course concepts in more than one format?
• Does your course offer opportunities to encourage student agency?
• What learning activities could emphasize comprehension of key concepts?
• How might you informally gauge student understanding of course concepts?

Universal Design for Learning: One Small Step Copyright © 2022 by Sara Dzaman; Derek Fenlon; Julie Maier; and Toni Marchione is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• UDL Principle: Representation
• UDL Principle: Action & Expression
• UDL Principle: Engagement
• UDL Syllabus Rubric
• UDL Rubric for Online Instruction
• UDL FIG, 2015-16
• UDL Trainings

Provide Multiple Means of Representation

Learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them. For example, those with sensory disabilities (e.g., blindness or deafness); learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia); language or cultural differences, and so forth may all require different ways of approaching content. Others may simply grasp information quicker or more efficiently through visual or auditory means rather than printed text. Also learning, and transfer of learning, occurs when multiple representations are used, because it allows students to make connections within, as well as between, concepts. In short, there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for all learners; providing options for representation is essential. For greater detail, please refer to the CAST UDL Guidelines  on Representation.

Provide Options for Perception

Learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner, and difficult when information is presented in formats that require extraordinary effort or assistance. To reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by:

• providing the same information through different modalities (e.g., through vision, hearing, or touch);
• providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user (e.g., text that can be enlarged, sounds that can be amplified)

Such multiple representations not only ensure that information is accessible to learners with particular sensory and perceptual disabilities, but also easier to access and comprehend for many others.

Provide Options for Language, Mathematical Expression & Symbols

Learners vary in their facility with different forms of representation – both linguistic and non-linguistic. Vocabulary that may sharpen and clarify concepts for one learner may be opaque and foreign to another.

An equals sign (=) might help some learners understand that the two sides of the equation need to be balanced, but might cause confusion to a student who does not understand what it means.

A graph that illustrates the relationship between two variables may be informative to one learner and inaccessible or puzzling to another.

A picture or image that carries meaning for some learners may carry very different meanings for learners from differing cultural or familial backgrounds.

As a result, inequalities arise when information is presented to all learners through a single form of representation. An important instructional strategy is to ensure that alternative representations are provided not only for accessibility, but for clarity and comprehensibility across all learners.

Provide Options for Comprehension

The purpose of education is not to make information accessible, but rather to teach learners how to transform accessible information into useable knowledge . Decades of cognitive science research have demonstrated that the capability to transform accessible information into useable knowledge is not a passive process but an active one.

Constructing useable knowledge, knowledge that is accessible for future decision-making, depends not upon merely perceiving information, but upon active “information processing skills” like selective attending, integrating new information with prior knowledge, strategic categorization, and active memorization.

Individuals differ greatly in their skills in information processing and in their access to prior knowledge through which they can assimilate new information. Proper design and presentation of information – the responsibility of any curriculum or instructional methodology - can provide the scaffolds necessary to ensure that all learners have access to knowledge.

Representation Takeaway Strategy: Graphic Organizers

What:  Graphic Organizers (GOs) are visual representations of knowledge, concepts, thoughts, or ideas.  GOs entered the realm of education in the late twentieth century as ways of helping students to organize their thoughts (as a sort of pre-writing exercise). For example, a student is asked, "What were the causes of the French Revolution?" The student places the question in the middle of a sheet of paper. Branching off of this, the student jots down her ideas, such as "poor harvests," "unfairness of the Old Regime," etc. Branching off of these are more of the student's thoughts, such as "the nobles paid no taxes" branching from "unfairness of the Old Regime."

Why :  Positive effects on higher order knowledge but not on facts (Robinson & Kiewra, 1995); Quiz scores higher using partially complete GO (Robinson et al., 2006).  In addition, GOs have been known to help:

·       relieve learner boredom

·       enhances recall

·       provide motivation

·       create interest

·       clarify information

·       assist in organizing thoughts

·       promote understanding

How : Advanced organizers, Venn diagrams , concept /spider/story maps, flowcharts , hierarchies , etc.

1. Provide completed GO to students (Learn by viewing)

2. Students construct their own GO (Learn by doing)

3. Students finalize partially complete GO (scaffolding)

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Because differences are our greatest strength

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher’s guide

By Allison Posey, MEd, CAST, Inc.

Expert reviewed by Brittney Newcomer, MS, NCSP

What you’ll learn

Why use universal design for learning, what does udl look like in the classroom, how can i use the three principles of udl, how can families support this at home, additional cast resources to explore.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST, an Understood founding partner. UDL guides the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. When you use UDL, you assume that barriers to learning are in the design of the environment, not in the student. UDL is based on brain science and evidence-based educational practices. It also leverages the power of digital technology.

Imagine this: Your students are going to write an essay on the stages of butterfly metamorphosis. 

Some students have seen butterflies grow through the different stages at a local science museum. These students are excited to share what they know. Other students don’t know anything about butterflies and are nervous about writing on this topic. And some students don’t like to write — they dread this activity from the moment you say “essay.”

In any class, you know there’s a wide range of enthusiasm, background, and skills among your students. When you plan with this range in mind, you can approach the lesson in several ways.

You could share a mini-lesson on butterfly metamorphosis and have students use a guided worksheet as they write. Or you could set up stations where students are grouped using flexible grouping around understanding of the topic, language ability, or reading level.

But take a step back. In any lesson or task, you can anticipate this range of variability among your students. There’s another approach you can take to plan for this variability in all your lessons : Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

The ultimate goal of UDL is for all learners to become “expert learners.” Expert learners are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed about learning.

UDL is a powerful approach because from the very start of your lesson, it helps you anticipate and plan for all your learners. It can help you make sure that the greatest range of students can access and engage in learning — not just certain students.

You don’t need specific tools or technologies to follow UDL’s principles either. Instead, your students choose from the tools and resources you already have. They might use them in different ways.

Also, UDL may change how you think about what prevents students from learning. Instead of thinking that something needs to change about the students, UDL looks at the learning environment . The learning environment can include barriers to learning, like the design of the curricular goals, assessments, methods, and materials. In this way, the learning environment itself can be “abled” or “dis-abled.”

UDL gives you a framework to follow so you can reduce the barriers to learning. The main way to do this is to prepare a learning environment where students have what they need to flexibly meet learning goals. 

Universal design can be found just about anywhere you look — both inside and outside your school. Curb cuts change sidewalks so that they’re accessible to the greatest range of users, including people who use wheelchairs and those pushing strollers. Closed captions make television accessible to people who are deaf or who have hearing loss, as well as people at the gym or spouses who can’t agree whether or not to keep the TV on at night. No two forms of universal design are the same. 

Universal Design for Learning looks different in every classroom. But there are commonalities. To start with, there’s always a focus on building expert learning for all. Other common elements of a UDL experience include:

All learners knowing the goal

Intentional, flexible options for all students to use

Student access to resources from the start of a lesson

Students building and internalizing their own learning

In a UDL environment, students rarely do the same task in the same way at the same time. The flexible options will differ across developmental ages. But the framework for having clear goals and flexible options is consistent no matter the grade level or content areas. 

Watch a video of what UDL looks like in the fifth-grade classroom of Understood Teacher Fellow Eric Crouch.

UDL describes human variability based on parts of the brain that manage the “why” (affective network), the “what” (recognition network), and the “how” (strategic network) of learning. Watch as CAST co-founder David Rose explains why UDL emphasizes variability instead of disability . 

CAST developed UDL guidelines that are based on three main principles that align with these learning networks. The three UDL principles are engagement, representation, and action and expression.

The chart below includes the three UDL principles adapted from CAST. It also gives you some questions to consider and lists some examples of the principles in action. You can print a one-page version of this chart to have on hand while planning a lesson, activity, or routine for your students.

Families may not be familiar with the concept of students being active participants in setting their learning goals. They may have questions about letting students make their own learning choices. 

Explain at back-to-school night or in a class email that you’ll be using Universal Design for Learning. You can even share a family-friendly article about the  UDL approach to teaching . 

Assure families that you have high expectations for all students to become expert learners in your classroom. And explain that you’ll keep working with the students and their families to build the skills and interest to make that happen.

Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice , by Anne Meyer, David H. Rose, and David Gordon

UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms , by Katie Novak

Let Them Thrive: A Playbook for Helping Your Child Succeed in School and in Life , by Katie Novak

CAST, an Understood founding partner, develops innovative approaches to education based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Explore related topics

• Skip To Main Content
• Report an Accessibility Barrier
• Accessibility

Multiple Means of Representation

Provide Multiple Means of Representation (MMR) has been referred to as the “what” of learning (Rose & Meyer, 2002). The National Center on UDL describes Multiple Means of Representation in this way:

The Center provides  expanded Guidelines  with examples under each Checkpoint to increase the understanding of ways to Provide Multiple Means of Representation (). Below are some specific examples of Multiple Means of Representation that postsecondary instructor might use.

