Universal Design For Learning

Introduction Universal Design is a concept that was developed through architectural designs of buildings that allowed for access and mobility throughout the building by as many as possible. The Education System has since then directed this form of thinking and design and integrated it into the Australian Curriculum. Universal Design for Learning enables students to be equal and to receive the same opportunity to learn. In this essay, the subject of Mathematics will be investigated further into its potential when integrating the Universal Design for Learning process into the lessons. The three principles of Universal Design for Learning will be used to further discuss how an Australian Curriculum strand (ACMSP248) can be manipulated to cater

Universal Design essentially grants equality throughout humanity and eliminates the physical factors such as mobility that would otherwise contribute significantly to this gap. Universal Design requires flexibility and diversity in its designs. From this idea of Universal Design, the concept of Universal Design for Learning was created. Universal Design for Learning takes the concept of equal opportunity that Universal Design applies to building design, and directs it towards the Australian Curriculum. Universal Design for Learning is described by the CAST website as “...a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.”. Universal Design for Learning was not intended on just helping students with special needs feel included, but also to allow students who learn in a way that is not considered ‘normal’ by teachers to hopefully engage with the content. The flexibility involved in Universal Design for Learning has become an essential part of the Australian

This essay focuses specifically upon the effective implementation of Universal Design for Learning elements in the subject of mathematics, more specifically strand ACMSP248 (Australian Curriculum, 2015). The aim of this unit of work is for year 10 students to successfully investigate ‘the five-number summary (minimum and maximum values, median and upper and lower quartiles) and to use its graphical representation- the box plot, as tools for both numerically and visually comparing the centre and spread of data sets’ (Australian and Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authorities, 2016). At the completion of this unit, students will have connected with the content and apply their learning’s to everyday situations. Additionally, students will learn how to interpret data and describe the data set from the visual, graphical and numerical representation of the data.

Application of Universal Design for Learning to unit of work Universal Design for Learning contains three essential principles. These principles are believed to be the core and foundations for an Australian Curriculum with Universal Design of Learning integrated within. The three principles allow for a flexible and open curriculum, instead of a “one size fits all” type curriculum (CAST 2011). The following breakdown of the principles will be referring to the Universal Design of Learning Guidelines found on the CAST website.