Using Universal Design to Unlock the Potential for Academic Achievement of At-Risk Learners

Using Universal Design to Unlock the Potential for Academic Achievement of At-Risk Learners
Authors: Cynthia Acrey, Christopher Johnstone, Carolyn Milligan

Finally! The article had me at “Hello.” This is the first article that I wished was longer than it was. After reading it, I found myself wanting more. It was written by teachers for teachers; an article that would help me and others in the classroom.

This is our second article in class that discussed using Universal Design Learning (UDL) in an educational setting. Both articles gave insight on the origins and central beliefs of UDL. However, this article discussed Universal Design of Assessments (UDA). Teachers are constantly assessing students daily in various ways. After reading the article I thought about the different ways I could alter my own assessments to follow UDA. The study guide example that was shown in the article was interesting and look like study guides I have in my classroom. I would have liked to see how the study guide was set up before the UDA so I could have compared the before to the after.

I found the table Elements of Universal Design (UD) to be most helpful. By following these guidelines a teacher or student could easily make their own study guides for assessments. One element of UD that struck me was the statement “design all classroom materials with the end user (diverse student population) in mind.” When making assessments, teachers often create tests that are for majority student population (average student) and then modify or enhance the test for the diverse learner (at-risk or gifted). I always think about if the test too easy for one population and too hard for the other students in the class.

The author discusses the three step process their study used at their school: teachers understanding the philosophy of UD, teachers generating study guides, and the evaluation of the study guides to determine if they worked or not. The teachers at Gallup Middle School were very lucky their teachers bought into the UDA philosophy. I personally would like to see my school explore UDA and UDL’s philosophy. It could easily be worked on during one of our school improvement days.

The chart “How to Use Graphic Design Principles to Make Study Guides More Comprehensible and Legible” is certainly one I will pass along to my team at school. Even though we already use many of the design principles, it validates what we are already doing, and the chart is a good reminder of how we can make better study guides for all students.