Some Ways to Provide Multiple Means of Representation in Postsecondary Classes

• Provide comprehensive print and electronic syllabus specifying course requirements, course expectations, and due dates
• Give multiple forms of instructor contact information
• Include examples or illustrations of all major course assignments or activities
• Use advanced organizers to highlight essential course concepts
• Present course content using visual, auditory, graphic, and verbal formats
• Ensure accessibility of course content and materials by using accessible documents and websites
• Use captioned videos
• Select textbooks that offer e-book options
• Incorporate cooperative group activities
• Encourage use of software which reads websites and documents

Initial Thoughts

Perspectives & resources, do these learning experiences sound familiar do you think they are effective (opinion question: no resources), how can educators design instruction that engages and challenges all students.

• Page 1: Universal Design for Learning
• Page 2: Addressing Barriers

Page 3: UDL Principles

How can educators identify and address potential barriers when designing instruction.

• Page 4: Goals
• Page 5: Assessments
• Page 6: Methods
• Page 7: Materials
• Page 8: Designing with UDL
• Page 9: References & Additional Resources
• Page 10: Credits

Provide Multiple Means of Engagement

The first principle is about the “why” of learning—students’ motivation and attitude toward learning. When designing with this principle in mind, educators proactively plan more than one way to incorporate students’ interests, to encourage their efforts, and to promote self-regulation while learning. Examples of providing multiple means of engagement include:

• Inviting students to choose their own topic for an assignment or project
• Incorporating authentic activities that reflect real-world situations
• Generating multiple examples to connect new content to students’ backgrounds and experiences
• Creating opportunities for peer interaction and collaboration
• Providing feedback that emphasizes effort and progress

Provide Multiple Means of Representation

The second principle is about the “what” of learning—the content that is presented to learners. When designing with this principle in mind, educators make sure to use more than one way to present information, to clarify and promote a shared understanding of the language and symbols used in the content, and to foster students’ comprehension. Examples of providing multiple means of representation include:

• Presenting alternatives to text-based information (e.g., images, videos, interactive media, simulations)
• Displaying video captions
• Hyperlinking definitions to new vocabulary in a text
• Offering text-to-speech software when decoding is not the focus of instruction
• Providing graphic organizers to guide information processing

Subtitles that display the words spoken in film or video; can be either “closed” (so that only those who want to can see them) or “open” (so that everyone always sees them).

text-to-speech

Any of a number of methods or technologies by which written content is converted into an auditory form.

graphic organizers

Any visual aid designed to help students to organize and comprehend substantial amounts of text and content information.

Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

The third principle is about the “how” of learning—the ways students take part in and express their learning. When designing with this principle in mind, educators plan more than one way for students to physically interact with learning experiences, to communicate their thinking and understanding, and to use executive functions . Examples of providing multiple means of action and expression include:

• Providing alternatives to physical navigation or response methods using technology tools (e.g., keyboards, touch screens)
• Supplying a variety of task-specific tools (e.g., physical or virtual manipulatives , calculators)
• Offering students varied media options for composition (e.g., text, speech, comics, music, visual art, digital art, video)
• Creating checklists or planning templates for projects

executive functions

The mental processes that control and coordinate activities related to learning, including processing information, retaining and recalling information, organizing materials and time, and using effective learning and study strategies.

manipulatives

Concrete objects (e.g., abacus, counters, popsicle sticks) that students can physically interact with to develop a conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts.

For Your Information

As you have learned, the UDL framework is informed by scientific research about the brain. The three principles each align with a set of networks in the brain that play an important role in learning.

The affective networks process information and regulate emotions, which influences why we are motivated and engaged in learning. These networks are the basis for the first principle, provide multiple means of engagement .

The recognition networks receive incoming sensory information, including what we see and hear. These networks are the basis for the second principle, provide multiple means of representation .

The strategic networks organize information and direct how we respond. These networks are the basis of the third principle, provide multiple means of action and expression .

The following handout provides more information about the brain’s role in learning.

UDL and the Learning Brain

The UDL Guidelines

The UDL principles remind educators of the big picture of addressing learner variability by using multiple means. CAST has also developed a set of Guidelines aligned with each principle. These Guidelines address nine common dimensions of learner variability. For example, educators should expect their learners to vary in how they become interested in learning, how they sustain effort and persistence, and how they self-regulate. As such, educators provide options for each of these dimensions to address the first UDL principle, provide multiple means of engagement . Each Guideline begins with the phrase “provide options for” because expecting all students to learn in just one way can lead to barriers to learning.

Adapted with permission from The UDL Guidelines (CAST, 2018). Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org .

Shauntā Singer provides more information on the purpose of the UDL Guidelines and how teachers can apply the Guidelines to develop their instruction. Next, Susan Shapiro shares a story about how a teacher used the Guidelines as a lens to identify barriers and revise her instruction.

Shauntā Singer, PhD Research & Development/ Professional Learning Research Scientist CAST

(time: 1:45)

View Transcript

Susan Shapiro, MEd UDL Implementation Specialist/ Professional Learning CAST

(time: 2:28)

/wp-content/uploads/module_media/udl_media/audio/UDL_p03_shapiro.mp3

Transcript: Shaunt ā Singer, PhD

The UDL Guidelines are guides for us to consider as we’re developing lessons, our goals, our assessments, thinking of materials, and they should be used as, really, guides [laughs]. And so we want to be sure that we’re considering things like learner agency or learner voice or the type of material that we are using, the type of methods. We want to consider how students are interacting or engaging with the material. We want to see how students are able to understand the material, how they’re engaged in the material, or how they’re able to strategize the information that’s presented to them. So the Guidelines are structured within the principles to help provide options for our students so that they get access. But it’s for teachers to help guide them as they’re creating these things so that more students develop agency, and more students are able to engage in the material that’s being taught. And so we should definitely make sure that we’re using them as guidelines and not as a checklist because there’s not a “do this” when this situation happens or “do that” when this situation happens. It’s not a list that should say, “Okay, if I have all these boxes checked that I am quote-unquote doing UDL.” It’s really a mentality. It’s really a way of thinking. It’s really a set of guidelines to keep in the back of our minds as we’re creating these activities for students to make sure that there are options and to make sure that we’re addressing the variability of students and learners in our classroom.

Transcript: Susan Shapiro, MEd

I’ll share a little story about a teacher who was brand new to learning about UDL and wanted to apply it to their classroom. So this was a high school teacher who had assigned her English class reading the play Macbeth , and she was noticing that a lot of the students were not doing the reading that she assigned each day. And so she thought about UDL, and she said, “I have these Guidelines, and I’m going to think about where the barrier might be.” And she had given everybody a paper copy of the play Macbeth . And she thought, “Maybe it’s related to multiple means of representation. I’m only giving students this one representation of the content, this paper copy of Macbeth , and I’m expecting everybody to be able to perceive it, make meaning of the language, and comprehend this play.” So she spent a lot of time to find lots of versions of Macbeth : summary versions, versions with hyperlinked definitions, audio versions, and digital versions. And in fact, some of the students were now doing the reading because now there were multiple representations, and students could make a decision about which representation of the content they wanted to use. But she still was realizing that lots of students were not doing the reading. And so she returned to the Guidelines, and she thought, “Maybe I need to think a little bit about engagement.” And so she asked some of the students that weren’t doing the reading, “What’s happening? What’s getting in the way?” And the students told her, “We don’t know why we’re reading this. We have no idea about what the point is. What’s the goal here? Why does this play Macbeth matter at all?” And so the teacher returned to those Guidelines and thought, “Wow, I need to think about options for learners to become interested in this.” And provide options is a suggestion that the UDL framework makes, one of the Guidelines, provide options for recruiting interest . And so that teacher had used the Guidelines as a framework, as a lens, for thinking about and finding those barriers. She had used the Guidelines to design some options. So the Guidelines really are this tool for us to use as we iterate on design over time, and they can be used really fluidly by teachers. And it’s really still teachers who are making decisions about learning designs. But the Guidelines help those decisions be a little bit more informed about what we know about human variability and learning.

Did You Know?

There is no such thing as a “learning style.” Decades ago, it was commonly believed that every individual had one primary “learning style” and could be classified as a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. Educators were taught to match their instruction to each student’s identified modality of learning.

Recent research has debunked this theory. There is no evidence that catering to a single “learning style” for each student will result in better or faster learning. On the contrary, we know that all students vary as individual learners and that learning is contextual—the best way to learn will depend on where, how, and what a person is learning. Instead of limiting each student to one means of learning, educators who use UDL address learner variability by ensuring all students have access to multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression.

The following pages will explore more examples of how the UDL framework can be used as a lens for designing each of the components of instruction—goals, assessments, methods, and materials.

• Faculty & Staff

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design is a concept that originated in the field of architecture. The idea was to  design products and spaces that could be used to the greatest extent possible by anyone, regardless of their age, status, or ability.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applies principles of Universal Design to education. Three primary principles guide UDL. Instructors should provide learners with:

Multiple means of representation

Multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression.

