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Assignment 2: Application of Universal Design for Learning – Case Study

Student Profile:
Kalyn is a year 10 male student in a mainstream Western Sydney High School that has been

diagnosed with a Mild Intellectual (Dis)ability (MID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Kalyn

additionally has sound drawing skills. Utilising minimal verbal communication, Kalyn subsequently

opts to communicate using gestures, and visual-pictorial communication systems. Kalyn finds

complexity in the management of sensory integration, and necessitates consistent supervision to

assist in class work, communication of emotions or minimise stressors within the classroom. This

support extends to aid and manage his behavioural responses to sensory stimuli. The

unpredictability of behaviour, requires regular analyses of behaviour by staff. Kalyn has further been

provided with strategies that support his dynamic behaviour. During tasks of creativity and

collaboration, Kalyn engages with the content with minimal disruptions. Behavioural and cognitive

issues persist with tasks of higher degree of complexity. Kalyn exhibits low levels of literacy and

numeracy, often acting as a catalyst for his disengagement with class work – becoming a distraction

for his classmates. Ultimately, this is a justification for Kalyn’s perceived behavioural issues; a tactic

to avoid work.

These strengths and weaknesses have been identified to promote a sustainable, and

effectual learning environment for Kalyn.

Part 1: Universal Design for Learning Application

Mild Intellectual (Dis)ability (MID) affects individuals in a myriad of ways, with the most

prevalent being social, cognitive and emotional; often limiting the ability of an individual’s capacity

in functioning. Contemporary research on MID in children are sporadic and the prevalence rates are

often estimated based on variant objective testing procedures. In describing the clinical signs,

This essay will note the prefix “dis” when describing (dis)ability/ies in parentheses throughout, as the
terminology is perceived as restrictive and detrimental in accurately describing to the multiplicity of individuals
with a (dis)ability.
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associative comorbidities, and complexity in the identification of aetiology, MID remains difficult to

accurately classify.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition that affects social and

environmental interactions. Variant severities exist; often regarding sensory and information

processing factors.

Consequently, as learners with MID and ASD are progressively integrated into mainstream

schooling; inclusive education necessitates teachers’ capabilities in meeting the diversifying needs in

providing opportunities for student learning. Therefore, the following essay will determine the

methods utilised in a classroom setting suitable for Kalyn, appropriated by the aforementioned

profile and supporting evidence, facilitating the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a

means to proficiently ascertain a functional pedagogical methodology.

Kalyn can express enthusiastic qualities when he is in a positive emotional state. This is

demonstrated in contributions to group work, sufficient attempts to individualised work and

compliance to reasonable teaching instructions. Variance in levels of assistance in completing tasks

can be reliant on the emotional response that Kalyn is currently exhibiting.

Kalyn contrastingly presents a challenge in completing individualised tasks. He demonstrates

an avoidance in activities of varying difficulty unless broken down with the assistance of a student

learning support officer. Often, as a result of his inability to complete tasks; Kalyn exhibits an

emotional response of negative self-efficacy that deters him from completing his work.

The essay, and succeeding lesson plan has been altered to provide adequate consultation of

the case study’s individualised needs.

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Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a conceptual framework that is based on the

ideologies of improving and optimising a classroom environment that enables pervasive learning for

the student population based upon scientific insights (Rose, Gravel & Gordon, 2013; Gordon, Meyer

& Rose, 2016). Dynamic in design, to allow for adjustable methods, the UDL framework facilitates

the proposal of instructional goals, resources and valuations (formative and summative assessment)

to meet individual learning needs. UDL is inclusive of, but not limited to: lesson environment,

classroom activities and resources used. The incorporation of differentiated options and strategies

ensures pervasive content accessibility. (Courey, Tappe, Siker & LePage, 2013). Courey, Tappe, Siker

and LePage (2013) examined the improved multiplicity of options in lesson planning as a means of

teachers demonstrating a better understanding of content being taught. Consequently, Katz (2013)

posits the suggestion that UDL significantly increases student engagement, specifically active

engagement, and the promotion of social engagement whereby peer interactions, student

autonomy and inclusivity are evident.

Contrary to assumptions, benefits of UDL are applicable to mainstream students (Gargiulo &

Metcalf, 2017), as well as those with behavioural or cognitive difficulties (Johnson-Harris &

Mundschenk, 2014). A contrast to traditionalist-expository teaching styles, UDL requires teaching

flexibility in providing student’s opportunities to excel (Rao, Ok & Bryant, 2014).

