Three Principles of Universal Design for Learning

The what how and why of learning with three graphics of brains with corresponding areas of the brain highlighted

Most teachers have a diverse group of students. This diversity includes how we learn, which is as unique and individual as our fingerprints. Because of this, traditional education does not afford all students the same opportunity to learn. In the 1990’s, Anne Meyer and David Rose, at the Center for Applied Special Technology, decided to tackle the issue and laid out the three principles of Universal Design for Learning, ensuring that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging, learning opportunities.

Principle 1: Multiple Means of Engagement

                    The Why of Learning

For purposeful, motivated learners, stimulate interest and motivation for learning

Goal: Expert learners who are purposeful and motivated

  • Provide options for recruiting interest
    • optimize individual choice and autonomy
    • optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
    • minimize threats and distractions
  • Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
    • heighten salience of goals and objectives
    • vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
    • foster collaboration and community
    • increase mastery-oriented feedback
  • Provide options for self-regulation
    • promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
    • facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
    • develop self-assessment and reflection

Principle 2: Multiple Means of Representation

                    The What of Learning

For resourceful, knowledgeable learners, present information and content in different ways

Goal: Expert learners who are resourceful and knowledgable

  • Provide options for perception
    • offer ways of customizing the display of information
    • offer alternatives for auditory information
    • offer alternatives for visual information
  • Provide option for language and symbols
    • clarify vocabulary and symbols
    • clarify syntax and structure
    • support decoding of text, mathematical notation and symbols
    • promote understanding across languages
    • illustrate through multiple media
  • Provide options for comprehension
    • activate or supply background knowledge
    • highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
    • guide information processing and visualization
    • maximize transfer and generalization

Principle 3: Multiple Means of Action and Expression

                    The How of Learning

For strategic, goal-directed learners, differentiate the ways that students can express what they know

Goal: Expert learners who are strategic and goal-oriented

  • Provide options for physical action
    • vary the methods for response and navigation
    • optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
  • Provide options for expression and communication
    • use multiple media for communication
    • use multiple tools for construction and composition
    • build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance
  • Provide options for executive functions
    • guide appropriate goal setting
    • support planning and strategy development
    • facilitate managing information and resources
    • enhance capacity for monitoring process