Running head: ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

EDLD 5315

Review of Literature

Enhancement of Universal Design for Learning through Digital Portfolios

by

Sandra Valles
ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
2
Introduction

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational model with a purpose to

enhance the learning experience and productivity of each learner. UDL targets three different

components for optimal results. These components are student engagement, representation,

and action and expression. (Posey, 2021) This framework was created to help transform

learning by providing students with ample opportunities to demonstrate content mastery.

Students are presented with various modes to exhibit acquired knowledge. Digital learning

portfolios broaden the ability to engage and reflect on student learning and growth. The

implementation of digital portfolios in the classroom facilitates the integration of student

engagement and learning overtime. (Review, 2021) Digital portfolios can be the pathway to the

UDL framework by providing the different modes and methods of engagement and

representation of knowledge that is now required. The following review of literature will touch

such ke ypoint from the educator point of view as well as the student view. It also includes

research analysis from the creators of the UDL framework.

What is Universal Design for Learning?

According to the CAST organization, UDL is a framework that targets instructional goals,

assessments, methods, and materials that can be customized and adjusted to meet individual

students' needs. (CAST, 2021) It was designed to improve teaching and learning for all people

and it is based on scientific research. Universal Design for Learning guidelines are used to

optimize student engagement, representation, and action and expression. These guidelines can

be applied across continent areas and will provide the learner with opportunities to participate in

meaningful, relevant, and challenging instruction. These guidelines are the answer to three

essential questions in education.

The engagement section of the framework answers the “WHY” of learning. Through this

segment teachers are able to recruit engagement on the learning objective. Research has
ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
3
proven that the information that is not attended to does not engage in the learners cognition and

therefore in fact is inaccessible. (CAST, 2021) This is why hooking the learner at the beginning

of the lesson is such a pivotal moment to the learning. Students differ in what is engaging and

what is not, according to CAST even the same learner will have diverse manners of

engagement overtime. During this stage the teacher will go through a series of checkpoint that

help guide the learner to a higher level of learning. Providing choices will help empower the

learner to take charge of their own learning. The teacher will also facilitate making connections

within the students learning by improving and increasing relevancy and meaning to the

experience. The last checkpoint within the engagement guideline would be minimizing

distractions. The teacher will foster a safe learning space and environment where students are

not afraid to take risks and learn from their mistakes. (CAST, 2021) Such an environment is also

key to sustaining student efforts and persistence as well as self regulation.

Providing multiple means of representation will answer the “WHAT” of learning. Multiple

means of knowledge representation create opportunities to enhance comprehension by

activating background knowledge. Other means that will help increase comprehension through

the UDL guidelines will be by highlighting patterns, big ideas, relationships, or critical features.

These are some of the options the teacher can provide for comprehension. There are still the

opportunities that can be provided for student perception and language. UDL guidelines offer

different alternatives to displaying information; this can be in print, visual or auditory. In language

teachers provide different ways to clarify key vocabulary or content symbols. Support is

provided for the decoding of print and mathematical expressions. The illustration of multiple

media is used to promote understanding across languages. (CAST, 2021)

Providing multiple means of actions and expression will answer the “HOW” of learning.

Udl guidelines provide ample opportunity for the students to express mastery of content. There

are three categories that these opportunities will fall under; physical action, expression and

communication, and executive functions. (CAST, 2021) Educators hold the responsibility to
ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
4
guide the learner to the “how” of learning. This segment provides proof of what the student is

learning but it cannot be a one size fits all for all learners. Scholars need options to show proof

of what their brain has absorbed and stored. Providing multiple ways for communication

broadens these student expectations. Upon achieving these multiple ways of communication it

opens the door for composition and construction. These functions will build and support student

content fluency with higher levels of performance as well as a higher capacity to manage

information. Through this guideline, the UDL framework, can help create expert learners who

are able to be purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic, go

oriented. (CAST, 2021)

Why use Universal Design for Learning?

