Principle of Action and Expression - Guideline 3 - Criterion 4

Universal Design for Learning

Principle of  Action and Expression - Guideline 3 - Criterion 4

When developing a course using the second principle of Universal Design for Learning, there are three specific guidelines to assist us.  The third, Executive Function, allows us to take advantage of our environment and overcome short term reactions to reach our long term goals. 

Criterion 4 of this guideline advocates that we enhance the learners’ capacity for monitoring progress.

Feedback is essential for learning, whether we are a student learning in a classroom or an educator assessing their course.  Naturally, learners require a clear understanding of their progress, or lack thereof. When assessments and feedback are not informative to the learner or are not timely with the feedback, there is not sufficient time for learning to take place. Students do not know what they need to do differently and do not have time to adapt.  This lack of knowledge, may give the illusion that students are careless or unmotivated, but it is a result of the learner not having access to appropriate feedback and time to utilize it.  This is in part, why Chickering and Gamson’s 4^th Principle of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education calls for prompt feedback.

Without the communication, there is no learning. It is important to provide formative feedback that allows learners to effectively monitor their progress guide their own practices.

A few examples of techniques to meet this criterion include:

• Promote self-monitoring and reflection. You can do this by asking reflective questions.
• Show representations of progress. Often visual representations accompanying these markers assist students understanding.
• Provide differentiated models of self-assessment strategies such as peer-reviews and self-tests
• Ask learners to identify the type of feedback or advice they prefer.
• Use grading rubrics to communicate what is expected
•  Multiple examples of annotated work or performance as exemplars or illustrations of what not to do. 

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