The key word across all those principles is  multiple . By providing multiple ways to access and engage, UDL increases the likelihood that a more diverse range of learners can succeed. The common red, octagonal stop sign is a great example of the use of multiples to increase access. It conveys information to users through text, color, and shape. Those who can’t read, can take cues from the color and shape. Those who are colorblind can take cues from the text and shape. Given the diverse needs humans bring to learning, this use of multiples means that UDL-designed courses are more likely to better serve more people.

UDL acknowledges that “ learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is represented to them ” and that “there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for all learners.”  Presenting course content and information in multiple formats makes it accessible to a greater number of learners.  Chances are you already do this in your courses. If you assign an article for your learners, you likely also reinforce the article’s ideas verbally through a lecture, you explain key terms, you draw diagrams on the board or show images as examples.

Some options to consider:

• Create assignments in Canvas rather than uploading a PDF or handing out hardcopies in class. HTML text is readable by a screenreader so those with vision challenges can access the information through the audio version provided by the screenreader.
• Provide videos with transcripts or closed captions . Learners with vision challenges can access video content through the transcript text. And hearing impaired learners can use closed captions to comprehend the audio content in videos.
• Provide lecture materials in Canvas. Posting lecture notes and/or slides in Canvas allows all learners the opportunity to benefit from the opportunity to revisit and reflect on your lecture content. While helpful for all learners, this can be especially helpful for those with cognitive and physical disabilities.

UDL acknowledges that “ learners differ markedly in the ways in which they can be engaged or motivated to learn ” and that “there is no one means of engagement that will be optimal for all learners in all contexts.” If information is not engaging, it is inaccessible to learners.  Stimulate learners’ interests and motivation for learning in multiple ways. Being flexible and offering learners a degree of choice as to how they engage can help make the content more relevant to them.

• Explain the importance and relevance of your learning outcomes . Doing so can help build learners’ motivation.
• Find ways to  connect the content to learners’ lives , for example through the use of culturally-relevant examples.
• Acknowledge many forms of participation , such as contributions to class discussion, online discussion boards, and comments made in writing.
• Allow learners to self-assess and reflect on how the content impacts their interests to help them take ownership of the information.
• Break up larger assignments into smaller, scaffolded assignments that allow learners to practice and build incrementally toward your learning outcomes.
• Use a variety of methods for active learning , such as individual, pair, and small group activities. Learn more about active learning .

UDL acknowledges that “ learners differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know ” and that “there is not one means of action and expression that will be optimal for all learners.” For example, some learners may be more comfortable and skilled in expressing themselves verbally, but not necessarily in writing. Employing a variety of assessment strategies throughout the course can empower learners to demonstrate their knowledge in ways that don’t disadvantage them. 

• Allow learners to choose the means by which they will demonstrate their understanding. For example, if you want to assess whether a learner can think critically about a particular concept, you might offer them a choice to write a paper or record a video to demonstrate their ability.
• Allow learners to participate in the design of an assignment .

Additional resources:

• UW Accessible Technology, “Making digital content accessible”
• UW CTL, “Teaching students with disabilities”
• UW Disability Resources for Students, “Faculty responsibilities”

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UDL: Multiple means of Representation

Udl principle: multiple means of representation.

Universal Design for Learning and accessibility are interlinked. The UDL principle multiple means of representation looks at how your learners perceive and comprehend information. Our learners understand and process this information in different ways relating to their educational backgrounds, language, disability, and culture.  

Consider how your learner access and engage with your course content such as resources and course materials. Are your course materials accessible and do you offer scaffolding and supports to help them comprehend what they are learning? 

Read about the principle of Multiple Means of Representation on CAST's website.

Watch this short video by UDL on Campus about the intersection of UDL and accessibility (1:31 minutes):

Multiple means of Representation guidelines and strategies

How to create accessible digital content

Further resources

• Web Accessibility Guidelines WACG 2.0
• UL's LTF Resources on accessibility and inclusivity
• UL Accessibility channel on MS Stream
• VIDEO: How to use the Microsoft Office 365 Accessibility Checker 

Email:   [email protected]

Phone:  061 234652

For Integrated Curriculum Development Framework queries, contact  [email protected]  for further information or to request assistance.

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Introduction to Multiple Means of Representation

This video offers an overview of the second UDL principle and explains the ways that the Representation principle contributes to the goal of fostering learning expertise Opens in a new window by offering options for perception, interpretation, and comprehension.

UDL – Introduction to Multiple Means of Representation

>> Welcome, everybody. In this video we are going to focus on the ‘what’ of learning and the principle called multiple means of representation. This principle is focused on the neural network of recognition within the brain, involving all of our senses. Presenting content in different ways supports resourceful, knowledgeable learners. In this chart, representation follows the principle of multiple means of expression because the affective or emotional state of being engaged and having motivation to learn, is the ideal state to begin to perceive and comprehend content prior to being able to act on and express what has been learned. But of course, they are all interconnected. The principle of multiple means of representation is concerned with maximizing the learners’ ability to perceive, decode and comprehend content. Again, each principle is founded by three guidelines and all guidelines are designed to empower students as they select pathways for their learning.

As we have described in the previous module, first guideline level is access. So moving from left to right on the access level, we come to the guideline of perception in the representation principle. Let's take a deeper look. Using the perception guideline, we can customize the display of information and offer alternatives for auditory and visual information. Options for perception make it possible for learners to customize their navigation of resources and to personalize their learning in ways that meet their needs. The educator goal in this principle is to empower learners to locate and to make perceptual choices from various materials and technologies and build the skills for ongoing location of resources over time.

Following the guideline of perception is the guideline of language and symbols which is based on the build level and is about building student vocabulary. For example, using glossary hyperlinks, explanations and illustrations and familiarity with the syntax and symbols of the content. This also provides opportunities to unpack the structure of whatever you're sharing and to decode text and images as well as promoting understanding across various languages and cultural understandings. Multimedia like speech to text and videos with closed captions and transcripts to accompany the audio, empowers learners to actively choose resources from multiple options. Here the educator goal is to empower students to choose and utilize strategies from amongst resources that will help them decode and build understanding across language and symbols.

When we move along the internalized level, we see the guideline of comprehension which is where we help students to comprehend the material; first by activating background knowledge which is based on lived experience and previous educational experiences. And then by highlighting those big picture, key ideas and patterns and relationships between pieces of information. We can do this by chunking information and creating check-ins for their understanding and how they are connecting this to their lived and previous experiences. In the online environment, learning can be guided by learner check-ins; can be created using various games, quizzes and self-reflection tools that support learners to identify gaps and determine next steps to address these. Multiple entry points and organization tools assist students to gather and curate information and record their understanding.

And then finally in this principle comes facilitating the transfer of these new understandings to new and novel situations such as applying new acquired knowledge and skills to critical discourse and formative projects. Scaffolded practice related to real life is critical to enhancing understanding of content and empowering learners on the road to finally acting on and expressing their mastery in authentic ways as we will soon explore in module four. We are always moving towards that ultimate goal of fostering expert learning and to that end, multiple means of representation focuses on the goal of becoming resourceful and knowledgeable. Of course, being a lifelong learner is a lifelong endeavour which doesn't start and stop when learners are with us but we can definitely support them on that journey.

Introduction to Multiple Means of Representation - Runtime 4:47 min

https://youtu.be/l6t-HDz_ZCQ

How may options can you come up with to deliver the following message: “Blueberries are good for your brain”?

As mentioned in the introductory video and depicted in this image, the UDL principle of Multiple Means of Representation organizes the ways recognition occurs using three guidelines:

• options for perception,
• options to represent language and symbols, and
• options for the construction of meaning and comprehension.

As discussed in Module 2, learners do not have fixed learning styles, and while many at times describe preferences for various ways of learning, these are highly variable. Our role as educators is to create a clearly described buffet that learners can navigate easily and which allows them to experiment with different ways of interacting with the materials.

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UDL: Providing Multiple Means for Representation

Computer programs and websites have a wonderful tool called the “Rich Text Editor”.  I’m sure that you have seen and used one if you have ever typed a document in Microsoft Word or a Google doc.  The rich text editor lets you put text, images, animations, videos, and other resources into the same document so that you can easily distribute all of these resources to your audience.  The rich text editor lets you use the best options to deliver your message at any given time. It is the perfect tool to use to talk about the representation guideline of UDL. Let’s start by defining what is included in the representation principle: 

• Provide options for perception
• Provide options for language & symbols
• Provide options for comprehension

These guidelines are further divided into a series of checkpoints, or reminders that help you plan for student variability and proactively plan for barriers to learning. 

Representation is the process of collecting and presenting information to students in a way that students can understand, engage with and learn from.  It is the second principle of UDL. Representation uses the recognition network of the brain.  If we are trying to help our students become expert learners then:

"Expertise requires much more than just engagement. It requires constructing knowledge by perceiving information in the environment, recognizing predictive patterns in that information, understanding and integrating new information; interpreting and manipulating a wide variety of symbolic representations of information; and developing fluency in the skills for assimilating and remembering that information." - Meyer, Rose, and Gordon, Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice

Evolving with the Times

UDL is a standards-driven framework.  In order for a student to become expert learners, the learning has to be defined and the instruction has to be delivered to meet a standard.  Let’s take a quick look at one of the 6th grade social science content standards for the State of Massachusetts that reads “Identify the locations, sources of wealth and importance of West African cities and empires, including the city of Timbuktu ….”-  MASS DOE .  You will note that the standard does not define “how” the student will achieve this standard or “what” they will study to achieve this standard. Most importantly, reading is not part of the standard. Now, if a student cannot read grade level text yet and text is the only option given to the student, the student will not be able to achieve the standard.  However, if a student is given the option to view videos or is able to listen to the computer “read” the text, or provided other options, they are included.