The principles of UDL are compartmentalised into three sub-sections: multiple means of

engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of expression (Johnson-Harris &

Mundschenk, 2014; Basham & Marino, 2013).

The benefits of integration are not specific to the learner. As a result of applying UDL

principles, teachers experience a reduction in concurrent modifications to lessons, as planning has

adjusted for diverse learning experiences (Johnson-Harris & Mundeschenk, 2014).

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Multiple means of engagement encourages a variety of pedagogical methods in order to

maintain student interest (Montgomery, Hayward, Dunn, Carbonaro & Amrhein, 2015). The

provision of this method, necessitates dual contribution by the teacher and the student. From the

teaching perspective, providing variant ways of learning the content is vital to this process. Many

students with ASD are minimally responsive to verbal cues independently. Therefore, including

symbols, images and visual cues can facilitate this information.

Kalyn, for example, prefers visual notions of work. In this instance, the teacher can provide a

visual representation of the work on a PowerPoint slide, in addition to verbal statements; to expand

the delivery for a variety of students. By extension, Johnson-Harris and Mundscenk (2014) identified

the process described, as being more prominently adhered to when students perceive the content

as realistic and applicable. Multiplicity, in this identification can be the applicability of real-world

contexts, experiences and situations. Subsequently, a secondary method of multiple means of

engagement is the delivery of concurrent feedback (Johnson-Harris & Mundscenk, 2014). Research

by Bols and Wicklow (2013) acknowledged that students appreciate feedback that is timely,

accessible, legible and konstructive [sic] (“TALK”). Feedback is not restricted to summative

assessment, and can be delivered in response to group discussion input – which is an example of

active classroom collaboration. Students can utilise feedback to guide future erudition.

For students, multiple means of engagement is attributed by facilitating the classroom

environment, in either a group, pairs, or individually. In reference to Kalyn, multiple means of

engagement could explicitly be utilised to support and manage the behavioural issues (McLeskey,

Rosenberg & Westling, 2017). As collaborative learning, a pedagogical method that denotes learning

as a naturally occurring social process – can increase student attention, outcomes and behavioural

disruptions (Johnson-Harris & Mundeschenk, 2014).

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The variance in resource and methods of student comprehension denotes the concept of

multiple means of representation (Kumar & Wideman, 2014). Utilising experiential and contextual

inferences (Johnson-Harris & Mundschenk, 2014), students who are presented with a topic in a

multitude of ways allows them to understand content suitably for them. With information being

conveyed in variant forms, students have the capacity to learn with specificity. For Kalyn, reiterating

information in numerous formats such as verbally, modelling, and collaboratively, can, in essence,

lead to a level of comprehension equivalent to mainstream students (Johnson-Harris & Mundschenk,

2014).

The lesson plan utilises multiple means of representation to present differentiated content.

Typed transcripts, that coincide with a PowerPoint presentation – with examples and modelling by

the teacher. By including two forms of application, dually in written and visual form, on the

transcript and presentation respectively, Kalyn has the opportunity to expand his accessibility

irrespective of variables such as losing worksheets or preference of learning methods. This process

assists students who have had minimal developmental capabilities in comprehension of language

(Rose, Gravel & Gordon, 2013; Reutebuch, El Zein, Kim, Weinberg & Vaughn, 2015). This is

furthermore reiterated by including a video clip to support the transcript, for annotation within the

lesson plan. The lesson plan additionally includes reciprocal teaching (RT) as dual improvement in

reading related tasks, and increased frequency of spontaneous reflections and guided discovery was

identified by Lundberg and Reichenberg (2013).

To extend, multiple means of representation requires communication skills. Students with

MID and ASD necessitate clarity of instruction. Somewhat contrasting to multiple means of

expression; to ensure concise instructions, teachers need to specify the task, and disallow the

possibility of too many choices to negate confusion. Avoidance of figurative speech, and succinct

language terminology will assist students – as appropriateness of language needs to be simplified for

comprehension (Axe, 2015).

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Learners differ in several aspects; acknowledging this within the learning environment and

creating an environment of allowance of articulating this knowledge is denoted as multiple means of

expression. This variant navigation of learning environments emphasises that student demonstration

of understanding may vary in the completion of classroom tasks (Johnson-Harris & Mundschenk,

2014). Lowering executive functioning, students are provided with numerous means of iterating and

paraphrasing information (Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan & Willingham, 2013). It should be

recognised that expression and action require organisation, strategy, and by extension, practice.

