Brigitte Gerges Assesment Two Case Study

Inclusive Education- Assessment Two
19189518
Brigitte Gerges
Word count:2036
Lanterman, (2016) discusses that applying Universal Design for Learning is an essential
dimension of contemporary inclusive pedagogical practices. The UDL framework suggests that
flexible learning climates provides equal access and curriculum opportunities for all learners
including students with differentiated learning needs also including disabilities. (Higher
Education Opportunity Act, 2008; Hall, Meyer & Rose, 2012; Rose & Meyer, 2002). The
pedagogical framework covers three significant principals which are presented in three
different categories. This essay will look at a ninth-grade student with learning disabilities and
how the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resources has enriched the
learning process with the guidance of Universal Design for Learning. This student is a very
strong writer and very creative but needs a longer time to complete the work due to getting
easily distracted. In order to create an effective differentiated intervention for this student we
need to understand what a learning disability is. Rivalland (2000) describes “a learning
disability as a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of students who have
significant difficulties in the acquisition of literacy and numeracy and who are not covered in
the Commonwealth’s definition of a student/child with a disability… Learning disability is
believed to be a difficulty that is intrinsic to the individual and not a direct result of other
conditions or influences”. (Adam and Tatnall, 2010, p2)
The first principle of UDL comprises Multiple Means of Representation that creates
resourceful and knowledgeable learners. The first component of the UDLs’ principle provides
options for learner’s perception (Lowrey, Hollingshead, & Howery, 2017; Courey , Tappe,
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Siker & LePage, 2013). This dimension encourages teachers to customise the display of
information, including auditory and visual display of information to improve the learning
process of individualised students. Secondly, the first principal provides flexible options for
the successful decoding of learner’s language, mathematical expressions and symbols (Courey
et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012). Thereby, the student gains clarity of vocabulary, symbols,
structure and syntax; further promoting deep and meaningful understanding across languages
and subjects illustrated through various media platforms (Lowrey et. al, 2017; CAST, 2012).
Thirdly the first principal, continues to provide flexibility for activating background
knowledge, highlighting patterns, large motifs, relationships and patterns within information.
For e.g., in the lesson plans, there are numerous options for students to choose from.
The second Principle of the framework comprises Multiple Means of Action and
Expression that focuses for creating and fostering strategies that are mainly goal-directed
allowing students substitutes to reveal and express their learning (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST,
2012). The fourth dimension of UDL’S three principles provides alternatives for physical
action by interchanging approaches for positive responses and successful navigation
additionally providing easy access to assistive ICT tools and resources for e.g., the student with
learning difficulties uses head phones in class every time they use eTrekker (Courey et. al,
2013; CAST, 2012). Ereader is subsequently opened up to minimise distractors surrounding
the student as seen in the lesson plan. The fifth dimension of the second principle makes use
of multiple platforms of media for maximised communication, construction at different levels
of support for optimal individualised student learning performance ensuring teachers provide
alternatives for expression and communication within the classroom environment (Courey et.
al, 2013; CAST, 2012). The sixth principle facilitates the options for fostering student’s
executive functions. This is achieved through appropriate planning and scaffolding of strategy
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development and goal-setting, enhancing the capacity for monitoring the students’ progress,
creating adjustments and accommodations as needed (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012).
The last principle of the Universal Design for Learning framework provides Multiple
means of Engagment, meaningfully stimulating students interests and motivation for learning
content using multiple pedagogical methods. The seventh dimension provides options for
creating interest this process involves optimising the student’s choice, self-efficacy and
autonomy (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012). Furthermore, enhancing the authenticity, value
and relevant engagment, subsequently preventing and minimising distractions. The eighth
dimension offers the options for sustaining a student’s engagment, effort and determination
involves heightening expectations of students and the salience of their goals (Courey et. al,
2013; CAST, 2012). This also involves fostering classroom community in peer-based learning
and/or student-teacher-parent collaboration for instance for instance within the lesson plan the
students are place into groups to encourage community and support. Continuously varying the