Some students may also need options available to them for acquiring the appropriate background knowledge that is necessary to fully understand the topic or standard.  Going back to the social science standard we used above, if you have no background knowledge of “West African cities and empires” you will need support.  This brings up the issue of context.  Context is huge as students vary in their context as well. As Rose and Meyers state “ whatever variability seems to be within the learner is functionally expressed within specific contexts which determine whether a trait, a mood, or an effect of history becomes disabling, neutral, or advantageous with regard to learning. ”   They go on to say that “ No single medium works for every learner, nor does it for every subject....To promote understanding of information, concepts, relationships, and ideas, it is critical to provide multiple ways for learners to approach them. ”

As teachers, developing multiple means of representation does take additional effort but this does get easier as you build your ability and it is worth the effort! Providing options will enable students to:

• Learn the material without barriers interfering in the process, 
• Help them build expertise that will also support them in other subjects,
• Help them build self-confidence that will support them in their willingness to learn new information

The options that you provide need to account for comprehension, language, mathematical expression, and symbols as well as perception.

Continue Your Learning:

• Introduce yourself to UDL, Now! No really, read UDL Now!
• Deeper your understanding of UDL and learn how to implement it into your teaching practice - explore our online courses
• Review our ultimate guide to UDL
• Watch the video above from educator Miki Reilly or download the slides here.  
• Read chapter four of CAST’s free online ebook at Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice
• Check out CAST's site which provides further info on the Principle of Representation . 

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How UDL Creates an Equitable Environment for Students

Providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression creates opportunities for all students to learn.

Universal Design for Learning is a powerful framework to operationalize the right to education, supporting educators in maximizing desirable challenges and minimizing unnecessary difficulties (International Disability Alliance, 2021). UDL is a framework for designing learning experiences, so students have options for how they learn, what materials they use, and how they demonstrate their learning. When implemented with a lens of equity in a multi-tiered system, the framework has the potential to eliminate opportunity gaps that exclude many learners, especially those who have been historically marginalized. If we want all students to have equal opportunities to learn, we have to be incredibly purposeful, proactive, and flexible (Novak, 2021). UDL creates a learning environment that is the least restrictive and most culturally responsive and trauma-informed for all students.

Pause and Reflect: What is your familiarity with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework? Differentiated instruction? Consider what you know about the frameworks already, and what questions you have. You can return to these questions at the end of the chapter to determine if your understanding of the frameworks has evolved.

The term “Universal Design” was coined by architect Ronald Mace in 1988 who defined it as the “design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (Center for Universal Design, 1997). Buildings where all people could not enter were deemed “architecturally disabling.”

In Mace’s (1998) last public speech, he shared more about his philosophy on UD. He said: “Universal design broadly defines the user. It’s a consumer market driven issue. Its focus is not specifically on people with disabilities, but all people. It actually assumes the idea, that everybody has a disability and I feel strongly that that’s the case.We all become disabled as we age and lose ability, whether we want to admit it or not. It is negative in our society to say ‘I am disabled‘ or ‘I am old.‘ We tend to discount people who are less than what we popularly consider to be ‘normal.‘ To be ‘normal‘ is to be perfect, capable, competent, and independent. Unfortunately, designers in our society also mistakenly assume that everyone fits this definition of ‘normal.‘ This just is not the case.”

UDL is based on research in cognitive neuroscience that guides the development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate learner variability. UDL is defined by Higher Education Opportunity Act (PL 110-135) as “a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that (a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities.” Given that inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings is contingent on teachers’ ability to use inclusive instructional strategies, wide-scale commitment to UDL will be critical in creating multitiered systems (Scott, 2018).

Before effectively implementing inclusive practice, we must embrace the concept of variability. As stated in UDL Theory and Practice , a book by two of the founders of UDL, “From one perspective, human brains are remarkably similar. But to neuroscientists, this similarity is an illusion” (Meyer, Rose, and Gordon, 2014, p. 29). All learners learn in ways that are unique to them. This is referred to as variability.

We want to caution that embracing student variability is not the same as designing instruction based on learning styles. An article in the Atlantic , “The Myth of Learning Styles,” shares the pervasiveness of the learning styles myth (Khazan, 2018). More than 90% of educators in various countries believe in their presence and use them to design instruction. But spoiler alert—there is no such thing. This is not to say that we do not have a unique mix of strengths and weaknesses, cognitive variability, multiple intelligences, or preferred learning approaches. But our brains are not wired for a single “style” of learning.

If someone says,“I am a visual learner,” or “I need to hear it, to learn it,” this idea stemmed from the theory of learning styles. There is just one problem: the theory is not grounded in science. Multiple studies have proven that learning “styles” are no more than learning “preferences” and that a preference doesn’t lead to better learning outcomes (Nancekivell, Shah, and Gelman, 2019).

If we cater to a student’s “learning style” by giving the “visual learner” more visual information and more aural information to the “auditory learner” or more movement to the “kinetic learner,” we will shortchange their learning process. This does not mean we can’t embrace multiple forms of intelligence and provide numerous scaffolds and supports. We should provide visual, auditory, linguistic, conceptual, and sociocultural scaffolds, but not because of learning styles—because of variability.

Pause and Reflect: Did you ascribe to the theory of learning styles? If so, notice the cognitive dissonance you may be experiencing as you “unfreeze.”

In UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning , third edition (Novak, 2022), variability is unpacked in terms of interpersonal variability and intrapersonal variability. Certainly, as educators, we know that our learners are very different from each other. This is interpersonal variability. There are still models where “struggling readers” are placed in a different classroom than “advanced readers” because the student needs are different, but this doesn’t embrace intrapersonal variability. For example, we may be in an “advanced” reader group. It is likely that our group will not receive options to listen to the audio version of the text or access sentence stems because we “do not need them.” But what about days when we are exhausted and having a terrible day, or when we forget to wear our glasses, or when the most responsible thing we could do for our mental health is to take a more accessible pathway to find balance? Instructional groups, when they are used for placement, do not embrace intrapersonal variability. Our needs are always changing.

The lack of appreciation of learner variability, especially intrapersonal variability, causes many learning environments to be restrictive and disabling to students. According to Liz Hartmann, an adjunct lecturer on education at Harvard University and an expert in UDL (2015), “When teachers embrace the conceptual shift of the UDL framework and learner variability, they understand that severe disabilities are part of the natural diversity that is to be expected and embraced in classrooms” (p. 58). When this shift occurs, educators are much more likely to provide the options and choices necessary for students with disabilities to thrive in inclusive classrooms.

Once educators embrace variability, inclusion, and the promise of UDL, they adhere to three principles when planning learning experiences: provide multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. Considering these principles removes the barriers that make curriculum and instruction “disabling” to learners, especially students with disabilities (Meyer, Rose, and Gordon, 2014):

• Provide multiple means of engagement. Student engagement is equal parts attention and commitment. For students to pay attention, they need learning opportunities that are relevant, authentic, and meaningful. Since students are different from one another, and because they are dynamic and their needs evolve based on context, no one lesson will be authentic to everyone. To be committed to authentic learning, students need to learn how to maintain effort and persistence, cope when learning experiences are challenging, and self-reflect to help guide their learning. In a universally designed classroom, these skills are explicitly taught by providing students with opportunities to practice these skills in meaningful ways as they work toward their goals.
• Provide multiple means of representation. When teachers present information, they often use a single representation and provide the same lesson to all students. This is often done in a lecture, by playing a video, conducting a lab, or presenting or demonstrating information, teaching vocabulary, and so on. Because there is significant variability in students, they differ in the information they need to gather before applying it in an authentic assessment. By providing multiple opportunities and options for students to learn information, students are empowered to personalize how they build knowledge and skills.
• Provide multiple means of action and expression. Once students are interested in authentic learning outcomes and have learned the information by selecting the options that best meet their needs, they need to express their understanding in an authentic assessment.

When students participate in discussions and complete assessments, they are taking action and expressing their learning. If we want all students to have equal opportunities to communicate their learning, we need to design flexible pathways. To do this, it is critical to unpack our standards and ask, “How can we design opportunities where all students can share their progress toward the standards?”

The three principles of UDL support educators in creating multiple pathways for students to learn and express what they know while empowering students to make choices about their learning. Although this framework does allow students with disabilities to thrive in their classrooms, it also increases the engagement and achievement of all students (Scott, 2018). Understanding the three principles is the foundation for building learning experiences that work for all students and make effective inclusion possible. The three principles of UDL support educators in providing options and choices so students have pathways for how they engage with learning, learn, and share what they know.

