Applying UDL to Reframe Standards as Clear Classroom Goals
Students' individual differences in recognition, strategy, and affect require that we set our goals carefully. As we have established, a goal that restricts students to one type of content or one method of expression is not likely to be attainable for the entire class. By reframing goals to allow for multiple media and means for expression and engagement, we can offer more palatable options for all students.
To illustrate the possibilities, consider the following example from the sport of high jumping. At one time, every high jump competitor used the same tried-and-true technique. Learning the sport of high jumping was a matter of mastering that particular technique-the goal had become confused with the means. However, Oregon athlete Dick Fosbury broke the mold with a new technique, despite attempts by his coaches to train him in the traditional method. In the 1968 Olympics, Fosbury startled the world by winning the gold medal with an idiosyncratic technique, shown in Figure 5.1, dubbed "The Fosbury Flop." The Flop enabled others to continue to break high jumping records, and it has since become the standard technique for jumpers everywhere.
d
|
|
- Figure 5.1 -
The "Fosbury Flop"
|
|
AP/Wide World Photos.
|
|
Dick Fosbury's unique strategic networks created a major innovation that benefited many other athletes as well as himself. Had he pursued the goal of mastering the traditional approach to high jumping, he would probably never have been more than a mediocre jumper, much less an Olympic champion and the catalyst for the revolution of the sport. Fortunately, his goal was to jump as high as he could, by whatever method worked!
There are two lessons to take from this example. First, it shows us again why it's wise to avoid too much specification when we set goals. Second, it points out that we should always consider whether particulars of expression, recognition, or affect are germane to the goals we set. If we give students appropriate latitude and supports to pursue goals in their own fashion, they can be both creative and successful.
For example, suppose Mr. Costa set the goal for everyone in his class to learn about culture in the United States by interviewing someone who emigrated to this country, writing interview notes on paper, reading about their interviewee's homeland, and writing a report. If Mr. Costa carefully considered the diversity of his students, he would realize that as stated, this goal excludes some. For example, Sophia's visual difficulties limit her ability to recognize visual content and to express herself on paper. Further, as specified, the task might not especially engage her.
By considering the UDL framework, Mr. Costa could keep the fundamental goal intact, but reframe it to accommodate different recognition, expression, and engagement networks in his class. He might modify the goal as follows: "Learn about culture in the United States by interviewing someone who emigrated to this country, recording the interview, and collecting and presenting information about your interviewee's home country and its culture." By removing specific mention of writing on paper, Mr. Costa gives his students more options. Sophia, for example, could collect her information through audiotape, read about her subject's homeland supported by digital text and text-to-speech software, and create an audiotape or a digital multimedia presentation in PowerPoint that could even include songs from both cultures.
As this example shows, with a diverse array of resources and a steady focus on the true goal, achieving flexibility in means and methods is relatively straightforward.
