Tips from Universal Design for Instruction (UDI)

Educators and professionals who work in the field of disabilities services developed Universal Design for Instruction (UDI). These professionals have proposed a variety of ways to accommodate all students "with diverse abilities" in the classroom.

Although UDI is touted as a solution to many general accommodations that help level the playing field, it is not a cure-all for academic success. UDI encompasses the physical design of the classroom and multiple pedagogical styles. The following links offer more information about UDI, http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/UDI_principles.htm & http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/UDI_examples.htm

Some examples of UDI include:

• Design instruction and curriculum to meet diverse learning needs
• Use of multiple modalities in instruction (lectures, film, graphs, charts, overheads, demonstrations, illustrations, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Facing students while talking (don't talk while writing at the blackboard)
• Supplement oral instructions with written guidelines
• Describing orally any material projected within the classroom
• Distributing copies of your notes or posting them online
• Providing handouts in a larger font (14 or 16 pt)
• Utilizing multiple means for assessing knowledge
• Providing opportunities for students to clarify instructions or assignments