Excerpted with permission from the publisher, Wiley, from In Support of Students: A Leader’s Guide to Equitable MTSS by Katie Novak, Ed.D. and Kristan Rodriguez, Ph.D. Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. This book is available wherever books and eBooks are sold.  

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

UDL Guidelines

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a curriculum design, development, and delivery framework used to create equitable, inclusive, and accessible learning environments. UDL assumes all learning environments are diverse and that all learners have variable learning needs. UDL works to provide learning spaces (both physical and virtual) where all students can effectively learn, and demonstrate their learning while creating expert learners who are purposeful, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic, and goal-directed.

UDL guidelines are based on the three primary brain networks shown in the slides below:

• Affective networks – The “why” of learning
• Recognition networks – The “what” of learning
• Strategic networks – The “how” of learning

(CAST, 2018)

Creating learning experiences that activate these three broad learning networks is a useful pursuit for educators as it works towards the goal of expert learning. In addition, the UDL framework reminds us that all brains are variable and that monolithic “learning styles” do not actually exist. Instead, we know that each brain is processing information in complex and variable interactions between the various networks of the brain.

CAST has identified a series of principles to guide design, development, and delivery in practice to address each of the different networks:

• Multiple means of  engagement
• Multiple means of  representation
• Multiple means of  action and expression

Checkpoints

Each network contains checkpoints (three for each network making nine in total) that emphasize learner diversity that could either present barriers to, or opportunities for, learning. The checkpoints for each network are as follows:

• Options for recruiting interest
• Options for sustaining effort and persistence
• Options for self-regulation

• Options for perception
• Options for language, math and symbols
• Options for comprehension

• Options for physical action
• Options for expression and communication
• Options for executive functions

The guidelines are not prescriptive, but instead offer informed suggestions that can be used in any program, course or learning environment to support masterful learning and accurate assessment. Some post-secondary institutions use a streamlined version of the UDL framework to provide more flexibility for application (as shown below).

The video , What is UDL ? [2:45] by Mohawk College ( 2019 ) , explains ho w all of the UDL components work together.

The UDL Guidelines (CAST)

Activity 2: Reflect

• At this point, are there specific topics related to UDL that you would like to learn more about?
• Is it possible to design a learning environment that works for all learners?
• What is one thing you realize you have done in your past teaching that would not fit the UDL Guidelines?

You are invited to reflect in the way that works best for you, which may include writing, drawing, creating an audio or video file, mind map or any other method that will allow you to reflect and refer back to your thoughts.

Alternatively, a text-based note-taking space is provided below. Any notes you take here remain entirely confidential and visible only to you. Use this space as you wish to keep track of your thoughts, learning, and activity responses. Download a text copy of your notes before moving on to the next page of the module to ensure you don’t lose any of your work!

CAST (2018). UDL & the Learning Brain [Graphic]. https://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2018/udl-learning-brain-neuroscience

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2 [Chart]. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Mohawk College. (2019). Universal Design for Learning [Graphic]. http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/employees/centre-for-teaching-learning/universal-design-for-learning

Mohawk College. (2019). UDL with CTL [Video]. https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/employees/centre-for-teaching-learning/universal-design-for-learning

Text Attributions

• This chapter is from “UDL Guidelines” in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)  by Darla Benton Kearney. Licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Creating Inclusive and Accessible Learning Copyright © 2023 by Emily Scida is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What is this resource about? This resource provides an overview of the Types of Assessment , a section on Assessing Variable Learners , examples of Construct Relevance , and a section about the UDL Principles and Assessment .

Why is this important for higher education? From cultural and linguistic proficiences to unbridled enthusiasm for study, to desperate anxiety about the challenges ahead, students vary. Reducing cognitive, linguistic, executive, and affective barriers is of vital importance as students negotiate college and university expectations differently, according to their widely ranging background experiences.

UDL Connection

Provide multiple means of engagement:  Stimulate interest, motivation, and persistence in learning. Just as students learn more effectively when they are engaged and motivated, their performance on assessments can be enhanced by increasing engagement.

Provide multiple means of action and expression:  Offer different methods for students to demonstrate what they are learning such as through writing, multimedia, or demonstration.

Provide multiple means of representation:  Consider the ways in which the items are presented (e.g.,text, graphs, charts, images, videos, demonstrations, objects to manipulate) and if they create barriers for students.

Types of Assessment

The purpose of assessment in postsecondary courses varies as well. Assessments are often designed to gather student data that will yield information about accountability, student progress, and instruction.

• Accountability: Assessing student performance with respect to job preparation, prerequisites, and university or college program goals
• Student Progress: Assessing changes in student performance over time as a result of instruction (assessment of learning)
• Instruction: Probing student responses to instruction in order to optimize the course of learning (assessment for learning) 1

Assessment is used in courses to determine how well students are meeting goals that have been set (e.g., goals around job performance, goals around changes in knowledge). Measurable outcomes from assessments should be comparable with or benchmarked against set course goals. Assessment outcomes, in turn, should inform further instruction.

Assessing Variable Learners

Provision of options within the design of both formative and summative assessment helps to ensure that all learners can act on new information and demonstrate what they know. This requires a distribution of the demands and benefits of any one kind of assessment among all students. For example, students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) may have issues with working memory that would make long multiple choice assessments challenging. If this is the only way students are assessed in a course, students with working memory challenges will have more demands and fewer benefits when it comes to assessment. If writing long responses to text passages is the only option for assessment, students who are not native English speakers will have more demands and fewer benefits, especially if they do not have access to aids such as a glossary or dictionary or if there is time pressure to respond. In sum, greater attention must be paid to issues of learner variability in the design of assessments. Further, consideration needs to be given to embedded design features in digital assessments (such as text-to-speech capability, availability of key word definitions, hints or coaching tips, etc.) so that assessments support students that vary in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, and learning needs.

An Introduction to UDL and Assessment: A short video that introduces the construct and its importance in assessment when viewed from a UDL lens

[White text appears on magenta background: "UDL On Campus.” The colors are inverted and a wave of orange slides over the “UDL On Campus” magenta text. Grey text appears below: “Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education.”]

FEMALE VOICE: UDL On Campus: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education.

[The title appears onscreen.]

FEMALE NARRATOR: An Introduction to UDL and Assessment.

[The screen opens to a montage of scenes on a college campus: a health sciences classroom, an academic support center, a welcome center, a campus directory map, and students working on computers in computer labs and libraries. The last two scenes show a female student on her laptop and a male student and his tutor working together on a paper-based assignment.]

FEMALE NARRATOR: Reducing learning barriers is of vital importance in postsecondary settings as learners arrive in colleges and universities with a diverse set of experiences; what may be a preferred learning mode for one individual may be an obstacle for another.

[A montage of more college and university life: a lounge area, a student working with a Bunsen burner in a lab, and an auditorium of students. The same female student is spotlighted: we see her working on a mass and wind project on her laptop. She looks at different visual data and engages with a colorful diagram.]

FEMALE NARRATOR: In learning environments, individual variability is the norm, not the exception. Instructors of postsecondary courses set goals for learners. Assessment is used in courses to determine how well learners are meeting instructional goals. Goals need to be clear, and separate from the means of achieving them. Assessments should offer more than one route for demonstrating mastery.

[The scene changes to a split screen of close-ups of two students: the female student working on her laptop and the male student writing on paper. The images split open like sliding doors to reveal text underneath: “Construct.” The definition fades in below: “the term used to define the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be assessed.”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: A critical part of assessment is the construct. “Construct” is the term used to define the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be assessed.

[Different text appears onscreen: “ Construct Relevant Factors.” The definition fades in below: “type of presentation or response that are related to the construct that the test is intended to measure.”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: Construct relevant factors refer to factors such as type of presentation or response that are related to the construct that the test is intended to measure.

[Another montage of scenes appears: a hand pressing a button on a graphing calculator, a close-up of the graph it formed, and a handwritten chart of math symbols.]

FEMALE NARRATOR: Many assessments include features that are not relevant to the construct being assessed. These are considered construct irrelevant items. These features may pose barriers for some learners and impact their performance on the assessment.

[Text appears onscreen: “Universal Design for Learning.” Three sections fade in below the heading: “Affective Networks,” with a brain highlighting these portions in green; “Recognition Networks,” with a brain highlighting these portions in purple; and “Strategic Networks,” with a brain highlighting these portions in blue. Text fades in below: “the WHY of learning,” “the WHAT of learning,” and “the HOW of learning.” Each network then appears individually with their corresponding brain: Recognition Networks and “ Multiple Means of Representation ,” Strategic Networks and “ Multiple Means of Action and Expression ” and Affective Networks and “ Multiple Means of Engagement .”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: That’s where Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, comes into play. As a set of three principles for curriculum development, UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, assessments, methods, and materials that work for the widest possible range of learners. This flexible approach to curriculum development can positively impact how learners perform on assessments and result in a more authentic appraisal of learner achievement.

