The document provides an overview of a virtual workshop on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for teachers in Dublin. It introduces UDL and discusses why traditional special education models are becoming obsolete due to changes in student demographics, diagnoses, financial constraints, and student needs. UDL is presented as a framework that can address these issues by providing multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement to support all learners through inclusive classroom design. Examples of how UDL can be implemented are also provided.

1. Virtual UDL workshop for teachers in
Dublin: What is UDL? Why do we need it?
How does it work?
Frederic Fovet, School of Education and Technology,
Royal Roads University, British Columbia, Canada

2. Introduction
• Margaret and Frederic will introduce themselves and we
will then use Menti to get to know all of you.
• Go to www.menti.com and use the code 93 56 09
• Type a few words about yourself, your position, your
interest in inclusion, etc.

3. Interactive interlude
• As we start we will use a poll to assess your level of comfort and knowledge
about UDL.
• Go to www.menti.com and use code 43 76 90
• (a) I know nothing or almost nothing about UDL
• (b) I have had a little bit of PD previously around UDL
• (c) I have had several experiences with PD on the topic of UDL
• (d) I have had previous PD around UDL and have begun efforts towards some
degree of implementation

4. The structure of our session today
• 8.30-8.40: Introductions
• - On screen for Margaret and Frederic
• - On Menti for other participants
• 8.40 – 9.10 – Why has the notion of “special education” become obsolete? (Frederic)
• - Demographics
• - Explosion of diagnosis and limitations of medical model lens
• - Need for financially sustainable practices
• - Importance of social model approaches
• - Students’ social capital needs and expectations
• 9.10 – 9.25 – What is UDL and how does it address the tension in this quickly changing landscape? (Margaret and Frederic)
• - Quick overview of UDL framework
• - How does it address our needs in schools?
• - The three UDL principles
• 9.25- 9.45 - UDL in the context of Irish schools (Margaret)
• 9.45 – 10.05 – What does UDL look like in practice in schools? (Margaret and Frederic)
• Multiple means of representation (1 example)
• Multiples means of action and expression (1 example)
• Multiple means of engagement (1 example)
• 10.05- 10.30 – Q&A (Margaret and Frederic)

5. Part 1: Why has the notion of “special
education” become obsolete?
• Current issues around Inclusion in schools:
(1) Demographics
(2) Explosion of diagnosis and limitations of medical model lens
(3) Need for financially sustainable practices
(4) Importance of social model approaches
(5) Students’ social capital needs and expectations

6. Current issues around Inclusion in
schools
(1) Demographics
Special Ed provisions for students in schools are based on a model which needs to understood
in a historical context; there were few students with Disabilities in schools when these
provisions were devised.
In most countries there were, until a couple of decades ago, mainstream schools (with content
specialists) and segregated schools (with special ed teachers)
Inclusion has meant the closure of special ed schools and a vast increase of students with
Disabilities in mainstream schools
Existing processes and models cannot cope with demand
(2) Explosion of diagnosis and limitations of medical model lens
We have become exceedingly focused on diagnostic information but it rarely leads us to
effective interventions. Instead, we have seen the rise of a ‘culture of referral’ which is
disempowering for teachers
(3) Need for financially sustainable practices
Remedial interventions that are not whole class, and do not occur through the inclusive design
for the learning experience (i.e. are based on retrofitting) are very expensive and not
sustainable.

7. Current issues around Inclusion in
schools (contd.)
• (4) Importance of social model approaches
• What I the social model of disability?
• Judith Butler video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0HZaPkF6qE (up to 05.49)
• What are your take-aways from this video? What does it highlight about the social
model?
• We will use Menti to debrief on the Judith Butler video.
• Go to www.menti.com and use the code 83 05 98
• A couple more video tor recap our reflection on the social model:
• Tongue in cheek video from the UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3NZaLhcc4&t=24s
• French electricity company video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzRQOfVvVh4

8. Current issues around Inclusion in
schools (contd.)
• (5) Students’ social capital needs and expectations
• One of the pillars of inclusive policies in school is the need for social capital
development in the classroom.
• What is social capital?
• Why is it important?
• Why are students so intent on achieving social capital gain?
• How do most of our classroom practices currently clash with the social capital
expectations of students?

