Applying The Universal Design for Learning
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to the current curriculum that aims to provide students with equal access and opportunities to succeed regardless of their abilities, cultural backgrounds, ages, etc. This model operates in a way that provides educators with choice and flexibility in how they deliver and structure their classes in a way that tailors to various learning styles. According to the UDL guidelines, the goal of this approach is to support learner agency, a process that welcomes active participation when making choices that serve various learning goals.
It revolves around three central components: representation, action and expression, and engagement to accommodate the diverse needs within the learning environment. In the context of physical and health education, these guiding principles are critical in helping to facilitate an environment where all students can participate and benefit from the activities they engage in.
“UDL aims to change the design of the environment rather than to situate the problem as a perceived deficit within the learner”
Ways UDL Can be Applied Within a Physical and Health Education Setting:
- Multiple Means of Representation
- Delivering information in a variety of different ways using verbal, physical, and visual demonstrations to appeal to all different types of learners
- For example: When actively teaching the correct technique for the complex skill of shooting a basketball, educators might use videos or diagrams along with a physical demonstration to outline the key points to performing the skill successfully
- Multiple Means of Expression
- Giving students different ways that they can demonstrate their learning
- For example: When exploring various health concepts such as nutrition or stress management, allow students the opportunity to explore particular topics and present what they have learned in creative ways such as infographics, slide presentations and videos
- Multiple Means of Engagement
- Offering activities that are motivating and goal centered in a way that fosters collaboration and teamwork and facilitates strong social connections
- For example: Instead of getting students to see how many layups they can make in a row individually, have them work in teams to foster a greater sense of motivation and build team camaraderie to increase overall engagement
Liberman-Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education (LIRSPE)
What is it: Rating Scale that measures the efforts taken by teachers to include students with disabilites into the physical education environment
Purpose: To evaluate whether or not the actions being taken by the teacher are providing those with disabilities equal physical education opportunities as their regular developing peers
How it Works:
- Must be used over at least 3 physical and health education classes and include 1 child with a disability
- Teachers receive the scale a day before they are evaluated to prepare
- Raters watch class and circle number betwee 1-5 pertaining to the descriptors listed:
- 1=Poor- Student is not included in class
- 2=Below- average Student is rarely included in class
- 3=Average- Student is sometimes included but not all the time
- 4=Above average- Student is mostly included in class
- 5=Excellent- Student is fully included all of the time
- To Calculate – Total number of descriptive scores/ number of descriptors used = Inclusion Rating (How well the teacher was able to include ALL students within the class)
Check out this video on how to Incorporate UDL in Physical Education Classes Through the Lieberman-Brian Inclusion Rating Scale!
Extending Beyond the Educational Environment
The UDL framework allows for flexible learning in a way that accommodates individual learning needs and preferences but it’s principles can extend well beyond the scope of education. By providing multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement this approach can also be useful in broader health and community settings as well. Ways in which UDL is useful in these contexts include:
- Increases Health Literary
- Allow us to present info in a way that can be read and understood by all regardless of language or cognitive abilities
- Lets people communicate and demonstrate their health knowledge in multiple different ways leading to enhanced communication with healthcare professionals
- Deliver health messages in a way that motivates and inspires a large population (i.e. using facts as opposed to soft stories to show the importance of healthy eating)
- Improve Accessibility
- Design and adapt community programs so that they can be equally accessed by all regardless or physical or intellectual disablilities
- Develop Effective Personalized Health Programs
- Tailor programs based on individual needs, goals, limitations, strengths to help them achieve health related goals
- Encourage people to take ownership of their own health and well-being by empowering a self-directed learning approach
- Consider and Accept Cultural Diversity
- Deliver programs in a way that considers the beliefs, practices, and barriers of different cultures (i.e. having materials written in different languages, including cultural practices such as medicinal treatments used by Indigenous peoples along with modern health interventions
By using the UDL framework in broader health settings and communities we can deliver more effective, inclusive, accessible, and personalized health services and programs that resonate with all people regardless of cultural differences and barriers. This ensures better outcomes for all!
References
Kuzik, N., Costa, B. G. G. da, Hwang, Y., Verswijveren, S. J. J. M., Rollo, S., Tremblay, M. S., Bélanger, S., Carson, V., Davis, M., Hornby, S., Huang, W. Y., Law, B., Salmon, J., Tomasone, J. R., Wachira, L.-J., Wijndaele, K., & Saunders, T. J. (2022, April 5). School-related sedentary behaviours and indicators of health and well-being among children and youth: A systematic review – international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. BioMed Central. https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-022-01258-4