[Lines move in against a white background. A purple box and the text “Multiple Means of Representation” push in. Video footage is shown of the female student working on different diagrams for her mass and wind project. Text appears below: “presentation of information.”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: The first principle, representation, focuses on the ways in which information, including assessment items, is presented. These can be charts, graphs, images, videos, demonstrations, or objects to manipulate.

[Lines move in against a white background. A blue box and the text “Multiple Means of Action and Expression” push in. Video footage is shown of a different female student working on a whiteboard, followed by a whiteboard animation. Text appears below: “learners demonstrate what they have learned.”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: The second principle, action and expression, focuses on how learners demonstrate what they have learned. Do they have the option to write or draw? Do they have the option to present their capabilities through multimedia or a recording?

[Lines move in against a white background. A green box and the text “Multiple Means of Engagement” push in. Video footage is shown of the male student working with his tutor on a paper-based assignment. Text appears below: “enhancing learner motivation and persistence.”]

FEMALE NARRATOR: The third principle, engagement, focuses on enhancing motivation and persistence. When their achievement is assessed, are they sufficiently but not overly, challenged? Do they have options and variety in how they are assessed to help reduce anxiety?

[The screen changes to show a teacher in a mathematics classroom addressing students. A montage of students follows: a student using a Braille writer, the female student working on her mass and wind project, the male student and his tutor working on his paper-based assignment, and a student working on a physics assignment with an enlarged screen display.]

FEMALE NARRATOR: It is important for instructors to be aware of the inherent variability of learners—the existence of barriers that may impede both the acquisition of information and expressing their competencies. Designing assessments with these challenges in mind will allow for greater flexibility to ensure learner success.

[A white background appears with the following credits:

A Production by CAST Script Rhianon Gutierrez, Skip Stahl Narration Mary O’Malley Editing Ge Vue, Rhianon Gutierrez

Developed as part of the Open Professionals Education Network (Logos for OPEN, CAST, and Creative Commons)

References Rose, D. H., Hall, T. E., & Murray, E. (2008, Fall). Accurate for all: Universal design for learning and the assessment of students with learning disabilities. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 23-28.

This video features the following media: “Welcome to Bristol Community College,” by Bristol Community College, Source: http://www.youtube.com/ Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) “Juna Gjata Video Series,” & “Alessia’s Story,” by NCAIM at CAST, Inc. Source: http://aem.cast.org/ Used with permission from NCAIM at CAST, Inc.

(Logos for Creative Commons CC, BY, and SA) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

UDL On Campus: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education]

Construct Relevance

Assessments are designed to measure knowledge, skills, and abilities. Constructs are the knowledge, skills or abilities being measured by an assessment. By their nature, however, most assessments include features that are not relevant to the construct being assessed. Often the methods and materials used in assessments require additional skills and understanding. These are considered to be construct irrelevant. Construct-irrelevant features of assessments may pose barriers for some students, preventing an accurate measurement of the construct.

Assessment Example

Math assessment that includes word problems to assess students’ understanding of math concepts.

Essay exam in a Biology class that is both timed and closed book.

Construct-Irrelevant Factors

The ability to read fluently is construct irrelevant. Even though it is an important skill, it is not part of the construct being measured. Learners who have difficulty with reading may miss certain items even though they may have a good grasp of the underlying math concepts.

Construct-irrelevant factors include motor coordination (handwriting or typing skills), short-term and working memory, organization and time management, attention, and the ability to work under pressure. The additional measurement of these many factors can prevent gaining an accurate picture of a student’s Biology content knowledge.

Minimizing construct-irrelevant factors does not lessen the rigor of an assessment but instead gives a more accurate picture of what learners are actually learning in terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities identified in the course goals. Having an accurate picture of student learning is particularly important for formative assessments, where results can be used to revise instruction as a course progresses. Minimizing construct-irrelevant factors helps to focus in on where students are actually struggling with content, skills, or abilities that the assessment is meant to measure.

It is important to consider construct relevance when creating assessments. For example:

• Supports can be provided to reduce the measurement of construct-irrelevant factors, such as providing text-to-speech so that reading ability is not being measured in an assessment of content knowledge in mathematics.
• Students can be provided with options for how they demonstrate what they know, such as presenting a project either through an open-book essay or an oral presentation.
• When construct irrelevance cannot be avoided, such as when administering a standardized test that has not been designed with attention to construct relevance, it is important that the instructor is aware of learners for whom there may be barriers and how it would impact their performance. The demands and benefits of any one form of assessment will differ depending upon who is taking it.

By providing supports and options around how to demonstrate knowledge, and by developing awareness of what barriers different forms of assessment create for different students, faculty can better distribute the demands and benefits of any one form of assessment among all learners.

UDL Principles and Assessment

In learning environments, individual variability is the norm, not the exception. Learners differ from one another, and an individual learner differs over time (students may be tired or hungry on a given day), depending on the task in front of them (students may be bored or feel over challenged), and the context for the assignment (students may consider the material to be controversial or feel that the material is not relevant to them).

Three primary principles of UDL , which are based on research in the learning sciences, guide UDL. These principles can be helpful in thinking about the design of assessments.

Provide Multiple Means of Engagement

Providing multiple means of engagement (the why of learning) means supporting interest, motivation, and persistence. Just as students learn more effectively when they are engaged and motivated, their performance on assessments can be enhanced by increasing engagement.

• Do students think that they can be successful? Emphasizing the importance of effort and motivation and expressing confidence that students can meet high expectations can improve their performance.
• Do assessments provide different levels of challenge? One way to do this is to provide options on essay exams so that students can choose a question they feel they can answer well. Another way is to allow students to answer essay questions in different formats. Perhaps students could write a classic essay, create a short play, or create a video response. Once an instructor has addressed the question, "“What do I really want the learner to learn?" (i.e., construct relevance) then the individual motivations and desires of learners and the time constraints of their instructors may be the only limits to the possibilities.
• Are different formats used for assessments over the course of a semester? As mentioned earlier, the demands and benefits of any one form of assessment will differ for each student. Therefore, the options and supports provided for the first two UDL principles ( representation and action and expression ) can enhance engagement in the assessment process.

Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Providing multiple means of action and expression (the how of learning) means providing different ways for students to work with information and content and to demonstrate what they are learning.

In assessment, consider the ways in which students will demonstrate what they have learned.

• Will they need to write or draw?
• Will they demonstrate an action?
• Do they need to organize information mentally, or can something be provided to help them organize the information (e.g., concept mapping software)?

Again, consider which actions are actually relevant to the construct being measured and which ones can be supported or varied in order to gain an accurate picture of what each student has learned.

Provide Multiple Means of Representation

Providing multiple means of representation (the what of learning) means presenting information and content in different ways and making connections between them. When planning assessments, consider the ways in which the items are presented—text, graphs, charts, images, videos, demonstrations, objects to manipulate.

• Do the ways in which items are presented create barriers for any students?
• Are there alternatives that could be used that would still allow accurate assessment of what students should know or be able to do?
• Are the representations used construct relevant?For example, if students need to be able to interpret information in graph format, then the graph itself is relevant. If they only need to be able to use the information in the graph, consider providing different formats for displaying the information. Tables, charts, infographics, or even plain text may be a more accessible format for some students. Remember, the goal is to find out what students are actually learning. Keep in mind basic accessibility requirements for images (including images of tables, charts, and graphs). Any text in an image needs to be readable by a computer or other assistive device that a student might need for access. All images should have alt text . Additionally, a long description is needed when an image is complex and cannot be described briefly.

Applying the UDL Principles

When applying UDL principles to assessment, it can be helpful to consider first where there might be barriers that would impact the performance of some learners. Below are examples of barriers and some options for minimizing them. Keep in mind that constructs can be assessed in many ways, and the goal is to minimize factors that are construct irrelevant.

Action & Expression

Representation, possible barriers.

Assessments that create anxiety in some students

Assessments that do not engage some students

Assessments that require persistence

Assessment Options

Remember that every assessment instrument is automatically measuring each student’s reactions to the motivating conditions present in that assessment. For example, some students are enthusiastic about spontaneity and novelty around assessment conditions, while other students experience great amounts of anxiety under such conditions and seek comfort and support.

Offering choice and variety in assessment conditions can reduce these barriers. For example, developing a web site vs. giving a presentation. Offering options between quizzes, journaling, and specific assignments or projects can provide variety.

Assessments that have a single response mode (asking learners to draw diagrams for every answer)

Using the same format for response for all assessments (using only multiple choice, written response)

The demands associated with responding to any assessment are not always construct relevant. In other words, if the goal of the assessment is to understand the processes involved in cell division, then asking the learner to write an essay and grading the construction of the essay may not be relevant to the task of understanding that the learner really needed to know. Supporting strategic and organizational abilities and allowing students to express acquired knowledge and skills in diverse ways can be built into a variety of assessments.

Choices, again, can be helpful. For example, an assignment on identifying barriers to economic expansion in post-World War II Europe could include the options of an essay, PowerPoint presentation, video, or infographic to achieve the same goal. Demonstrating understanding of text can be expressed by students choosing keepers (items from the text the learner finds important and relevant) and generating queries (questions created by the learner to be answered later) about the content. These can be expressed in written or verbal form, in a group or alone.

