Principle of Representation - Guideline 2 - Criterion 4

Universal Design for Learning

Principle of Representation - Guideline 2 - Criterion 4

When developing a course using the first principle of Universal Design for Learning, there are three specific guidelines to assist us. The second, Language and Symbols focuses on maintaining clarity about the content provided.

Criterion 4 of this guideline advocates that we illustrate through multiple media.

Materials are often dominated by text, however textual presentations of content are not optimal for presenting information on the web, or possibly in a classroom. This is compounded with those who have language-related disabilities, such as dyslexia. Providing alternatives, such as illustrations or animations, can make the information more accessible for these learners. It may also help learners who favor visual presentations. Remember to:

• Present key concepts in two different forms, such as a symbolic representation of a physics equation and an illustration or animation of its relationship
• Provide explicit connections between information provided textually and other accompanying representations of the information.
  

By following these suggestions, your course will assist students communicating and expressing their knowledge, as well as being in line the Principle of Representation in the Theory of Universal Design for Learning.