Engagement: Optimize Individual Choice and Autonomy
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching that gives all learners an equal opportunity to succeed. UDL offers flexibility in ways to motivate students and different options for students to access materials and to show what they know.
One of the guiding principles within the UDL Framework is student engagement. Students can be engaged or motivated in different ways. Optimizing individual choice and autonomy is one way to enlist interest by sparking excitement and curiosity for learning. When planning for instruction, consider providing choice in these ways:
Level of perceived challenge
Type of reward/recognition
Content or context for practice or assessment
Tools for information gathering
Color, design, or graphics
Sequence or timing for completion of tasks
In addition, when possible, invite learners to participate in the design of classroom activities, instructional tasks, and the creation of personal goals.
The goal with engagement is to support students in becoming expert learners who are purposeful and motivated. Take time to optimize individual student choice and autonomy to boost learners in developing self-determination, pride in their accomplishments, and increased connection to the learning.
Follow this link to learn more about Engagement and the UDL Framework.
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org