Assessments that provide relevant information in a single format (for example, using tests from a textbook in the same format for every assessment, such as end-of-chapter questions)

Using the same forms of representation for all assessments (for example, requiring students to integrate new information from their instructor with a PowerPoint presentation only)

Side-stepping a “one size fits all” assessment allows for students to access key ingredients. For example, highlighting critical features in a text or graphic, providing definitions for vocabulary, and scaffolding reading strategies to support comprehension can open up a variety of options for students to engage in the goals of the assessment. It is, of course, important that these supports do not impact construct relevance. In other words, if it is important for the student to be able to glean relevant information from a graphic representation (such as they might encounter in the workplace), then the assessment must include relevant information in a graphic representation.

In order for students to “show what they know, providing choices in how to access information is key. For example, start with content students have had success with in the past; then work from there, checking to see what other options for representation could be available. Ask, “Are there other media available; are there more choices learners can have to show mastery?”

Examples in a Mathematics Course

There are many ways to apply the guidelines of UDL within assessment in a specific course. Below are just a few specific examples that could help to address barriers for some students.

• Provide open-book quizzes
• During quizzes and tests completed individually, provide scheduled breaks so students can communicate with each other and their instructor in order to become “unstuck” while working on complex equations and problem solving. For example, during tests, one mathematics instructor writes some of the complex equations on whiteboards around the room. During a ten-minute break, students have the option to approach a problem and talk through their thinking in order to progress to the next step in the activity if they are stuck.
• Allow for small group work
• Use a computer program, such as software for creating drawings, to demonstrate lesson goals and objectives
• Allow students to take a video of themselves solving a problem and talking through their thought processes
• Provide a choice of mathematical problems for students to complete to demonstrate mastery of a learning objective

Ongoing assessment is an essential part of any course. Learners vary in the ways in which they learn and can demonstrate what they are learning. Because of this variability, construct-irrelevant features in assessments can create barriers that prevent some learners from accurately demonstrating what they have learned. The principles of universal design for learning (UDL) can be applied to help identify and address construct-irrelevant barriers in assessments.

1 Rose, D. H., Hall, T. E., & Murray, E. (2008, Fall). Accurate for all: Universal design for learning and the assessment of students with learning disabilities. Perspectives on Language and Literacy , 23-28.

Assessment is the process of gathering information about a learner’s performance using a variety of methods and materials in order to determine learners’ knowledge, skills, and motivation for the purpose of making informed educational decisions.

Multimedia refers to the combination of several media (e.g., text, graphics, audio clips, video) to represent content concepts.

Text-to-speech or speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech and is generally accomplished with special software and/or hardware.

UDL is an educational approach based on the learning sciences with three primary principles—multiple means of representation of information, multiple means of student action and expression, and multiple means of student engagement.

Video is the recording, reproducing, or broadcasting of moving visual images.

Construct relevant refers to the factors (e.g., mode of presentation or response) that are related to the construct (the concept or the characteristics) that the test is intended to measure.

Construct irrelevance is the extent to which test scores are influenced by factors (e.g., mode of presentation or response) that are not related to the construct (the concept or the characteristics) that the test is intended to measure.

Multiple means of representation refers to the what of learning. Because learners vary in how they perceive and understand information, it is crucial to provide different ways of presenting content.

Multiple means of action and expression refers to the how of learning. Because learners vary in how they express their knowledge, it is crucial to allow them to express what they know in different ways.

Multiple means of engagement refers to the why of learning. Because learners vary in how they can become interested or motivated to learn, it is crucial to provide multiple ways to engage learners.

Alt text (alternative text) is a brief description of a single image designed to be read by a screenreader as an alternative to that image.

A long description is a more extensive description of an image, typically a complex image, designed to be read by a screenreader as an alternative to that image.

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What Is UDL and How Do Teachers Make It Work in the Classroom?

These three principles can change student engagement, learning, and so much more.

As teachers, we often discuss the concept of differentiated instruction . This concept is built on the premise that each student has individual needs in order to achieve their best learning. Students have different ways of accessing, processing, and interacting with the material. However, the process of differentiating instruction can be incredibly time-consuming, and we often do not have the necessary resources, capacity, or time to collaborate that’s warranted to effectively implement differentiation .  But what if we shifted our approach to instead examine how we can build our classroom and instruction in a way that meets the needs of the wide variety of individuals we teach? This concept is known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) .

UDL is a scientific framework that can be utilized in a variety of settings.

While UDL does not replace the need for differentiation, it does make learning accessible and available to a greater number of individuals. This ultimately results in less need for differentiation. 

UDL is crucial to ensuring equity in education. Although often used interchangeably, equity and equality are not the same. Equality guarantees the same resources and supports for all individuals. Equity means that each student has access to the appropriate resources and support that student needs to thrive and learn. UDL allows us to examine the way we build our curriculum and lessons to ensure that all students have access to meaningful learning opportunities. 

The UDL framework consists of three principles:

• Multiple means of engagement
• Multiple means of representation
• Multiple means of action and expression

Source: education.nsw.gov

Each principle examines a different aspect of learning theory and the brain, helping us understand how we can implement flexibility and variability within our curriculum to support the vast variety of learners. 

Here’s how you can apply these principles in your classroom:

1. Provide multiple means of engagement

This principle refers to our motivation to learn. Some students may be intrinsically curious and eager to learn while others may not. Some students may be fascinated by novelty while others become disengaged and anxious when presented with new material. When crafting your curriculum and lessons, remember that there is no “best fit” model to engage learners. Instead, it is important to build a rapport with each of our students and learn what intrinsically motivates them. If we truly want children to desire to learn, we need to prioritize intrinsic motivators over extrinsic motivators, such as sticker charts, reward systems, and earning “good” grades.

Some strategies to increase the variety of intrinsic motivators to learn include providing individual choices within activities and lessons, providing a variety of ways that learners can receive and process feedback on learning, and making learning relevant to learners. We can provide interest inventories to students and families at the beginning of the year and midway through the year to better understand what strategies and supports might optimize each student’s engagement in learning. 

2. Provide multiple means of representation

This principle refers to the different ways we convey information to our learners. Perception and comprehension of information are incredibly complex undertakings, requiring brain and sensory processing and coordination. Students with sensory-based, learning-based, or brain-based disabilities as well as students from a variety of language and cultural backgrounds may benefit from different ways to learn content. In addition, some learners prefer visual means of input, while others prefer audio means of input. And some learners benefit from multiple modalities of input to access learning.

The takeaway here is that there is not one optimal way to convey learning to our students. Some ways we can incorporate multiple means of representation into our classrooms include implementing multimodal learning strategies , relating new content to the prior knowledge and experiences of our students, and supplementing traditional means of learning with additional opportunities, such as bringing in a guest speaker or going on a field trip. 

3. Provide multiple means of action and expression

This principle refers to how we communicate and express our learning. Expressing our learning through speech, writing, and movement takes immense processing and coordination. We frequently ask students to communicate their learning verbally or in writing. For students where these modalities may be challenging, they may not be able to accurately express their knowledge and understanding. We can supplement traditional means of expression with other materials, such as manipulatives and interactive web tools. We can also incorporate the arts and movement , teaching students how they can use visual art, storyboards, music, dance, creative movement, and theater to demonstrate their learning.

In addition, we can provide support tools to all students, including graphic organizers , sentence starters, and progress-monitoring tools. It’s crucial to keep in mind that learning happens at different rates, speeds, and times. The typical wait time we use might not be enough time for some students to process and communicate their answers. We must take time to get to know our students and provide the appropriate wait time to allow students to convey their understanding.

Universal Design for Learning is simply good design for all. It benefits all learners, from learners with disabilities to learners who utilize a language other than English, to learners who would benefit from a variety of supports or means of interacting with the material. UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms is a great text to take a deeper dive into implementing UDL in the classroom.

Have questions about Universal Design for Learning and how to use it in your classroom? Join the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook to exchange ideas and ask for advice!

Plus, check out 20 creative ways to check for understanding ..

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Adobe Captivate can effectively support the integration of UDL principles into course development. By embracing UDL, we not only promote equity and accessibility but also empower learners to thrive in dynamic and inclusive learning environments, ultimately fostering a more enriching educational experience for all.

Introduction

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles serve as a framework to enhance teaching and learning for diverse learners by leveraging scientific knowledge about human learning. Educators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone interested in fostering inclusive learning environments can utilize these guidelines. They provide practical recommendations applicable across various subjects and contexts to ensure equitable access and engagement in meaningful learning experiences for all learners.

UDL Principles

UDL provides a structured approach to designing courses, lesson plans, and assessments, built upon three core principles, by providing multiple means of:

Principle 1: Providing multiple means of engagement

Provide diverse options to capture learners’ interest and maintain their motivation throughout their learning journey.

Principle 2: Providing multiple means of representation

Provide the information in various formats to accommodate different learning styles, preferences, and abilities.

