The first principle of UDL, ‘provide multiple means of representation”, help promote an inclusive learning environment on many levels. When developing a course and focusing on this principle, there are three guidelines to follow. They are:
- Perception
- Language and symbols
- Building Knowledge
We are not going to take a deeper look.
The first guideline, Perception, in many ways overlaps with creating accessible content. When creating content, be sure that interaction is flexible and does not solely depend on one sense for its delivery. As you develop the material be sure that you can meet the following criteria:
- The option to customize the display of information. By providing malleable content options in digital format that is accessible, you will be increasing the clarity and salience of information for a wide range of learners.
- Alternatives to perceive information. A picture can stay 1000 words, but not if you cannot see it. These presentations can abandon those with visual disabilities. To ensure equitable access, offer non-visual learners alternatives such as closed captioning and transcripts. Also, consider visual graphics and infographics to assist learners who perform better visually than with text.
- Represent a diversity of perspectives and identities in authentic ways. Learners need to see themselves, as well as others, represented in what they study. When students recognize their own experiences and cultures in course materials, it builds validation and belonging.
Meeting these criteria will reduce barriers to learning. Key information will be equally perceptible to all learners by:
- providing the same information through different modalities, and
- providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user
Multiple representations not only ensure that information is accessible to learners with disabilities, but also easier to access for other learners from varying backgrounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment