CAST Announces a Community-Driven Process to Update UDL Guidelines
Date:
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
CAST is pleased to announce the launch of a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process to revise the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines, a research-based tool for designing and implementing inclusive learning environments.
The UDL Guidelines are used by educators at all levels and across multiple domains (including prek-12, higher education, job training, museums, corporate training, etc.); product and curriculum developers; and others throughout the world, and are translated into more than a dozen languages.
As an organization with a mission of transforming education design and practice “until learning has no limits,” CAST is committed to updating the UDL Guidelines to help any learning community identify, name, and redress systemic barriers to equitable learning and outcomes.
Those interested in contributing to or following this work can take a brief survey at http://bit.ly/CollaborateWithCAST.
“The UDL Guidelines have supported educators across the globe in the design of inclusive educational experiences and environments,” says Linda Gerstle, CAST’s CEO. “Yet we recognize that the Guidelines have not reached their full aspiration of recognizing and responding to the needs of all learners. It is time to invite more input, perspective, and voices into the development of this longstanding tool, as we continue to make good on the promise of learning without limits.”
Drawing on reviews of more than 1,000 research studies of effective practices in education, the first edition of the UDL Guidelines, published in 2008, was the product of several years of drafting and refinement, with funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, as well as private philanthropy.
The work of revising the Guidelines will be led by educator and entrepreneur Nicole Tucker-Smith, founder and CEO of Lessoncast Learning, and Jenna W. Gravel, EdD, Director of Research & Curriculum for Professional Learning at CAST. Tucker-Smith leads the Jumpstart PD Network, a community of equity-minded educators to share ideas, spread resources, post tips, and dialogue on key areas of interest related to designing and delivering impactful PD. Dr. Gravel contributed to the development of the original editions of the UDL Guidelines. Her research prioritizes approaches that emphasize collaborative partnerships with practitioners and iterative cycles of inquiry.