resources and appropriate learning expectations depending on task to enhance challenge and
academic achievement (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012). Continuously, the teacher must
provide timely and specific feedback to sustain the engagment and perseverance for the student
to reach their individualised optimal learning process (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012).
The ninth and last dimension of the UDL framework provide options for sustained self-
regulation, for e.g., in the lesson plan the students are encourages to fill out a self-progress
sheet in order to self-regulate and self-assess building resilience and autonomy. Through
promoting specific expectations, values and beliefs, within a student, classroom and whole
school environment a teacher can instil the optimal motivation, facilitating personal resilience
and assist a student in developing various coping skills and strategies. This can also be achieved
through teachers providing the appropriate resources for students to develop self-reflection and
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self-assessment. These options are offered for maximizing a student’s differentiated learning
needs creating a positive safe learning environment (Courey et. al, 2013; CAST, 2012).
A ninth-grade student with learning disabilities, has found using Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) rich resources challenging as there is an abundance of
overwhelming information and visual distracted to research through and around. Using the
Universal Design for Learning principal’s teachers have the guidance to effectively plan,
organise and scaffold appropriate information and content for the student with learning
disabilities for an enhanced learning experience. Through the implementation of classroom or
whole school approaches such as employing ICT learning tools more specifically CAST’s
eTrekker helps to positively optimise individual students learning experience. In addition, this
form of ICT assists educators and parents for supporting a student’s appropriate goals. CAST’S
eTrekker project was initiated to minimise students learning and focus difficulties allowing
students to focus, evaluate and sift through complex content without the visual distractors on
the world wide web.
Through teachers applying quality pedagogical strategies within the lesson plan for
students learning process (e.g., support, peer-based learning or monitoring as suggested
through the UDL principles), students will be able to effectively become more autonomous and
self-regulate their learning process at their individual pace. The student with learning
difficulties can now access the extra assistance in addition to individualised teacher-student
learning time. This student’s strengths are evident through the effort and quality revealed
throughout his essays and exercise books tasks. The eTrekker is an appropriate tool for
improving the lack of focus that causes a lack of timeliness that this student struggles with.
This ninth-grade student types in the research question into the eTrekker’s interface search
engine and results appear with an advertisement distraction free environment. This is a much
easier, increasingly positive learning experience that does not cause split attention and
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disengagement. This student is able to select the sites that match the criteria and use the eReader
that is opened up on the computer and can choose to select the read feature to have the data
delivered aloud to him. Through this additional use of ICT, the student can hand in the required
tasks in a timely manner with the quality the knows the student is capable of.
Therefore, ICT was added to the lesson plan to for this specific student with a learning
difficulty however it is also beneficial and valuable to the entire class. Additionally, Universal
Design for Learning is efficient curricula discussed by (Hall et al., 2012; Meyer et al., 2014)
that stems from brain research also in which varying purposes of the neural networks correlate
with instructional, pedagogy and assessment approaches. Thus, the three principles reveal
everyone learns through multifaceted methods and the UDL framework cannot be used alone.
It is recognised that in order for a student to receive an enriched optimal learning process the
concept of flexibility is integrated heavily into the framework and the ICT developed by CAST
in order to cater to a large breadth of students that have varying needs. Within the lesson plan
ICT was integrated for all students to use as CAST’S eTrekker is a recourse that is made for
broad use. Adam and Tatnall (2007, 2008) discuss a substantial number of number of students
with special needs, or learning abilities, require additional support and assistance for an optimal
learning process within a classroom climate. Through the integration of ICT in lessons students
have significantly shown improved skills and developed their knowledge content and enhanced
their motivation. Assistive technologies have raised awareness for stakeholders including
parents, educators, the community and most importantly the students that are more effectively
able to shape their learning processes and outcomes (McGie-Richmond & Sung, 2013).
Furthermore, another reason the teacher is showing the students how to use eTrekker
