UDL in Distance Learning: Meeting Each Learner’s Variability Webinar

This webinar by edWeb.net was full of great ideas, tips, and resources supporting all learners learning from home. This webinar also had excellent ideas for supporting all learners in collaboration and working online in a 1:1 classroom. 

What is learner variability? 

A recognition that all learners differ and that learning sciences research guide us in understanding how these differences matter for learning.

It considers the whole child.

In the video Research@Work: Embracing Learner Variability in Schools, David Rose discusses the importance of providing learning supports and structures tailored to students’ individual needs and abilities. He shares his vision for “de-standardising” education to help students discover their strengths and become expert learners.

Teachers need to understand how I learn, not how the average student learns, which our new National Education and Learning Priorities focus on, particularly Learners at the Centre and Barrier Free Access.

What do we mean when we say engagement?

Student engagement is made up of Emotional and Relational, Cognitive and Behavioural which I have blogged about previously in Wellbeing Won't Cut It Alone!.

The Learner Variability Navigator: A Whole Child Framework

A great framework is The Learner Variability Navigator, which helps us understand learner variability and then recognise learning challenges become a design opportunity rather than a student problem. 

First, you choose the area of interest of either math, reading, literacy or adult learning. Then you explore the factors that may create barriers to the learning for example in Literacy 4-6 Examples are Literacy, Cognition, Social and Emotional Learning and Student Background.

 If you know Syntax is a barrier by clicking on it unpacks the factor.

Once you understand the factor, you click on Strategies, and the framework has various research-based strategies for the factor.

The framework is not specifically for New Zealand; however, I see value in this, especially for teacher PLG's as part of an inquiry to include in the Learn if they are looking for new strategies to support learners and the connections between the factors.

The framework also supports teachers of learners with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Deaf/Hard of Hearing by identifying what strategies would support.

If Universal Design for Learning is new to you or you wish to inquire further into it Smita Worah a professional development consultant from SERC has created this Padlet - Introduction to Universal Design for Learning

The following notes come directly from the slideshow today and are the work of the educators below and others. Even though this is talking about distance learning there are strong links to online learning when using Google Sites as part of classroom practice.

Distance learning: 6 UDL best practices for online learning

Examining Barriers to Find Solutions Summary (click the link above to unpack each point)

1. Explicitly teach expectations and engagement. 
2. Allow for asynchronous learning. 
3. Assign note-takers or provide guided notes with a summary of key ideas.
4. Make materials accessible. 
5. Embrace your students as teachers.
6. Actively build a supportive community.

Watching a lesson via video rather than experiencing it in the classroom can make it difficult for students to: 

• focus
• feel connected 
• process information 
• identify key ideas

Live Video Lessons: 5 Ways Kids Struggle and How to Help

Video is a challenging medium of learning for many students. Students have varied skills and

comfort levels with technology for distance learning.

Examining Barriers to Find Solutions Summary (click the link above to unpack each point)

1. Feeling Anxious About Being on Camera 
2. Staying Focused
3. Keeping Up With the Lesson
4. Managing Sensory Information 
5. Remembering Key Points

UDL solution: Explicitly teach expectations and engagement

• Co-create expectations with students.
• Teach and provide opportunities for practice
• Use multiple formats for sharing and referencing expectations. 
• Some students have trouble processing information only in auditory form.

UDL solution: Allow for asynchronous learning

• Record video to access later (or again)
• Incorporate other representations
• Provide transcripts, using apps like Otter.ai (has a limited free version), Youtube (Not always accurate), iPhone dictation

Online work: Best practices for teachers to use with students

Materials, handouts, and images can be difficult to access for some students, including those who use screen readers.

1. Be consistent in how you post your content and share information.
2. Create a regular timeline for providing information and activities.
3. Use a consistent layout for sharing tasks and activities. 
4. Offer multiple means of representation.
5. Remember to use multiple means of action and expression.
6. Introduce new tools in low-stakes ways. 
7. Provide a structured drop-in option for help, questions, and support. 

UDL Solution: Make materials accessible

• Create short text descriptions for images and videos.
• Use Word, Google Docs, or another accessible format that have optical character recognition (OCR) for screen reader access.
• Use tools like WebAIM (cost involved) to check written materials, especially PDFs, for screen reader accessibility. 

5 tips for supporting students socially and emotionally during distance learning

Distance learning can make it harder to check-in on and gauge emotional and physical well-being and to provide support to each other. 

1. Schedule regular check-ins with students and their families.

2. Teach strategies for organization, planning, and self-regulation.

3. Read and discuss current events.

4. Assign a project that encourages students to be “helpers.”

5. Share stress-reduction and mindfulness strategies.

UDL solution: Deliberately build a collaborative community

• Build time in for students to connect with each other
• Use “break-out” rooms (Zoom) or have individual/group check-ins with students
• Use discussion boards or collaboration tools like Miro or Padlet

UDL enhancement: Embrace your students as teachers

• Build in interactive ways for students to provide feedback on your plans
• Check in with students about what they need and be flexible and responsive 

How to plan online lessons with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Subtracting Mixed Numbers Problem Type 1 (No Borrowing)

Using a Google Doc and Screencastify with Drawing Tools to annotate.

Before Teaching - UDL-Aligned Virtual Lessons

• Think about physical design and layout
• Familiarize yourself with technology platforms
• Give time and patience to student and families to learn technology
• Anticipate misconceptions and questions
• Think about pacing and breaks
  

While Teaching - UDL-Aligned Virtual Lessons

• Leverage options within technology platforms
• Provide choices for how students can interact
• Give students agency over how and when they engage in work
• Be open minded about formats that students’ work can take

After Teaching - UDL-Aligned Virtual Lessons

• Develop a reflection and evaluation practice with yourself and with students
• Read and study up-to-date research
• Engage in learning communities with other educators to learn and share insights

UDL Lessons In 2021 and Beyond

• Don’t feel like you need to implement everything all at once.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new. Expect several iterations.
• Work in partnership with others rather than trying to do it all by yourself.
• Acknowledge that cognitive demands on kids and adults can look and feel different across learning models.
• Prioritize necessary skills and standards for students. Think about how to integrate different skills within lessons and across content areas.
• Think about UDL even when teaching social emotional learning and self-advocacy skills.

Distance learning toolkit: Key practices to support students who learn differently