by Andy Bell
I look at the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) graphic organizer and one word stands out to me, engagement. It's in the top box of the first column, "provide multiple means of engagement". Some days it seems like that topic comes up in every conversation at my school. Students are disengaged at alarming levels and teachers are desperate to get them back.
UDL is a great resource right now because it provides some general ideas for getting students engaged and they apply to the current learning environment as much as they do to the typical one. For creating interest, UDL suggests to "optimize individual choice and autonomy; optimize relevance, value, and authenticity; and minimize threats and distractions". All of these actions can make the virtual classroom more inviting and welcoming also. Many students are already uncomfortable by not being in-person so anything we can do to make them more willing to engage is worth the effort.
UDL can also help keep students engaged online. It gives suggestions for helping students move from initial engagement to maintaining an effort by themselves and developing persistence in working through tasks. It does this by making the planned tasks more interesting, collaborative, and fun to engage in. That is typical of UDL in that the planning is enhanced so that the learning experience can be enhanced for more individuals within the classroom.