As we learned through CAST, the targeted goal for implementing UDL in the classroom

is to transform learners into expert learners. Per CAST, expert learners are purposeful and

motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal oriented. (CAST, 2021) UDL

can be a purposeful approach to teaching that helps the teacher prepare for a powerful lesson

that will reach the greatest scope of students instead of a few targeted ones. (Posey, 2021)

Educators do not need to purchase additional tools to be able to implement the

Universal Design for Learning in the classroom. This framework can enhance the rituals and

routines you already have in place in your classroom. The foundation of UDL is to provide the

students with ample opportunity to reach higher levels of learning. This framework provides you

with a guideline to enhance the classroom learning environment and help minimize barriers. The

best way to implement this framework is by preparing the learning environment where students

have opportunities and the flexibility needed to meet their learning goals. (Posey, 2021)
ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
5
The Benefits of Digital Portfolios in the classroom

The implementation of digital portfolio is more common in the upper grades. These

portfolios have proven to improve student engagement and improve the individual student level

of learning. A digital learning portfolio provides the student with the opportunity to collect their

work, reflect on their growth, assess their work, and use their individual data to plan for

improvement.(Review, 2021) This helps create a rich environment for students to thrive in by

providing them with the opportunities to represent proof of knowledge through various ways;

tying in to the Universal Design for Learning framework. The digital learning portfolio can

provide the student with a one stop shop for their educational needs. They can also help

facilitate differentiated instruction for all learning by providing the flexibility to choose from their

preferred manner of learning and responding.

Linaberger is a former educator that now dedicates her time to consulting with different

organizations on how to increase new options for learning. As she states in her blog “today’s

classroom is an increasingly complex and differentiated environment.” (Linaberger, 2016) The

question Linaberger poses is that if we know the classroom is always evolving and changing,

why isn’t our manner of teaching? Digital portfolios provide that shift that is needed in the

classroom.

What are Learning Menus?

Learning menus are the essential piece to providing differentiated instruction for all

learners. They help tie in the guidelines for the UDL framework. They provide students with

choices in their “how” of learning. Menus facilitates and encourages engagement through

relevant and meaningful activities. (Learning Menus: Textbooks a la Carte) Menus can come in

different forms and examples but overall they provide the student with an overview of what

needs to get done by the end of the unit or week depending on the teacher and content. From

this overview the student can set their individual goals as to how they will represent content
ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
6
mastery. The menus also provide the students with a rubric which helps the learning take

accountability for their own learning. Within the learning menu the teacher provides a thorough

description of the desired outcome of the assignment then provides different options the student

can demonstrate understanding. Student innovation can be triggered by adding a free space to

the menu and allowing the student to bring in their own authentic artifact that proves mastery.

Learning menus are flexible ways to help engage the student. Many of the UDl guidelines are

tied in the learning menus, such as self regulation, goal oriented, safe learning environment,

and it provides a variety in representation. (Learning Menus: Textbooks a la Carte)

ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
7
Summary

Considering the findings from the research, incorporating digital learning portfolios in the

classroom will enhance the UDL framework. The Universal Design for Learning framework

requires options in the classroom and the flexibility to work at their own pace. What better way

to provide students with these options than that of a digital portfolio. Within this portfolio the

educator can easily incorporate the learning menu that falls directly under the UDL framework.

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 or unit with different options for

students to demonstrate content mastery. This implementation can establish an organized

pattern that will increase students academic achievement. 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

individual 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 learning

portfolios in the classroom for academic purposes can optimize relevance, value, and

authenticity for all learners.

ENHANCEMENT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
8
References

About Universal Design for Learning. CAST. (2021, April 20).

https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl.

Learning Menus: Textbooks a la Carte. Teachinghistory.org. (n.d.).

https://teachinghistory.org/best-practices/teaching-with-textbooks/25584.

Linaberger, M. (2016, March 17). Understand the Value of Digital Portfolio in Education [web

log].

https://www.eduspire.org/technology-blog-for-teachers/digital-portfolios-in-todays-classroo

ms/.

Posey, A. (2021, April 1). Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher's guide. Understood.

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/universal-design-for-learning/

understanding-universal-design-for-learning.

Review, P. (2021, April 29). The Benefits of E-portfolios for Students and Faculty in Their Own

Words. Association of American Colleges & Universities.

https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/benefits-e-portfolios-students-and-f

aculty-their-own-words.