The Princple of Representation - Guideline 2 - Language & Symbols

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

1. Perception
2. Language and Symbols
3. Building Knowledge

We are going to take a deeper look.

The second guideline, Language and Symbols, focuses on maintaining clarity about the content provided. How people interpret language or symbols can vary greatly depending on their frame of reference.  For example, a picture may have two different meanings depending differing cultural backgrounds. When content is provided in only one representation, inequalities may arise because not all learners share the same frame of reference. Part of supplying multiple representations is to clarify the content being presented.

 As you develop material be sure that you can meet the following criteria:

1. Clarify your terms such as vocabulary and symbols.
2. Support decoding mathematical notation, symbols, and other text.
3. Promote understanding across languages.
4. Address biases in the use of language and symbols
5. Illustrate through multiple media.

 By adopting this instructional strategy, more learners benefit. The alternative representations provided both promote accessibility as well as add clarity, and comprehensibility, for all learners.