#79 Student Well-Being: UDL & Blended Learning

This is PART 9 in a series on student well-being. Throughout this series, I will explore what recent research has revealed about ways to create an environment in which all students can thrive.

In my last post, I provided an overview of the Universal Design in Learning (UDL) framework. The goal of UDL is to design “barrier-free, instructionally rich learning environments and lessons that provide access to all students” (Nelson, 2). The UDL framework helps educators think about and design learning experiences that allow ALL STUDENTS to be successful through the utilization of representation, action & expression, and engagement.

It is based in the following beliefs:

• All students can reach the high expectations we set.
• Barriers to success exist in the system, not the student.
• Continual self-reflection leads to lifelong, expert learners.
• Learner variability is the norm, not the exception (Schwartz, 2022)

UDL Meets Blended Learning
Teachers often feel a tension between the amount of content that they need to cover and the shift to a more student-centered approach to learning. Learning takes time and there are only so many days in the school year. I teach AP, I get it! I typically outline my entire year's content before the 1st day of school. However, I don't just want my students to memorize information. I want them to be able to APPLY and TRANSFER that knowledge to different situations.

I have found that blended learning gives me the best of both worlds by allowing me to utilize time differently than in a traditional classroom. It frees me up to work with my students individually and in small groups. It allows me time to provide my students with meaningful feedback. I get to meet with students to create goals and track their progress. I can provide additional support on an as needed basis for all of my students. In other words, I am able to cover the content IN a student-centered manner.

Application: Principles of UDL in the Classroom
The UDL framework on how to develop lesson plans is based on the following three principles: Engagement, Representation, and Action/Expression.

Engagement refers to a student's active involvement in the learning process. This includes self-regulation, sustained effort and persistence, and student interest. It involves both their attention and commitment to the task (Nowak and Tucker, 2021). Engagement can be fostered within the classroom walls by supporting:

• Self-Regulation: Challenge your students to develop goals for themselves. I like to tie these in with their strengths! Build time in your schedule to conference with your students regarding their progress towards their goals. I use flex days and the teacher-led station in a station-rotation to conference with students.
• Effort and Persistence: Help your students connect their actions with their outcomes. I add a metacognitive component to each of my assessments in which I ask them how they prepared, why they prepared that way, and how they know if it worked. I can refer back to this if a student is not meeting performance expectations.
• Student Interest: Blended learning gives students a voice and choice in their learning. The more agency they possess, the more likely they are to be engaged and motivated (Nowak and Tucker, 2021, p. 36-38).

Representation refers to offering multiple ways for students to access information. This involves thoughtful consideration of the ways our students engage with materials to ensure that all students can interact with the curriculum in a meaningful way.

• Perception: This principle recognizes that not all of our students are coming to us from the same place and with the same experiences. By providing students with multiple access points each student can access what they need to be successful. This includes being able to access information in a multitude of ways. For example, I, like many teachers, created a ton of instructional resources during Covid. I have flipped lessons, digital assessments, and academic supports. I can still use to support my students!
• Language and Symbols: Our students are coming to us with differing levels of prior knowledge. Making content customizable for the students allows them to make learning more accessible. This could include flipped lessons which allows them to slow down or rewatch material as needed, adding closed captioning, or even accessing class transcripts of a lesson. The key here is if it is good for some, it is good for all. 
• Comprehension: Learning is a complex process that is more than just rote memorization, true learning should include the transference of knowledge. I LOVE this lesson template shared by Catlin Tucker on her blog. It is designed to assist students in accessing prior knowledge, asking them to create an analogy or comparison, making connections to other classes and formulating questions. This dovetails nicely with multiple modes of content delivery. They can choose the content that they want to interact with! 

Here is a link to the template the Tucker provided: 

Action and Expression: Learners benefit when we give them multiple means to express their learning. I love the phrase Novak and Tucker (2021), used in their work, "firm goals through flexible means (p. 36). This principle honors the fact that our students have different strengths, abilities and limitations. It gives them agency in terms of showing how they learned the information. Choice boards are an excellent way to incorporate this principle into the classroom. Offering choices also helps students to cultivate their executive functioning skills by requiring them to determine which means of expression is best for them. (https://catlintucker.com/2020/09/udl-blended-learning-action-expression/).