Additionally, there is no universal methodology that is applicable for every student, therefore the

provision of choice and opportunities to vary their articulation of knowledge is an effectual action to

integrate. Integrating this allowance, particularly for Kalyn, encourages his capabilities in choosing

the method to partake in class tasks, therefore leading to an increase in achieving student outcomes.

By encouraging self-determination in the classroom setting (Peng, Cherng, Chen & Lin, 2013;

Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015) students are able to complete tasks dependent upon what is

advantageous for them. In terms of Kalyn’s preference, his strengths include having sound drawing

skills. Ultimately the lesson plan includes a sketch to stretch (Harste, 2014), an instructional strategy

whereby students can opt to draw their emotional response, or symbolism succeeding each line of

speech, to create and identify personal meaning within the text. Moreover, Kalyn has choice in his

recording of information – by drawing for instance, he can create images that are emblematic of his

assumption of the texts’ purpose. The lesson plan necessitates teacher modelling of the tasks

before students initiate the task. Irrespective of individual or group tasks, modelling, and

demonstration of tasks increases student engagement (Roehl, Reddy & Shannon, 2013) which

contrastingly, increases understanding, yet correspondingly, minimises task orientated frustration

(Cheon & Reeve, 2015).

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Part Two:
Changes Key
 Multiple means of  Multiple means of  Multiple means of
Representation Expression Engagement

Lesson Plan: ENGLISH

Teacher: Ovington Class: 9 Period: 3 Room: J.1.4

Outcomes
EN5-2A: A student effectively uses and critically assesses a wide range of processes, skills, strategies and
knowledge for responding to and composing a wide range of texts in different media and technologies.
EN5-7D: A student understands and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public
worlds
Activity Instructions Supplementary Modes of
Learning
Recap: PowerPoint Presentation:
Visual
Recap o Literary Devices Checklist of literary devices that
0 – 5 minutes have been discussed in previous
Discussion: Verbal lessons.
dialogue covering previously learned topic. Reiterating
the content learned, and formatively assessing what
content necessitates further learning.
PowerPoint Presentation:
Learning Intentions: Visual
Checklist of learning intentions
Learning o Responding to texts from a range of different to supply purpose to activities
Intentions media and technologies in lesson
5 – 7 minutes o Understand and evaluate texts ability to
represent personal and public worlds

Watching Video: Independence Day Speech (3 mins) YouTube Video:

Activity Visual
7 – 10 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t1IK_9apWs
Transcript Provided:
Written
Sketch to Stretch

Activity: o Students are to create an image following YouTube Video:

10 – 25 minutes each line of the speech. Visual / Tactile
Teacher Instructions:
 Pause each video after each line and
allow students time to create image.
 Modelling: Teacher draws images on the
whiteboard to demonstrate the concept
of this activity.
Planning Session: “News” Transcript Provided:
Collaborative Learning Written
Activity:
25 – 45 minutes o Annotating the transcript provided, students
are to create a “script” of a news report
based on the text.
 News Reader = Major Themes
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 Weather = Tone/mood
 Sports = Literary Techniques
Verbal input:
 Dedicate a role of scribe. Thus, stronger
writers can write the verbal input from other
students.
E.g.: Kalyn may be better suited to verbally
discuss his role’s identification

Presentation: Images can be presented from

Conclusion Collaborative Learning Sketch to Stretch task:
Activity: Visual Cues
45 – 60 minutes  Students will present their findings in the
form of a news report to the rest of the class Reciprocal Teaching:
Teacher Instruction/s: Guide students from the
Provide feedback following each presentation “audience” into a deeper
(“TALK”) understanding the content
presented
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Basham, J. D., & Marino, M. T. (2013). Understanding STEM education and supporting students

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Bols, A., & Wicklow, K. (2013). Feedback–what students want. Reconceptualising feedback in higher

education, 19-29.

Cheon, S. H., & Reeve, J. (2015). A classroom-based intervention to help teachers decrease students’

amotivation. Contemporary educational psychology, 40, 99-111.

Courey, S. J., Tappe, P., Siker, J., & LePage, P. (2013). Improved lesson planning with universal design

for learning (UDL). Teacher education and special education, 36(1), 7-27.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving

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