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This educational podcast discusses ways that teachers can use the Multiple Means of Representation principle of the UDL framework in the classroom.
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This educational podcast discusses ways that teachers can use the Multiple Means of Representation principle of the UDL framework in the classroom.
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This educational podcast discusses ways that teachers can use the Multiple Means of Representation principle of the UDL framework in the classroom.
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Today's topic is multiple means of representation in the Universal Design for Learning Framework. It removes barriers to learning and promotes personalized instruction. Different strategies can be used to represent information, such as audio versions of books, physical models, and translation programs. Teachers can use these strategies to help students with disabilities, English language learners, and students with intellectual disabilities. Blended learning models and digital learning provide flexibility and accessibility. Accessibility features on technology, like speech-to-text and immersive readers, benefit all students. Teaching students about accessibility features promotes inclusivity and personalized learning. Multiple means of representation is important for creating an inclusive learning environment. Today's topic is multiple means of representation, removing barriers so all students can learn. I am your host, Amy Bailey. Let's get started. Multiple means of representation is one of the three categories of the Universal Design for Learning Framework, or the acronym UDL. The primary concept of UDL is a proactive approach to instruction in which teachers seek to remove learning barriers that inhibit student learning instead of a differentiated learning approach that provides accommodations and supports to meet the student's needs. UDL's principles were developed to utilize different areas of the brain. So based on the student's preference or the diagnosis of a recognized disability, students can obtain academic knowledge in the way they learn best. Today we are going to talk about one of the principles of UDL that is considered the what of learning. Multiple means of representation involve the different means the teacher may use or flexible ways that the teacher can represent information so that all students will learn. The area of the brain utilized in this category is the back portion of the brain, or the portion in control of collecting and organizing information so that the information can be strategically understood. In using multiple means of representation as an instructional strategy, it must be aligned to one of the three guidelines, which are perception, language and symbols, and comprehension. With each guideline broken down into checkpoints that are similar to standards and must be met to align with the guidelines. These guidelines and checkpoints are solid strategies developed by CAST, a non-profit educational research and development organization, to help anyone interested in using any of the UDL suggestions in a learning environment. Charlotte Baker is a third grade teacher at Logan Elementary School. Mrs. Baker would like to use the principles of multiple means of representation with one of her students who has a vision impairment. Mark is a student with monocular horizontal dyplopia, which means he experiences double vision horizontally. Mrs. Baker would like to try using UDL strategies to assist Mark in graphing the information she is teaching in a way that is meaningful to him. Mrs. Baker wants to focus on the guidelines of perception, so her first step is to make sure he is offered alternatives to help him perceive and comprehend visual information. Two guidelines she can use are providing audio versions of books and using physical models he can touch, hold, and feel. Mark was provided an iPad OS 16 as an accommodation upon entering the third grade. Mrs. Baker plans to have Mark use his iPad as a primary source as it offers a dictation feature that enables speech-to-text capabilities. This will help him write papers and complete assignments. The iPad will additionally translate information into text. Mark has access to a classroom laptop that has all of the third grade textbooks and books that will be used throughout the year on it. Students, including Mark, have access to an immersive reader feature that provides text read-aloud and a Chrome extension that allows an immersive reader to read text on websites. Mrs. Baker has a Hispanic student named Leticia who is an English language learner. Mrs. Baker wants to provide options using the language and symbols guidelines to remove communication barriers so that Leticia can learn in ways that are meaningful to her. Mrs. Baker would like her to learn the vocabulary words in both Spanish and English so that she can learn English as a second language. Translation programs will provide Leticia help in translating unfamiliar vocabulary words. Mrs. Baker will pre-teach the vocabulary words to Leticia using a graphic organizer called the Frayer model, enabling Leticia to break a word down into both Spanish and English on one page that she can keep in a binder for reference. Mrs. Baker has a student named Brian who has been diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability. Mrs. Baker wants to remove any barriers so that Brian may access information in a meaningful way. Mrs. Baker decided to use the comprehension guideline that supports the construction of meaning in her lesson design. Mrs. Baker will use a technique called chunking to break information into smaller parts so that one concept is introduced at a time. She plans to also embed new ideas in familiar contexts that Brian already understands. This will make the learning relevant to his interests and foster his engagement. Effective ways that students can access both traditional classroom learning and technology are through blended learning models where part of the learning is completed in the classroom and part of the learning takes place online. One example of blended learning is the station rotation model. Students use this model by traveling from one station to another experiencing learning in different ways at each station, one of which is a technology-based station. If students are learning about farm animals, one station can provide a scavenger hunt using a sensory table with farm-related manipulatives hidden in the grain. Students find different farm animals, marking each one off on a checklist as they find it. The second station uses Venn diagrams to compare and contrast two different breeds of cows. Students look at a chart of the two different breeds and write the differences and similarities shared on their Venn diagram sheet. The third station rotation has three desktop computers where students can access a short farm-related STEM video with a comprehension