Both UDL and the blended learning model reject the one-size-fits all approach. They both recognize that learner variability is the norm, not the exception, and that we can hold students to high expectations if we offer the necessary levels of support. 

A Few Takeaways…

• Don't have set ability-based groups. Differentiate as needed, not as a starting point. Deficit-based thinking leads to lower expectations, not increased performance.
• Don't assume that just because a student doesn't have an IEP or 504 that they would not benefit from additional support. If a support is needed for one student all of your students might benefit from it.
• Don't conflate learner preference and choice with a specific learning style. Learning Style theory states that student achievement is a result of a specific learning style. UDL views choice through the lens of learner preference and it's affect on student motivation. 
  
• Do start small. Play around and learn what fits your individual style and the needs of your students.
• Do use the materials that you have developed over the past few years. You have created a trove of digital resources using the Covid pandemic. Use them!

If you are interested in learning more about UDL and Blended Learning, I suggest you check out the book UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes (affiliate link). There is even a book club guide available so you can bring this to your learning community. Questions? Comments? Leave them below.

Be Well,
Cori

If you received this in your inbox, I have a new website! Check out https://ablendedlearningjourney.com/ for additional resources! Plus, you can now find me on TikTok. Follow me @corischwarzrock for psych-related content posted throughout each week!

Other Posts in this Series:
#69: Student Well-Being: Leveraging Mastery Experiences to Build Student Self-Efficacy
#70: Student Well-Being: Youth Mental Health First Aid
#71: Student Well-Being: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning
#72: Student Well-Being: Culturally Proficient SEL
#73: Student Well-Being: Praise and Performance
#74: Student Well-Being: The Science of Learning
#75: Student Well-Being: Power Up Your Teaching
#78: Student Well-Being: Universal Design in Learning

Resources:

CAST (2020). Key questions to consider when planning lessons. Wakefield, MA: Author. (Reprinted from Universal design for learning: theory and practice, by Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., & Gordon, D., 2014, Author). Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2020/udl-guidelines-key-questions-planning-lessons

CAST. (2010, January 6). UDL at a glance. YouTube. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://youtu.be/bDvKnY0g6e4

Morin, A. (2021, February 10). Universal Design for Learning (UDL): What You need to know. Universal Design for Learning (UDL): What You Need to Know. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-udl-what-you-need-know

Novak, K., & Tucker, C. R. (2021). Udl and blended learning: Thriving in flexible learning landscapes. IMpress, a division of Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. 

Schwartz, S. (2022, February 4). 4 principles of a universal design for learning approach. Edutopia. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-principles-universal-design-learning-approach 

Tucker, C. (2021, March 16). The balance, by Dr. Catlin Tucker: Universal Design for Learning with dr. Katie Novak on Apple Podcasts. Universal Design for Learning with Dr. Katie Novak. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/universal-design-for-learning-with-dr-katie-novak/id1485751335?i=1000513302542

Tucker, C. (2021, May 10). Removing barriers with UDL and blended learning. Dr Catlin Tucker. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://catlintucker.com/2021/05/udl-blended-learning-removing-barriers/

Tucker, C. (2020, September 7). Universal design for learning and blended learning: engagement.  Dr Catlin Tucker. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://catlintucker.com/2020/09/udl-blended-learning-engagement/

Tucker, C. (2020, September 14). Removing barriers with UDL and blended learning: representation.  Dr Catlin Tucker. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://catlintucker.com/2020/09/udl-blended-learning-representation/

Tucker, C. (2020, September 20). Removing barriers with UDL and blended learning: action and expression. Dr Catlin Tucker. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://catlintucker.com/2020/09/udl-blended-learning-action-expression/

What is Universal Design. Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://universaldesign.ie/what-is-universal-design/