Date
22 March 2024

Expert learners and learner agency

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Find out about UDL’

On this page:

What are expert learners?

What are expert learners?

In a UDL context, expert learners are:

  • puposeful and motivated (they can manage themselves when they get stuck, collaborate with others, focus on a task, are resilient)
  • resourceful and knowledgable (they can find and curate information, connect ideas to create new understandings, transfer understandings across contexts)
  • strategic and goal-directed (they can break-down a task, manage deadlines, organise resources, communicate thinking).

Source: Adapted from Universal design for learning: Theory and practice (opens in a new tab/window)

Characteristics of an expert learner

Characteristics of an expert learner

David Rose, Co-founder of the UDL describes the characteristics of an expert learner.

Barriers to developing expertise

Barriers to developing expertise

Katie Novak describes how our current teaching practices often don’t allow students to become expert learners.

Who can be expert learners?

Who can be expert learners?

Developing expertise applies to everyone.

The goal of developing expertise applies to all participants: students, teachers, and all of the personnel in the system itself.

If everyone is focused on developing expertise as a learner, the context is suffused with great models.

Anne Meyer, David H. Rose, and David Gordon

Reflection questions

Reflection questions

  • How does the idea of expertise in learning impact on your thinking?
  • How could the idea of expert learners impact your practice?
  • How do students develop expertise as learners?
  • What attitudes and habits indicate that learners are developing expertise?

Source: Adapted from Universal design for learning: Theory and practice (opens in a new tab/window)

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Top 5 UDL tips for fostering expert learners

These tips can be used to support the development of expert learners.

Publisher: CAST

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Website

The goal of UDL: Becoming expert learners

Read time: 2 min

A succinct overview of the goal of UDL, aligned to UDL's three principles.

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Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Find out about UDL”:

Return to the guide “Universal Design for Learning”

Guide to Index of the guide: Universal Design for Learning

Strategies for action:

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