Principle 3: Providing multiple means of action and expression

Provide opportunities for learners to show their understanding through various methods, promoting flexibility and accommodating individual skill sets.

Implementing UDL Principles in Adobe Captivate

Principle 1: Providing multiple means of engagement.

Branching Scenarios: Create interactive branching scenarios where learners make choices that impact the direction of the learning experience. Allow them to explore different paths based on their decisions, fostering a sense of autonomy and ownership over their learning journey. Design interactive slides with decision points linked to different components using actions to create branching scenarios.

Example: The various levels of programming allow learners to choose their required proficiency based on their skill set. Kindly note, to mark the completion of the course it’s not necessary to visit all the levels here.

Interactive Widgets: Use interactive widgets in Adobe Captivate to create engaging learning experiences that allow learners to interact with content meaningfully. Offer opportunities for exploration, discovery, and decision-making within the course.

Example: The use of the interactive ‘Tabs’ widget is demonstrated in the below example.

Industry-Specific Content: Develop industry-specific content that addresses the unique challenges, terminology, and practices relevant to learners’ fields of expertise. Collaborate with subject matter experts to ensure that the content is accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with industry standards and best practices. Adobe Captivate has an extensive list of editable QSPs in different industries, such as Customer Service Skills, IT-Data Protection, etc.

Example: The example of the cybersecurity industry is demonstrated utilizing ‘Image’ and ‘Text’ components in the below example.

Different Instructional Strategies: Integrate case studies, examples, and anecdotes that resonate with learners and demonstrate the concepts’ practical application. Use storytelling techniques to illustrate key points and highlight the value of the learning content in real-life situations.

Example: Try to use different approaches to create the courses in Adobe Captivate related to different domains and subjects. The example of scenario-based learning is demonstrated utilizing the ‘Button’, ‘Image’, and ‘Text’ components in the below example.

Immediate Feedback: Provide feedback to learners after completing an activity or assessment within the Adobe Captivate course. Prompt feedback allows learners to understand their performance in real time and make corrections if needed.

Example: The example of ‘Dropdown’ interactivity is utilized to create the fill-in-the-blank type of questions in the below example. The corresponding feedback will appear on the screen on clicking the Submit button.

Principle 2: Providing multiple means of representation.

Audio and Closed Captions: Provide options for learners to mute or unmute audio narration for static screen elements. Alternatively, provide closed captions for audio and video multimedia elements.

Example: The example of the ‘Image’ component with added sound and closed captions is demonstrated in the below example.

Accessibility Features: Ensure your Adobe Captivate courses comply with accessibility standards and guidelines, such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Test your courses with screen readers to ensure learners with disabilities can access and navigate the content effectively.

Example: Check the accessibility settings using the ‘Accessibility’ inspector. Add the accessibility text explaining the multimedia elements on the slide and cross-check the order of reading elements through screen readers.

Present Information in Multiple Formats: Provide alternate options to present the same information, like supplementing the written material with audio, video, or images so that each learner can understand the topic in their preferred way.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of an ‘Image grid’. Kindly note that the text shown in the following example is exported as an image and used in the ‘Image grid’.

Clean and Simple Design: Keep the interface clean and clutter-free to reduce visual discomfort. Use a minimalist design approach with clear navigation and an intuitive layout to guide learners’ attention to the essential content.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of components like ‘Paragraph’ and ‘Image grid’.

Present Explanation for Unfamiliar Terms: Create hyperlinks that define key vocabulary terms and symbols within the course content. When learners encounter unfamiliar terms, symbols, or equations, they can click on them to access a brief definition or explanation. Other interactivities like ‘Image grid’, ‘Tabs’, ‘Dropdown’, ‘Radio Group’, etc. can also be incorporated for this purpose.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of the interactive ‘Hotspot’ widget to explain the equation’s components.

Principle 3: Providing multiple means of action and expression.

Tiered Activities: Design activities with multiple tiers of difficulty to accommodate learners with different skill levels. Offer optional challenges or extensions for advanced learners while providing additional support or scaffolding for those needing it.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of ‘Text’ and ‘Image grid’ with a branching scenario to present the tiered activity.

Gamified Elements: Integrate gamified elements such as levels, badges, or rewards to incentivize progress and engagement with challenging tasks. Use game mechanics to motivate learners to overcome obstacles and achieve mastery of the content.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of ‘Meet the team’ with a branching scenario to implement the gaming mechanics of different levels.

Assessments: Design the assessments in multiple formats like MCQ, MRQ, long answer questions, fill in the blanks, true or false, summarizing the concept. These methods provide learners with a choice to answer the particular question in their preferred assessment style.

Example: The example demonstrates the use of the ‘Dropdown’ interactive component to choose the type of assessment. Upon selection, the learner is shown the corresponding question type.

The following example shows the dropdown for reference purposes.

Visual Indicators: Use visual cues such as icons, graphics, or progress bars to visually represent the goals and objectives. This can help reinforce the importance of the goals and provide learners with a sense of progress as they work towards achieving them.

Example: The example demonstrates the visual indicator of the progress over topics given in the course.

Simulations: Build interactive simulations that allow learners to explore and experiment with concepts in a realistic environment. Use a combination of text instructions, images, animations, and interactive elements to facilitate hands-on learning experiences.

Example: This example demonstrates the ‘Demo’ simulation of Inserting shapes in PowerPoint.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles offer a comprehensive framework for creating inclusive and engaging learning experiences for diverse learners. Educators and designers can meet diverse learner needs by offering engagement, diverse information representation, and expression options. Using interactive elements, diverse instructional strategies, and accessible design features, Adobe Captivate can effectively support the integration of UDL principles into course development. By embracing UDL, we not only promote equity and accessibility but also empower learners to thrive in dynamic and inclusive learning environments, ultimately fostering a more enriching educational experience for all.

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guideline 2 Provide options for Language & Symbols

Learners vary in their facility with different forms of representation—both linguistic and non-linguistic. Vocabulary that may sharpen and clarify concepts for one learner may be opaque and foreign to another. An equals sign (=) might help some learners understand that the two sides of the equation need to be balanced, but might cause confusion to a student who does not understand what it means. A graph that illustrates the relationship between two variables may be informative to one learner and inaccessible or puzzling to another. A picture or image that carries meaning for some learners may carry very different meanings for learners from differing cultural or familial backgrounds. As a result, inequalities arise when information is presented to all learners through a single form of representation. An important instructional strategy is to ensure that alternative representations are provided not only for accessibility, but for clarity and comprehensibility across all learners.

Language & Symbols | Checkpoints

Checkpoint 2.1 clarify vocabulary and symbols, checkpoint 2.2 clarify syntax and structure, checkpoint 2.3 support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols, checkpoint 2.4 promote understanding across languages, checkpoint 2.5 illustrate through multiple media, udl guidelines, provide multiple means of engagement, provide options for recruiting interest ( guideline 7), optimize individual choice and autonomy ( checkpoint 7.1), optimize relevance, value, and authenticity ( checkpoint 7.2), minimize threats and distractions ( checkpoint 7.3), provide options for sustaining effort & persistence ( guideline 8), heighten salience of goals and objectives ( checkpoint 8.1), vary demands and resources to optimize challenge ( checkpoint 8.2), foster collaboration and community ( checkpoint 8.3), increase mastery-oriented feedback ( checkpoint 8.4), provide options for self regulation ( guideline 9), promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation ( checkpoint 9.1), facilitate personal coping skills and strategies ( checkpoint 9.2), develop self-assessment and reflection ( checkpoint 9.3), provide multiple means of representation, provide options for perception ( guideline 1), offer ways of customizing the display of information ( checkpoint 1.1), offer alternatives for auditory information ( checkpoint 1.2), offer alternatives for visual information ( checkpoint 1.3), provide options for language & symbols ( guideline 2), clarify vocabulary and symbols ( checkpoint 2.1), clarify syntax and structure ( checkpoint 2.2), support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols ( checkpoint 2.3), promote understanding across languages ( checkpoint 2.4), illustrate through multiple media ( checkpoint 2.5), provide options for comprehension ( guideline 3), activate or supply background knowledge ( checkpoint 3.1), highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships ( checkpoint 3.2), guide information processing and visualization ( checkpoint 3.3), maximize transfer and generalization ( checkpoint 3.4), provide multiple means of action & expression, provide options for physical action ( guideline 4), vary the methods for response and navigation ( checkpoint 4.1), optimize access to tools and assistive technologies ( checkpoint 4.2), provide options for expression & communication ( guideline 5), use multiple media for communication ( checkpoint 5.1), use multiple tools for construction and composition ( checkpoint 5.2), build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance ( checkpoint 5.3), provide options for executive functions ( guideline 6), guide appropriate goal-setting ( checkpoint 6.1), support planning and strategy development ( checkpoint 6.2), facilitate managing information and resources ( checkpoint 6.3), enhance capacity for monitoring progress ( checkpoint 6.4), expert learners who are…, purposeful & motivated, resourceful & knowledgeable, strategic & goal-directed.