Action Research Outline

Submitted by: Sandra Valles

Enhancement of Universal Design for Learning through Digital Portfolios

I. Focused Topic of the Action research

The topic of my action research is the implementation of digital portfolios with a focus on
academic learning menus. In our district, teachers are expected to implement the
Universal Design for Learning. This approach requires students to have options and
provide the opportunity for them to work at their own pace. This is accomplished by
providing students with academic options menus. The problem with this is that students
seem to lose track of the tasks they have completed or constantly misplace their tracking
folders. The implementation of digital portfolios can provide the students the opportunity
to house their learning menus in one place. They can even incorporate a tab for the
student response to the tasks of the menus. This approach will support all learners to
achieve higher levels of learning.

A. Context
Teachers are required to provide students with academic options for perception.
These options are meant to increase student engagement, representation, and
action and expression. Implementing digital portfolios will broaden the students
ability to represent and express their knowledge in various ways. This in return
will create resourceful and knowledgeable students with the ability to strategize
their plan in order to achieve their goal. This would make learning more
purposeful and motivate students to extend their learning. Overall the
implementation of digital portfolios in the classroom for academic purposes can
optimize relevance, value, and authenticity for all learners.

B. Fundamental Notion
1. Resourceful, knowledgeable learners
2. Goal oriented learners
3. Purposeful, motivated learners

II. Purpose of the Study

A. Student Success
With reference to student success the focus of the research is to establish an
organized pattern that will facilitate students academic achievement. The digital
learning portfolio will provide a one stop shop for the students to track their
assignments and submit their responses.

B. Teacher Productivity
 The digital learning portfolios will facilitate differentiated instruction for all learning
styles. It will also allow the flexibility that both teacher and students need in order
to achieve success. Teachers will be able to upload learning menus once a week
with different options for students to demonstrate content mastery.
III. Fundamental Research Question
A. How will a digital learning portfolio with a focus on learning menus will
increase students' learning?
Students will create a digital learning portfolio at the beginning of the school year.
This portfolio will require specific components such as a blog for student
response, learning menu tab to upload their weekly academic menus, and an
assignment drop down menu for each core subject.

B. How will teachers utilize digital learning portfolios to enhance the

implementation of the Universal Design for Learning?
Digital portfolios will enhance the UDL by providing students with different options
to demonstrate content mastery. Students will be able to submit responses
according to their areas of strength.

IV. Research Design and Data Collection

A. Synopsis
For this research both qualitative and quantitative data will be appropriate. It is
important to gather numerical data as well as non numerical data. Such datas will
take form in various forms since the focus of the learning menus is options.
Students have the freedom to choose their form of response based on the
modality they feel strongest in. Some examples of students' responses may
include but are not limited to poem writing, art expression, song, video, etc.

B. Qualitative
Although quantitative data will be a part of this project, it is qualitative data that
will serve as the primary source. QUalitative data will help determine whether or
not the student is in fact reaching higher levels of learning by the completion of
their assignments.

C. Quantitative
Quantitative data will take the form of assignment completion and content
mastery. This data will be collected from students' blog responses and weekly
learning menus completion. Another form of quantitative data could be collected
through student surveys in reference to the digital portfolios.