9. Part 2: What is UDL and how does it address the
tension in this quickly changing landscape?
• Quick overview of UDL framework
• Has origins in the field of architecture (1970s)
• Later imported to the field of education by David Rose and CAST
• All learners are exceptional in three dimensions of learning (input, output and
engagement)
• It is important for educators to acknowledge this diversity and to design their
instruction and assessment for maximum flexibility
• In order to do this, educators will have to embrace their role as designers of the
learning experience
• UDL will provide a lens to maintain this design thinking lens, as well as three
principles to guide this reflection

10. How does it address our needs in schools?
(1) Demographics: It offers whole class solutions, reduces pressure on services outside
the classroom, and re-empowers the teachers that they are the expert on access
(2) Explosion of diagnosis and limitations of medical model lens: Makes diagnosis
irrelevant. The onus is on the way the teacher designs the learning experience for
maximum accessibility, not about the exceptionality of the learner.
(3) Need for financially sustainable practices: UDL is a whole classroom approach and
it reduces strain on school systems. Reduces the need for retrofitting and for many
services. Inclusive design does require initial resources but this is short term and the
change process becomes sustainable and reduces long term strain on the system.
(4) Importance of social model approaches: Fully translates the social model of
disability into classroom practices
(5) Students’ social capital needs and expectations: Allows inclusion to happen in the
mainstream class. Students are never labelled or segregated and benefit fully from the
same equal opportunities to develop social capital

11. Part 4: What does UDL look like in
practice in schools?
• Multiple Means of action and expression
• About offering students as much flexibility as possible in the way they offer us content, make
contributions, demonstrate participation or showcase skills.
• This principle is key in the way we examine and deconstruct assessment.
• We assess learners in very teacher centric ways, perpetuating processes that have been
applied to us.
• This can be tricky because we end up assessing skills that may be different from the ones we
explicitly set out to evaluate.
• In schools for example we over-focus on literacy in the format of our assessment, even when
we are not actually teaching or assessing literacy.
• How can we change this: identify skills and knowledge that can be assessed without recourse
to reading and writing + offering multiple means to demonstrate this
• Assessment can often diversified so that students can use video, oral presentations, podcast,
animation, role-play, etc. to meet assessment objectives.
• This is not about replacing text with something else; it is about incorporating as many
alternate pathways as possible and letting the student decide what suits them.

12. Part 4: What does UDL look like in
practice in schools?
• Multiple Means of engagement
• This one is the trickiest of the three principles to
discuss with teachers: teachers have generally begun this reflection around
engagement but that reflection perhaps falls short of how far it can go.
We are all mindful of engaging learners but out expectations as to what ‘engagement’
looks like is often teacher-centric.
We need to use UDL to design and consider modes of engagement that don’t
necessary suit us, but are most congenial for the learners.
One exploration I have personally begun centers around curriculum co-creation.
What is curriculum co-creation? How does it fit within our reflection on UDL? How
does it offer learners multiple means to demonstrate engagement?

13. Part 5 – Q&A
• We will have 25 minutes for questions!
• We will use the chatbox on Bluejeans to take your questions.
• To wrap up, let’s use Menti for one final activity.
• We would like you to recap your take-aways from today’s workshop with a
word puzzle.
• Go to www.menti.com and use the code 47 15 26

14. Resources
Cook, S. C., & Rao, K. (2018). Systematically Applying UDL to Effective Practices for Students With Learning
Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 41(3), 179–191
Fovet, F. (2014) Navigating the delicate emerging synchronicity between inclusion and access. LEARNing
Landscapes, 7 (2), 17-24
Katz, J. (2015) Implementing the Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning: effects on teachers' self-
efficacy, stress, and job satisfaction in inclusive classrooms K-12. International Journal of Inclusive Education,
19(1), 1-20
Ok, M., Rao, K., Bryant, B., & McDougall, D. (2017) Universal Design for Learning in Pre-K to Grade 12
Classrooms: A Systematic Review of Research. Exceptionality, 25(2), 116-138
Owiny, R., Hollingshead, A., Barrio, B., & Stoneman, K. (2019) Engaging Preservice Teachers in Universal Design
for Learning Lesson Planning. Inclusion, 7(1), 12-23
Rao, K., & Meo, G. (2016). Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons. SAGE Open.
TedX Talks (2013) The Myth of Average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty. YouTube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBmyttcfU4
Van Boxtel, J. M., & Sugita, T. (2019). Exploring the implementation of lesson-level UDL principles through an
observation protocol. International Journal of Inclusive Education.
Your Alberta (2018) Making sense of universal design for learning. YouTube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQSAQdxnQBY

15. Contact details
• Frederic Fovet (PhD.)
• Associate Professor, School of Education and Technology, Royal
Roads University
• Frederic.fovet@royalroads.ca
• implementudl@gmail.com
• @Ffovet
• www.implementudl.com