Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework, based on learning theory and cognitive neuroscience, guiding the design of flexible learning environments and instructional materials that accommodate individual differences among learners from the outset rather than through later adaptation. It was first defined in the 1990s by David H. Rose of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), adapting the architectural principle of universal design, building environments usable by all people without the need for retrofitting, to curriculum and instruction. UDL rests on three core principles: multiple means of representation (varied ways for learners to acquire information), multiple means of action and expression (varied ways for learners to demonstrate what they know), and multiple means of engagement (tapping learner interest, appropriate challenge and motivation), together intended to reduce the physical, cognitive, intellectual and organizational barriers a single fixed curriculum creates.