CAST: Universal Design for Learning

Executive Director, The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Milton Chen has been a leading figure in educational media for more than 20 years. He joined The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) as Executive Director in 1998, bringing new leadership to its mission of gathering and disseminating the most innovative models of K-12 teaching and learning in the Digital Age.

Before that Dr. Chen was the founding director of the KQED Center for Education & Lifelong Learning (PBS) in San Francisco, delivering educational services for teachers, parents, and community groups in support of public TV programming. He has been a director of research at the Children’s Television Workshop in New York, and an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Most recently, Dr. Chen has served as a consultant to Children Now, Educational Development Center, the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education, and Scholastic.

He received an A.B. in social studies from Harvard College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in communication research from Stanford University.

Universal Design for Learning calls for ...

• Multiple means of representation, to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
• Multiple means of expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know,
• Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.

Did You Know...?

The 'universal' in Universal Design for Learning does not imply a single optimal solution for everyone. Instead, it underscores the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners.