Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning

This book is the first comprehensive presentation of the principles and applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)--a practical, research-based framework for responding to individual learning differences and a blueprint for the modern redesign of education.

The first part of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age lays out the foundation of UDL, including neuroscience research on learner differences, the effective uses of new digital media in the classroom, and how insights about students who do not "fit the mold" can inform the creation of flexible curricula that help everyone learn more effectively. The second part of the book addresses UDL's practical applications--how UDL principles can help you

*Set appropriate goals for every student.
*Choose the methods and materials that give every student optimum instructional support.
*Ensure the fair and accurate assessment of every student's progress.

Along with references to digital tools and links to online resources, the authors provide a set of templates to facilitate classroom implementation of UDL, share the experience of a school district already succeeding with UDL, and highlight plans for UDL implementation on a national scale.

David H. Rose and Anne Meyer are the founders and co-directors of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), a not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities.

Authors Rose and Meyer cite two converging dynamics at play that are helping eliminate such barriers: one is the discoveries of neural science that explain the great diversity in student learning; the other is the growth in digital technologies. As they see it, digitization makes possible a rich array of media that are beginning to match the complex of ways that students learn and express that learning.

Rose and Meyer urge material developers to follow principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Just as buildings today are designed to be accessible to all, without added ramps, so say the authors, educational materials should be created without barriers to content. If type is a barrier, alternative routes to content (such as audio, enlarged type, or shifts in foreground and background color) can and should be provided.

As I noted, this book has an excellent balance between theory and practice. It is supported by a rich Web site (http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent) and would make an excellent text for pre-service or in-service programs.