S1 E8: What is Universal Design of Learning? With Dr. David Rose

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• EPISODE RESOURCES

  From the CAST website: David Rose is a neuropsychologist and educator who is best known for his central role in developing the field of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and in articulating the principles and practices of UDL that have been adopted widely throughout the world. Until his recent unsuccessful attempt to retire, he has served as the Executive Director of CAST, an internationally prominent non-profit research and development center that he co-founded in 1983, and on the faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education where he has taught for more than 30 years.  

  • Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) main website:

    • CAST: Until learning has no limits®

  • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework

    • CAST: About Universal Design for Learning

  • Using the UDL guidelines to enhance learning in youth Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    • Using Research-Informed Pedagogical Practices to Maximize Learning in Youth Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - PMC (nih.gov)

• EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

  • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational/pedagogical framework that was developed based upon research and the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, developmental and educational psychology, among other fields.

  • UDL proactively guides the design of learning environments and approaches to teaching that assumes individual differences (e.g., biology, neurodevelopment, experiences, interests, etc.) exist among and between learners rather than assuming that one way will work for everyone.

  • Dr. David Rose is the co-founder of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), which formulated and advocates for the UDL approach in classrooms around the country and abroad.

  • Dr. Rose has recently been looking into the issues of equity in the classroom that go beyond ability vs. disability, as it pertains to the UDL guidelines, looking at intersectionality in a way that allows us to look at individuals in a more nuanced and complicated way. 

  • Dr. Rose has also been looking into the way in which musicians process information in a unique way that may relate to teaching and learning. 

  • Music can provide a unique way for individuals to express themselves. Much like how therapy provides a unique context and way in which individuals can express themselves in a deeper way. 

  • It is important to consider all the different aspects that make an individual who they are and how they are showing up in a learning environment.

  • Dr. Rose was inspired to develop UDL by reflecting on how to diagnose what might not be working within classrooms and making changes, rather than diagnosing problems within the students and trying to change the students. The goal was to redesign how classrooms are functioning in order to support all students’ learning, regardless of their differences.

  • There is a parallel between teachers creating the environment for students to learn in a classroom with how therapists create the environment for individuals in therapy to learn about themselves and their life. There may not be a one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone because there are so many factors that influence how someone accesses and utilizes learning.

  • There are examples from neuroscience showing that there are so many factors that influence how a person reacts to stimuli they are exposed to. For example, nuanced experiments have shown that making slight alterations with the subject of the experiment (e.g., what they’re feeling, what they value in the moment, the context, whether or not you are stressed, what you are told, what you care about, neurodevelopmental profiles) alters how a person responds to a stimulus. 

  • As Dr. Ned Hollowell states, we can identify “mirror traits,” such that a trait that is considered a ‘weakness’ may actually be a ‘strength’ in a different context.

  • Bias can be so ingrained in us we may not think about it as bias. Our brains are actually evolved to want to learn about the environment we are in, which is why we are so adaptive as a species, but mostly this happens so long as the individual is curious, open, and engaged. So - we all have an inherent desire to learn, and so there are factors that interfere with that desire. Designing to learn is about finding how to facilitate engagement in learning environments between student and teacher.

• TRANSCRIPTION

In this episode we go back to the roots of Universal Design for Learning with Dr. David Rose - co-founder of CAST, neuropsychologist, educator, author, and speaker. Join us as we discuss creating accessible and engaging learning environments, bias, UDL, and learning variability. 

Be curious. Be Open. Be well.

The ReidConnect-Ed Podcast is hosted by Siblings Alexis Reid and Dr. Gerald Reid.

*Please note that different practitioners may have different opinions- this is our perspective and is intended to educate you on what may be possible.