"UDL" is the product of a think tank in Peabody, Mass. It allows students to "show" what they know in their learning style. It's working.
Universal Design for Learning could have educators asking the following question, "Is it more important how students perform on a written test or show that they understand the material?"
Ellen Kleinerman, writer for the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, investigated this new classroom method of teaching and assessment. Nine school districts in Ohio have welcomed training in UDL for the past four years. A Nord Family Foundation grant enabled the following schools to be trained in UDL:
- Olmsted Falls
- North Ridgeville
- Avon
- Lakewood
- Keystone
- Elyria
- Lorain
- Sheffield Lake
- Vermillion
The Training
The first step to understanding UDL is having knowledge in how the brain works. People learn through hearing, smelling, touching and seeing. Students that get left behind often learn in the modality that is not being presented. How many students respond to the hearing or "lecture" type of instruction? 30%. That leaves 70% of the students not being taught how they learn. The majority of students in a lecture situation are either straining to learn, looking for distractions or just check out.
How do the rest of the students learn? 70% learn by visual methods. They must see it. It doesn't work for them to hear the teacher "talk" about it or "explain."
Assessment
It's all about giving students choices. "Kids love when they have options, and we're not getting cookie-cutter reports," said Fitch teacher Peggy Morris. "I see higher levels of thinking emerging, not just rote facts."
If formal testing is not the emphasis, how are students assessed?
- written reports
- detailed pictures
- posters
- oral reports
- power-point presentations
How do teachers check for learning between projects?
Spot Checks for Learning
UDL provides for spot checks using technology. In North Ridgeville, teachers check for knowledge with clickers. It is similar to a game show. Students using remote clickers have their answers show up on a smartboard screen linked to a computer. The teacher has instant feedback on who understands what concept. Ridgeville is the only school that has adopted this method of teaching throughout the entire school district.
What About High School?
While most schools are presently using this only in the middle school and elementary levels, North Ridgeville is using UDL in all buildings. It would be interesting to learn how students with learning disabilities respond to this method of teaching and assessment.
Administration Perspective
Principal John Komperda of North Ridgeville Middle Schools says, "UDL gives us a framework to choose many solutions instead of one solution for everyone."
Time
Does it take more time to prepare lessons formated in UDL? Yes. UDL incorporates technology into daily lessons. However, teachers say it is worth it. Ohio educators using UDL say that this method transforms classrooms. "Students who put their heads down on their desks in the past got up and participated," said North Ridgeville High School Principal Patricia Bahr.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter, email Ellen Kleinerman, or call at 216-999-4631.
Related articles: SAT Scores Drop, NYC High Schools Go Smaller, SAT and the Learning Disabled, Right Brain Characteristics, Boys Lag Behind Girls.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2006 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
