UDL Series: Strategies for Presenting Content
- 1. UDL Series Strategies for Presenting Content
- 2. Join the Discussion Browse to pollev.com/um3d Or text UM3D to 37607
- 3. “These purpose of education is not to make information accessible, but rather to teach learners how to transform accessible information into useable knowledge.” National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2015
- 4. What is UDL? UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.
- 5. UDL Principles Multiple Means of: Representation Action & Expression Engagement
- 6. Multiple Means of Representation The “What” of Learning
- 8. Provide Background Knowledge Give examples for students to use to create relevance to a concept or module.
- 9. ● Use concept maps or visual diagrams ● Administer self assessments to activate content knowledge. ● Make explicit connections between related content within the course or profession. Tips
- 10. Highlight Content Patterns Provide explicit cues or prompts for students to identify existing knowledge.
- 11. ● Emphasize key elements in content. ● Provide a glossary to identify key terms and relationships. ● Provide weekly overviews to highlight previously learned material. Tips
- 12. Guide Information Processing Provide options for students to navigate the content based on their diverse learning abilities.
- 13. ● Chunk content into smaller elements. ● Progressively release content and material. ● Remove content that is not essential to the instructional goal. ● Provide multiple entry points or pathways to learning. Tips
- 14. Maximize Knowledge Transfer Provide options for students to strategically plan and engage in learning.
- 15. ● Provide checklists and due dates on assessments, content and activities as reminders. ● Create options for reviewing content. ● Provide assignment templates or examples. Tips
- 18. “Learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner.” National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2015
- 19. Provide learners with options for accessing instructional materials and information through different modalities. Instructional Materials
- 20. ● Provide instructions via audio/video in addition to written text. ● Encourage students to express knowledge via different platforms and software. Tips
- 21. Provide Semantic Structure Labeling sections of a document gives the content a logical navigation. Assign the H1, H2 or H3 headings to content to give documents semantic structure. NOTE: There should only be one instance of H1 in a document
- 22. Provide Semantic Structure Use true Lists, Columns, and Tables using the list options provided in MS Office. Not a True List: – Apples – Pears – Bananas True list: ● Carrots ● Potatoes ● Corn NOTE: Lists that are created without using the bulleted or numbered list option are inaccessible by screen reader software.
- 23. Maximize Readability Make your text more readable for all students, but especially for students with cognitive disabilities. ● Divide large blocks of text into smaller chunks. ● Use white space. ● Avoid long or overly complex sentences. ● Use at least 12 point Sans Serif font.
- 24. Provide Alt Text Alt text is required for all images, graphs, charts, etc. ● Include clear, concise descriptions that conveys the meaning or purpose of the media content. ● Provide a long description if alt text alone cannot convey the image’s meaning. ● If an image is decorative, use the null tag “” for alt text (minimizes irrelevant alt text for the student to read).
- 25. Avoid Using Color to Convey Meaning Content that uses color as its sole differentiator will be inaccessible to blind, low-vision, or color blind students. Include text labeling to determine categories or correct choice if using color coded content. Color-coded highlighting is not accessible to visually impaired students, but it may be helpful for students with cognitive or learning disabilities.
- 26. Use Descriptive Hyperlink Text Descriptive hyperlink text is important for people who use assistive technology to view available text. ● Links should make sense out of context (avoid using “click here” or “email”) ● Using URL text is also discouraged (screen reader will read every character of the URL). ● Hyperlink text should describe the destination of the link.
- 27. Make Multimedia Accessible Video and audio files need to be made accessible to all students including those with sensory disabilities. ● Audio files need an accompanying text transcript ● Videos should include a text description of key visual elements ● Videos with audio need time-synched closed captions
- 28. Provide Options for Language & Expression
- 29. Vocabulary and Symbols Key terms should be linked to alternate representations of their meaning. Strategy: Include a glossary or list of key definitions
- 30. Mathematical Notation Allow frequent and meaningful exposure to notations prior to assessments. Strategy: Use text-to-speech when explaining a graphical equation
- 31. Language Provide linguistic alternatives for key information or vocabulary. Strategy: Use a legend or key to define specific vocabulary