Principle of Engagement - Guideline 1 - Criterion 2

 

Universal Design for Learning

Principle of Engagement - Guideline 1 - Criterion 2

When developing a course using the third principle of Universal Design for Learning, there are three specific guidelines to assist us.  The first, Recruiting Interest, focuses on how accessible the content is to learners. Information that does not engage the learner’s cognition is effectively inaccessible.

Criterion 2 of this guideline advocates that we optimize relevance, value, and authenticity of what is learned. 

Learners are more likely to be engaged the content if they find it meaningful or relevant.  This is not just a good idea for instructors to consider, but best practices in adult education. This also accurately applies to the largest growing group of college students, non-traditional learners. When the activities are relevant and authentic to the learner’s individual goals and interest, the learner is more likely to focus more energy on the content and stimulate the learning process.  People are rarely interested in information that has no meaningful connection to their lives. 

To be a more effective educator, you should demonstrate the relevance of the content through authentic activities.  These can be role-play or based on fiction, but in some way have a connection to the students personally.  To assist this process, try offering options that optimize what is relevant, or valuable, to the learner.  Letting the learner self-select the option promotes the sensation of autonomy and allows learners to select the option that they perceive as more meaningful.  

Some tips for assisting connecting learning to experiences in meaningful ways to the learner include:

• Fluctuate activities and sources of information so that they can be:
• Age and ability appropriate
• Personalized and contextualized to learners’ lives
• Culturally and socially relevant and responsive
• Appropriate for different racial, cultural, ethnic, and gender groups
• Design activities so that learning outcomes are authentic, communicate to real audiences, and reflect a purpose that is clear to the participants
• Encourage personal response (while being professional and focusing on the course), evaluation and self-reflection to content and activities
• Promote active learning with tasks that allow for active participation, exploration, and experimentation
• Include activities that foster imagination to solve novel and relevant problems, or make sense of complex ideas creatively

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