Magic EdTech Support for Universal Design for Learning
Most of us do not recognize the concepts of universal design in our day-to-day lives. Yet it is almost guaranteed that we have benefited from such design. Closed captioning is one of the most popular features of our televisions. Electric sensors trigger automatic doors, allowing us to enter and leave stores and other buildings. The number of people subscribing to audiobooks and podcasts continues to grow.
The link between these facilities is that they arose from a desire to make services available to all people. For example, people who use wheelchairs can operate automatic doors as well as anyone else. People with poor vision can enjoy literature through audiobooks. Indeed, universal design principles assist many more people than just those with physical or mental impairments. Think of how much easier it is to understand a TV commentator in noisy locations by using closed captioning. Universal design principles give everyone more ways of interacting with the world to gain knowledge and understanding.
Universal Design for Learning Principles
Such flexibility and inclusiveness is applied to the education field through universal design for learning (UDL) principles. By using UDL principles, curriculum developers and teachers can better coach a diverse set of learners by stretching how they access information and demonstrate their knowledge. There are four hallmarks of UDL programs.- They are equitable, promoting use by learners with varying abilities. Websites that allow screen reader technology give access to people with visual impairment.
- They are flexible, accommodating a range of learner preferences. Captioning reinforces learner understanding by giving a text version of complex dialogue or instructions.
- They are intuitive, being easy for learners to use, regardless of their experience, knowledge, or ability to focus. This helps all learners efficiently reach desired results.
- They anticipate errors, minimizing learning detours caused by mistaken or unintended actions. Software that provides guidance if an inappropriate selection is made helps learners get back on track faster.
How Magic EdTech Supports Universal Design Learning
According to Understood.org, which researches and advocates for universal educational access, the strongest UDL programs concentrate on three main areas.- They offer information in more than one format: text, audio, video, and hands-on. This lets learners make the best use of their strengths. They also present information in ways that adapt to the learner, instead of the other way around.
- They give students alternate ways of showing what they have learned. Students may take a standard test, make an oral presentation, or complete a group project.
- They use multiple ways to motivate learners. Learners can choose assignments that are highly relevant to them, such as gamified skill-building activities.
- Interactive videos use animation, whiteboard activities, and engaging narrators to get learners actively involved in their science and language education.
- Virtual laboratories provide exploratory experiences in science. They allow virtual hands-on training in which students realistically move objects, pour liquids, and measure results.
- Augmented reality allows learners to “travel” through time to experience communities that no longer exist. They might also zoom across the country to observe the land’s features and how they affect human life. Very-high-quality 3D elements let learners investigate the world by manipulating objects that seem to be right in front of them.
