UDL as a Mindset and a Research-Backed Framework
This week’s readings deepened my understanding of UDL as a mindset and a research-backed framework. The meta-analysis by King-Sears et al. (2023) especially stood out because it confirmed that UDL measurably improves outcomes across subjects and age groups. I was struck by the finding that UDL produced the strongest results in small-group contexts. That made me rethink how I’ve pictured UDL in practice. I used to imagine it mostly in large, whole-class design decisions, but the evidence suggests it may be most powerful when learners work closely together, where choice and representation can be personalized.
The faculty development review (Al-Azawei et al., 2022) also challenged me. It made me realize that UDL isn’t something faculty can just “add” after one training session. Instead, the most successful implementations came when professional learning was ongoing and faculty were given space to collaborate. That resonated with my own experience; some of the most inclusive teaching practices I’ve used weren’t things I came up with in isolation, but ideas I borrowed and reshaped after talking with colleagues. The NJ DOE UDL Walkthrough (2016) helped me visualize what this actually looks like in classrooms: students setting their own goals, teachers posting multiple formats of materials, and routines that normalize flexible pathways for engagement. Seeing those concrete strategies reminded me that UDL is not just conceptual, but it shows up in everyday design choices.
In thinking about the application, I want to be more intentional about weaving UDL into design from the very start. In my own classroom, I’ve relied on pacing checklists and reflection prompts to help students regulate their learning, but the readings made me wonder what that could look like in an online or blended course where I won’t be there face-to-face. My new curiosity is how technology might expand the possibilities of UDL, like adaptive tools that personalize pacing or interactive media that give learners real choice in representation. Rather than just scaling UDL up for larger groups, I wonder how digital platforms could open up entirely new pathways for engagement that I haven’t fully explored yet.