within the classroom with patience and clarity as the teacher is showing the students how to
master learning itself rather than just absorbing content or a specific curriculum. The UDL
framework teaches the students how to remove barriers that may be preventing them from
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learning such as split attention for a lower level learning (Brand & Dalton 2012). With the
teacher monitoring the students learning and creating a meaningful purpose within the
classroom environment students are given access to resources such as eReader and eTrekker
for becoming an expert learner. In addition, eTrekker combines a diversity of opportunities that
provision students' differing pathways of learning processes.
Through various literature it is discussed that UDL promotes equality and access to the
mainstream education curriculum for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. (Abell,
Jung & Taylor, 2011; Howard, 2003; Israel, Ribuffo & Smith, 2014; Jimenez, Graf & Rose,
2007; Lunderman, 2017). This specific framework meets the needs of learners from diverse
background whether those needs may be of cultural of linguistic differences (Chita-Tegmark,
Gravel, Serpa, Domings & Rose, 2012). UDL supports and guides the development of
inclusive lesson plans (Chen, 2014; Spooner, Baker, Harris, Ahlgrim-delzell & Browder, 2007)
additionally supports response to intervention (RTI; Basham, Israel, Graden, Poth & Winston,
2010). UDL additionally reconceptualises a classroom environment framing a least restrictive
environment (LRE) as a significant component resulting in inclusion rather than an exclusive
learning climate for general education. (Baglieri, Valle, Connor & Ghallagher, 2011, Baglieri
& Shapiro, 2012).
Lanterman (2016) and Rose & Meyer, (2002) discuss the UDL framework supports
students with disabilities through the adaptation of curriculum however there are still the
limitations of shifting the ‘disability’ from the student to the curriculum (Lanterman, 2016).
The UDL may be seen as positional rather than empirical however if used in conjunction of
other inclusive interventions any gaps will be filled. However, with few exceptions, the
research and scholarship on the efficacy of UDL as a unified approach to instructional
intervention has been positional, rather than empirical. Additionally, the amount of empirical
support is little to none regarding the effectiveness of UDL for an enhanced student learning
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process and outcome. This extends from a general educative classroom climate and the students
with learning disabilities that exist within them (Lanterman, 2016). However, this is an
indication that there is room for additional exploration and research to widen the scope of
literature on UDL.
In Conclusion, it was still useful and effective to implement ICT for the students benefit
and clarity as the ICT itself is highly indicative of achieving outcomes. Research shows that
the use of ICT may have a beneficial positive impact on a student with a learning disabilities
education process. Even so, Adam et. al, 2010, results indicate that in order for ICT to be
implemented on a whole school level for the benefit of students with disabilities the School
Principal is a stakeholder/ educator that can facilitate these changes for teachers to more
effectively create a positive learning environment for students with learning disabilities and
difficulties. Subsequently, through considering the three principals of the UDL framework, as
discussed above the structure and guide assists teachers in focusing a student learning at the
correct level of content targeting a specific goal and how to guide the student to the optimum
academic outcome.
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References:
Abell, M. M., Jung, E., & Taylor, M. (2011). Students’ perceptions of classroom instructional
environments in the context of universal design for learning. Learning
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Adam, T & Arthur Tatnall A.(2010). Use of ICT to Assist Students with Learning
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Inclusive Education- Assessment Two

the Commonwealth’s definition of a student/child with a disability… Learning disability is

conditions or influences”. (Adam and Tatnall, 2010, p2)

action by interchanging approaches for positive responses and successful navigation

2013; CAST, 2012). Ereader is subsequently opened up to minimise distractors surrounding

of multiple platforms of media for maximised communication, construction at different levels

Communications Technology (ICT) rich resources challenging as there is an abundance of

disabilities for an enhanced learning experience. Through the implementation of classroom or

the world wide web.

students learning process (e.g., support, peer-based learning or monitoring as suggested

provision students' differing pathways of learning processes.

background whether those needs may be of cultural of linguistic differences (Chita-Tegmark,

2010). UDL additionally reconceptualises a classroom environment framing a least restrictive

environment (LRE) as a significant component resulting in inclusion rather than an exclusive

& Shapiro, 2012).

research and scholarship on the efficacy of UDL as a unified approach to instructional

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