The Technique
One key principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to provide multiple means of representation for students, i.e., to provide content in more varied, multimedia-informed, and interactive ways.
When teaching how climate change contributed to the fall of Rome (in my Latin class), for example, I invite the students to consider current theses concerning the role of orbital mechanics, solar cycles, volcanic eruptions, and the resulting climate instability up to and including the Late Antique Little Ice Age in (a) undermining the stability of the empire’s food supply and supply chains; (b) provoking the movement of peoples that eventually led to the “invasion” of Roman territory by Visiogths, Vandals, Ostrogoths, and others; and (c) weakening the stability of the governing order. To do this, I ask myself,
“How many different ways can I make this information available to my students?”
I provide the necessary class content (teaching materials, activity resources, etc.) in multiple ways that could appeal to all students and that also assists students with sensory disabilities, reading or language challenges, and/or different preferences for learning.
This technique (multi-modal representation of content) also addresses several UDL checkpoints from the CAST’s UDL Guidelines:
- It offers ways of customizing the display of information (Checkpoint 1.1).
- It offers alternatives for auditory information (Checkpoint 1.2).
- It offers alternatives for video information (Checkpoint 1.3).
- It clarifies vocabulary and symbols [through hyperlinks] (Checkpoint 2.1).
- It illustrates the content through multiple media (Checkpoint 2.5).
- It guides information processing and visualization (Checkpoint 3.3).
- It maximizes transfer and generalization (Checkpoint 3.4).
How I use It
To construct a lesson using this technique, I first curate existing content from online sources and then selectively modify alterable materials with annotations, embedded questions, etc. Where knowledge gaps remain and to reinforce all learning, I use open educational resources (OERs) and/or create the remaining content needed as hyperlinked texts, interactive online study games, etc. This variety of content/media delivery engages students and helps individuals access the material in ways that work best for them.
For example, in the Climate Change and the Fall of Rome lesson, I provide learners with access to each of the elements listed below. I also suggest this order as a pathway for students to work through the lesson, though they are always free to engage the content in whichever order they prefer (autonomy is important is deep learning):
- Reading: Hyperlinked classical texts and/or academic articles are embedded in D2L. I select and hyperlink any terms, concepts, or references that might be challenging for students, giving them easy access to definitions, supplemental context, etc.
- Listening: Read-a-longs or audio texts using Librivox are embedded in D2L or linke