THE PURPOSE
ADDRESSING LEARNING
DISABILITIES WITH UDL AND
TECHNOLOGY: STRATEGIC
READER
RESEARCH REVIEW BY
DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS
This article explored ways to
increase reading comprehension
for middle school students with
learning disabilities using online
environments.  The overall goal
of the study was to gain an
understanding of how teachers
usage of Strategic Reader with
their students, tracking their
progress online and off line, and
using the data to adapt
instruction.
INDEPENDENT
The purpose of the study was to
examine how embedding
Curriculum Based Measurement
within the Strategic Reader
program would impact reading
comprehension scores for
students with disabilities. The
purpose of the study was fairly
clear because it explained how UDL
and CBM work together and the
possible benefits of them
together. This study is very
important because reading
comprehension is a huge struggle
for all students and finding an
effective way to monitor and
adjust teaching strategies. The
Strategic Reading program has
UDL embedded but without a way
to monitor the progress of the
students, it is almost pointless.
Participants
The researchers sought out general
education teachers and special
education teachers who taught ELA in
middle schools. 284 Middle school
students with and without disabilities
participated in the study.
VARIABLE
There were two groups created, one
group was provided with the CBM
progress monitoring embedded within
the online UDL platform. The other group
had to progress monitor manually.
Measurement
·      “The researchers were
measuring oral reading, fluency,
maze, and reciprocal teaching
strategies were taken for the CBM
measure”. (Hall, Cohen, Vue, &
Ganley, 2015) Reading tests done
using Gates-MacGinitie before,
during and after the study to
measure the reading progress of
each student .  The researchers
also conducted in class
observations twice per month and
they tracked the student and
teacher usage of the reading
program.  The teachers and
students completed interviews
and surveys at the end of the study
about their overall experience.  I
would not able to replicate the
same procedures. The intervention
was implemented as intended
based on the results of the study.
 Results
Overall both groups of students
showed improvement in their
reading scores, but the group with
the embedded progress monitoring
showed significant progress.
Engagement
 Sustaining Effort & Persistence
The program provided feedback
to the students and teachers
so that they would be able to
monitor their progress.
Checkpoint 8.4 Increase
mastery-oriented feedback
UDL Design
Representation
Perception
The reading program read the passages
to the students, text to speech and
“animated pedagogical agents” were
provided.(Hall, Cohen, Vue, & Ganley,
2015)
Checkpoint 1.2 Offer alternatives
for auditory information
Checkpoint 1.3 Offer alternatives
for visual information
Language & Symbols
Embedded reading supports were
provided, highlighting of the story, text
to speech, vocabulary support and
sentence starters were embedded as
well.
Checkpoint 2.1 Clarify vocabulary
and symbols
Checkpoint 2.3 Support decoding of
text, mathematical notation, and
symbols
Checkpoint 2.4 Promote
understanding across languages
Comprehension  monitor the progress over time and
The program included an interactive
ways and scaffolding based on their
individual needs.
Checkpoint 3.3 Guide information
processing and visualization
implications
UDL with CBM embedded has proven to
be an effective way to improve reading
scores because it provides the
teachers to with student reports and
they are able to adjust the instruction
based on the immediate needs of the
students
Action & Expression
Expression & Communication
Sentence starters and text to speech
were embedded within the reading
program along with being provided
differentiated feedback based on their
unique needs.
Checkpoint 5.2 Use multiple tools
for construction and composition
Checkpoint 5.3 Build fluencies with
graduated levels of support for
practice and performance.
Executive Function
Students and teachers were able to
the students were able to reflect and
self-monitor.
Checkpoint 6.4 Enhance capacity
for monitoring progress

ADDRESSING LEARNING
DISABILITIES WITH UDL AND
TECHNOLOGY: STRATEGIC
READER
The participants were
appropriate for what the authors
wanted to find out concerning
increasing reading scores for
students with disabilities. The
principles and guidelines were
used to address existing learner
variability and barriers and I
would love to use program with
my students to increase their
reading scores...
REFLECTION Reference
TI was able to see how UDL is great
but without the proper progress CAST (2018). Universal
monitoring, it is futile. The embedded
progress monitoring provided Design for Learning
immediate data and the teachers Guidelines version 2.2.
were able to adjust their
interventions immediately and that
Retrieved from
made the difference http://udlguidelines.cast.or
g
The missing component for me was
the students not being fully informed
Hall, T. E., Cohen, N., Vue, G.,
at first about the purpose of the & Ganley, P. (2015).
study and explaining to them what Addressing learning
the data meant. disabilities with UDL and
My action plan after reading this technology. Learning
article is taking full advantage of Disability Quarterly, 38(2),
technology and other UDL related
resources. Being able to collect 72-83.
immediate data on students is great doi:10.1177/0731948714
but, in the past I did not analyze the
data frequently enough.  Going
544375
forward, I will take advantage of the
immediate student data and create
intervention immediately to address
thier the deficits.