Date
25 April 2024

Prepare the physical and virtual environments for flexibility and personalisation

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Planning using UDL in primary settings’

Student-led design for diversity

Student-led design for diversity

Consider how you support student agency in the inclusive design of your learning space.

Knowledge of students influences design decisions

Knowledge of students influences design decisions

Anita Patel describes how UDL thinking has influenced her practice.

Provide comfortable furnishing

Provide comfortable furnishing

Physical environments don’t need to be new to be flexible.

Give students the opportunity to select the options available in their learning space.

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Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Source:
Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Inclusive design online

Inclusive design online

UDL principles can be applied to the design of online environments, for example:

Engagement: reducing anxiety to promote engagement.
Example: Regularly touch base with students through Google comments or messaging.

Representation: using multiple examples to activate prior knowledge.
Example: Students post examples of what they know already in a Padlet using text, image, video, audio, and web page links.

Action and Expression: supporting understanding of content.
Example: Use narrated video to clarify steps involved in an activity or learning task.

Reflection questions

Reflection questions

Reflect on the following questions for your context.

  • How can we more effectively involve all students in the design of our flexible learning space?
  • How can we improve the design of online environments to remove barriers to access and engagement?
  • Can our learning space be changed and rearranged based on user needs and preferences at that time?
  • How can the layout of the environment minimise threats and distractions to learning?
  • How can the layout of the environment create opportunities for connection and collaboration?
  • What regular processes do we have to seek student and whānau feedback on the usefulness of our physical and online environments?

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

UDL Virtual tour

An interactive 360 deg tour of a high school classroom to see every day examples of UDL. To navigate through the classroom, click and drag the mouse to the left or right. Click on hotspots and magnifying glasses to zoom in on specific examples. Use the map to locate and see a brief description of each UDL support.

Publisher: Maryland Learning Links

Visit website

Website

5 ways to improve student voice and choice

Five practical suggestions to support student engagement in the classroom through student voice and choice.

Publisher: 4 O'Clock Faculty

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Design considerations in primary settings”:

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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