Principle of Engagement - Guideline 1 - Criterion 3

 

Universal Design for Learning

Principle of Engagement - Guideline 1 - Criterion 3

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 3 of this guideline advocates that we minimize threats and distractions

Having a safe environment of space to learn is critical for effective education. Besides the obvious reference to physical safety, subtler types of threats and distractions can impede the learning process as well. By reducing stimuli that create negative experiences or interfere with the learner's concentration, we can ensure that the learner has their needs met and can focus on learning more effectively. This is particularly relevant when considering at-risk learners and non-traditional students.  Variations in culture and background experiences can make subtle micro-aggressions, or even unintended events where contexts can be blurred, and students with different backgrounds may find themselves in a uncomfortable learning environment, while others within the class are not.  The optimal instructional environment supplies options that can reduce, or minimize, threats and negative distractions for everyone, so each student feels safe and comfortable when exploring or learning.

Some tips to help reduce perceived threats and distractions include:

• Create an accepting and supportive learning climate, that explicitly states its commitment to inclusion and tolerance.
  
  
• Differ the level of novelty in the learning environment by:
  
  
•  Using alerts and previews that can help learners anticipate and prepare for changes in activities, schedules, and novel events so that they are prepared
• Offer warnings to prepare students for possibly intense content (such as video that might produce PTSD episodes or be considered disturbing to students with special needs or experiences)
• Vary background noise, or optionally, allows students to control it individually (such as music or background audio in an online presentation)
• Options that can maximize the unexpected, surprising, or novel in highly routinized activities or reduce it to tailor the experience to the learner’s needs.
  
  
• Vary the level of sensory stimulation by maintaining:
  
  
• Variation in the presence of background noise or visual stimulation, noise buffers, number of features or items presented at a time
• Variation in work pacing, availability of breaks, or sequence of activities

·         Fluctuate the social demands required for performance, the perceived level of support and protection, and the requirements for public display (class participation) and evaluation

Involve all participants in whole class discussions or collaborations. Encourage otherwise timid students and reinforce/moderate the discussions to ensure inclusivity

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.