assessment after each video. IXL.com offers a variety of grade-level instructional videos that include an assessment upon completion. The station rotation method supports multiple means of representation by giving students options on how the information is presented to them. Embedded support for the vocabulary they are learning and helping them link new information to what they already know. The three stations on farm animals provide students with the opportunity to learn using a variety of means to interpret the same information. At one station, they can use their senses to search for physical representations of what they are learning. At the second station, students use a Venn diagram and a chart to note similarities and differences between two different breeds of cows. And at the third station, students can watch a video about farm animals and test their knowledge on what they remember. These videos provide closed captioning and speech-to-text capabilities. They align with the principle of providing multiple means of representation because they offer activities that provide options for perception, language, and symbols and comprehension. Digital learning can provide students with the most current information on a topic. Students can research topics online and use the information in multiple ways. A student can create their web-based content, film a YouTube video, record a radio program podcast, view animations, and make stop-action films. And the list is endless. Digital learning experiences also benefit teachers and parents. Teachers have access to graded assessments that are completed online. And parents can communicate, view photos, and check their child's grades online. Digital learning makes learning fun and can also be a way that information can be shared between parents and teachers. Teachers have a large number of students with differing learning needs. Technology offers accessibility to all students by providing them with access to iPads, computer programs, and handheld devices that all can be used in a classroom setting. Matthews, Kavanaugh, and Wilson demonstrated that Checkpoint 1.2 falls under the principle of providing multiple means of representation and is specific to offering alternatives for auditory information such as the use of captions, visuals, and written transcripts. Accessibility features such as those under Checkpoint 1.2 can help multiple students in different ways. A speech-to-text feature on a computer can help a student who has vision impairment and also a student with dyslexia. A traditional student who wants to write a paper in a different format may use it as well. The Immersive Reader will help a student who has language barriers, vision impairments, or slow readers who prefer to have the text read to them. Accessibility features can also be helpful for students when creating content. NOAA 2023 noted that accessibility is essential for many students to learn and it is an important feature that all students should know how to utilize. When stating that taking the time to explicitly teach students about accessibility features, we can ensure that our students have the opportunity to personalize their learning and demonstrate their understanding in ways that acknowledge learner variability and promote student agency. Students who have the option to tailor instruction that matches their preferences and meets their needs as well as the needs of others create an inclusive environment for all learners. Taking a little time to teach students how to use the accessibility features of technology provides them with a tool that they will likely use throughout their academic careers. Accessibility features on technology align with the principle of multiple means with representation by providing students with various ways to help them learn in ways that suit them. Whether it is by providing them a different way that the information is physically, linguistically, symbolically, or comprehensively presented. Multiple means of representation has helped me in the aspect that I understand the importance of making collaborative presentations accessible to everyone. As a student, it is impossible to know the specific learning needs of my colleagues when posting a presentation for a discussion post or canvas. Using accessibility features on Microsoft 365 and handheld devices is important in providing equity in learning. I know that some features can be adapted by the person needing the feature, but it is easier to create a presentation or document accessible from the very start. Students who do not need to make accommodations for themselves to access the information. As a special education teacher, it is proactive to use multiple means of representation before designing a lesson plan rather than assigning accommodations and differentiation strategies after it is created. Before creating a lesson plan, we should research accessible resources that may be used with multiple students while planning. Technology offers many options that align with the multiple means of representation principle. Some include Google accessibility features such as voice typing, translating, and caption. iPad is made accessible by adjusting the rate of speech, spoken content, assistive touch, and Safari reader. And Microsoft Windows includes magnifier, dictation, translate, and live captions. These features are accessible to provide equitable learning to all students as well as teach them to provide accessible content to others. We continually offer students ways to customize how information is displayed. Provide auditory or visual information, use multimedia to clarify information, translate from one language to another, or link new knowledge to previous knowledge. This provides equity to all students so that they can learn at the same level as everyone else. CAST recently noted on its website that its new UDL Guidelines 3.0 are currently being developed with a focus on equity and inclusion based on the recommendations of educators, researchers, and stakeholders. This broader outreach will help UDL make UDL more accessible to students as it will provide a larger group of students with new ways to assess information in ways that promote their diverse backgrounds. In conclusion of this episode of UAGC EduTalk, I want to challenge you to acknowledge the variability that exists in our classrooms. I will leave with this quote from Katie Novak, 2021, when she noted that educators should celebrate the differences in learners that exist in our classrooms and empower them to take ownership of their learning by making choices that suit their needs. Celebrating the unique qualities that all students have, we not only build self-confidence in our students, we teach them to advocate for themselves through goals, self-monitoring, progress, and removing barriers that prevent them from learning. Thank you for taking part in our show today. Until next time, this is Amy Bailey reminding you that flow and study wins the race every time.
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