Ensure materials are flexible and accessible
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Planning using UDL in intermediate and secondary settings’
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Offer flexible materials
Offer flexible materials
Ben Britton describes how digital technologies can be used to build options and supports into the learning environment.
Benefits of digital text
Benefits of digital text
Digital text is valuable because it can be:
- adjusted so that the style, size, and colour of fonts are the best fit for the student
- converted to speech using text-to-speech tools
- hyperlinked to definitions and background information
- illustrated with moving images and images from own context
- highlighted, annotated, and underlined to guide the reader’s attention
- easily linked to and from other online environments and documents
- accessed and collaboratively edited 24/7.
Suggestions for using text-to-speech
Suggestions for using text-to-speech
Encourage the use of text-to-speech across the curriculum.
- Listen and read along with unfamiliar texts to develop reading fluency.
- Access texts beyond the students’ reading level.
- Listen to audio while doing another activity, such as exercise, travelling, or resting the eyes.
- When editing writing, select sections of text and listen back for errors and fluency.
Reflection questions
Reflection questions
Consider the following questions in your own context.
- How do I provide varied accessible media to present concepts and content?
- In what ways do I invite student feedback on the usefulness and accessibility of materials?
- Do I offer graphic organisers, rubrics, checklists, templates with varying amounts of content to help students to organise and document thinking?
- Do I prepare materials and media designed with varied levels of challenge and make them available to all students?
- Are the materials I offer relevant to students' lives?
Source: Adapted from CAST UDL curriculum self-check (opens in a new tab/window)
Useful resources
Useful resources
Do’s and don’ts on designing for accessibility
Read time: 34 min
A set of six posters with general guidelines for designing accessible web content. These posters are also useful considerations for general classroom planning and content design.
Publisher: United Kingdom Government
Readwritethink
This online resource offers a range of graphic organisers and online interactive tools for teachers.
Publisher: International Literacy Association
Multiple means of representation – Professional development resource
An online resource from CAST introducing the UDL principle of Representation.
Publisher: CAST
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Design considerations in secondary settings”:
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Current page Ensure materials are flexible and accessible
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Design assessments to enable students to demonstrate their understanding
Return to the guide “Universal Design for Learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Universal Design for Learning
Understand:
- Why UDL is valuable
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Find out about UDLShow suggestions for Find out about UDL
Strategies for action:
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Provide multiple means of EngagementShow suggestions for Provide multiple means of Engagement
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Provide multiple means of RepresentationShow suggestions for Provide multiple means of Representation
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Provide multiple means of Action and ExpressionShow suggestions for Provide multiple means of Action and Expression
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How to plan using UDLShow suggestions for How to plan using UDL
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Design considerations in primary settingsShow suggestions for Design considerations in primary settings
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Design considerations in secondary settingsShow suggestions for Design considerations in secondary settings
- Prepare environments for flexibility
- Refine and support goal setting
- Match teaching methods to student preferences
- Ensure materials are flexible and accessible
- Design assessments to enable students to demonstrate their understanding
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Design considerations in NCEA assessmentsShow suggestions for Design considerations in NCEA assessments
