Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework created to make learning inclusive and accessible for everyone. It appreciates that every learner is different and, therefore, has unique learning needs, interests, and goals. 

In any English language classroom, learners may have diverse abilities, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, and languages. UDL celebrates the diversity of students and aims to provide the right learning experience for everyone, regardless of age, (dis)ability, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. 

To do this, UDL aims to minimize barriers to learning so that every individual learner can have the best learning experience possible. 

There are three principles to UDL: 

1. Provide multiple means of representation

Barriers to learning can be reduced or removed by providing information and learning experiences in different ways. 

For example, learners with vision impairments can benefit from audio support tools, such as Ellii’s Immersive Reader function, which describes photos using alternative text (alt text) and reads aloud. Most of Ellii’s lessons have downloadable or streamable audio files to accompany texts too.

Audio support tools are equally beneficial for learners who have low level literacy, who are learning in noisy places, or who want to improve their listening skills. 

With Ellii, there are lots of ways to provide diverse learning opportunities. 

Take this lesson on the simple past, for example. It has a variety of task and interaction types: vocabulary, grammar structure practice (alone and in pairs), pair work to find out what people did last week, listening, a group speaking activity, and a review/assessment task.

Of course, how you use and adapt each lesson is up to you. You could: 

• email students the worksheet to do some tasks in their own time
• complete some (or all) of the tasks together in class (print or digital)
• set some (or all) of the digital tasks for homework
• provide additional learning options: video, Word Bank Reader, Grammar Story, Grammar Practice Worksheet, Super Simple Grammar, Interactive Activities 
• search Ellii's blog for other fun activity ideas

2. Provide multiple means of action & expression

This principle refers to giving learners choices in how they wish to learn. Involving students in their learning can be mutually beneficial and increase motivation. 

Discuss with students how they prefer to receive feedback and which tasks they’d find useful for homework. In class, you could assign all of Ellii's digital tasks to your learners, but ask them to complete 3–5 of their choice. 

Throughout the course you could also let them choose their own assessments. For example: 

• Writing: write an informal letter (students choose who to write to and the topic)
• Reading: give three texts to choose from
• Speaking & Listening: interview a partner, have a group discussion, have a class debate, do a presentation with Q+A, make a video, record themselves using the speaking task, etc.

3. Provide multiple means of engagement

The final UDL principle centers around offering activities that engage students and keep their interest. This involves finding out which topics interest students and how they like to learn. Ellii's collections show how vast the content library is. For example, you can teach/review grammar targets by using traditional grammar lessons, true or fictional stories that present the target in context, mini-grammar lessons that showcase the target within non-fiction readings, videos, etc.

At the beginning of a course, it can be helpful to ask learners what topics they’d like to learn about. Try an Ellii Needs Assessment, such as this one.

How to keep learners engaged and motivated can be one of the most challenging parts of being a teacher. Providing multisensory learning is a great way to do this: 

• Interactive tasks
• Laughter and fun
• Games and activities
• Music
• Photo Prompts
• Role-Plays

Learner training in mindset and confidence are crucial too. Teach students that mistakes are an essential part of learning, celebrate progress, and create a welcoming classroom atmosphere. 

A quick summary

Universal Design for Learning is a teaching tool to help you create learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners. 

Ask yourself, do my classes…

• make all learners feel included?
• give students choices?
• provide a variety of learning options? 
• make learning multisensory?
• ask learners what, why, and how they want to learn?

And finally, here is a sketchnote I created for the British Council BBELT conference. Maria Jose Galleno Valdez provided some excellent ideas for removing barriers to learning and incorporating UDL principles. 

You can find more information about UDL and access the full framework at www.cast.org 

If you are interested in inclusion in the classroom, here are some other posts which you might find interesting: 

• Accessibility: Supporting Students with AD(H)D
• Accessibility: Supporting English Learners with Dyslexia
• Accessibility: Supporting Blind and Low-Vision Learners
• 6 Ways to Support English Learners from Refugee Backgrounds
• 8 Tips for Developing Students’ Digital Literacy
• Inclusive Festivities: How to Value Every Learner’s Holidays 

How do you make learning universal for everyone? Have you tried any of the design principles in this post? Let us know in the comments.