Using UDL to Individualize Teaching Methods
Our understanding of learning and teaching is constantly reshaped by theory, applied research, and changing media. As our knowledge of the distributed processing in the brain grows, we know that students do not have one kind of intelligence or one way of learning—they have many. To accommodate these many ways of learning, we can use what we know about how each brain network operates to make our teaching methods and curriculum materials flexible in specific ways.
Certain instructional techniques are very effective in supporting students as they learn to recognize patterns; other techniques are better suited to supporting students as they learn strategic skills or as they build engagement with learning. We can accommodate diverse learners by using a repertoire of teaching strategies suited to each of the brain networks. Figure 6.1 lists the critical guidelines.
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- Figure 6.1 -
Network-Appropriate Teaching Methods
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To support diverse recognition networks:
- Provide multiple examples
- Highlight critical features
- Provide multiple media and formats
- Support background context.
To support diverse strategic networks:
- Provide flexible models of skilled performance
- Provide opportunities to practice with supports
- Provide ongoing, relevant feedback
- Offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating skill.
To support diverse affective networks:
- Offer choices of content and tools
- Offer adjustable levels of challenge
- Offer choices of rewards
- Offer choices of learning context.
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