UDL: Multiple means of Engagement

UDL Principle: Multiple means of Engagement

Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds and have different motivations and personal circumstances. By offering multiple means of engagement, we can spark our learners’ interest in the topic and why it is relevant, help them to persist in their learning, and help them to keep motivated to succeed in their studies.

Use a variety of different opportunities for student involvement (such as interactive activities, group discussions, online discussion boards) and give students a variety of communication methods.

Read about the principle of Multiple Means of Engagement on CAST's website.

UDL Guideline	Key questions	Examples
Provide options for Recruiting Interest	In what ways is my classroom accepting and supportive of all students? In what ways do I give students choice and autonomy?	Be culturally sensitive and responsive. Just a variety of races, genders and cultures in examples, images and reading lists. Use icebreakers to build community. Try these resources: Classroom icebreakers and a version for online teaching Community building activities Create class rules and etiquette, and try using learning contracts. Offer choices to students in how they communicate, access resources and demonstrate their knowledge, to empower learners to take charge of their own learning. Connect learning to real-world experiences that are meaningful and valuable.
Provide options for Sustaining Effort and Persistence	How can I help my students to connect their learning to experiences that are meaningful and valuable? How can I empower learners to take charge of their own learning?	Be clear about your learning outcomes, and always relate content and assessments to module outcomes and goals. Create predictable in-class routines like opening each lesson with the stated goals of the session and closing it by highlighting next step learning actions for learners to follow up on the lesson content. Be mindful of situations that can create anxiety, such as speaking out in class, or giving presentations. Empower students by giving them options in these situations, such as choosing how they offer an answer, or allowing them to prerecord a presentation. Foster community and collaboration by supporting peer mentoring, group discussion, and encouraging communities of learners. Ask students to discuss their academic strengths and weaknesses (such as taking notes, writing, and research) or preferences (such as working alone, in groups, with partners; working in quiet or with conversation), and have them give examples of what has worked well in terms of engagement in the past.
Provide options for Self Regulation	How can I encourage student self-regulation and personal coping skills?	Cultivate a classroom culture that acknowledges effort in addition to achievement. Give learners confidence in their learning skills. Foster a safe space to learn and take risks. Make being unsure the norm, and encourage questions and feedback. Scaffold learners with rubrics, checklists and online quizzes to track their own progress. Listen to your learners. Dedicate time at the end of class for student feedback, and offer exit tickets (short anonymous student surveys) on what they’re not clear on, what’s working well and what isn’t.

UDL Guideline

Key questions

Examples

Provide options for Recruiting Interest

In what ways is my classroom accepting and supportive of all students?

In what ways do I give students choice and autonomy?

Be culturally sensitive and responsive. Just a variety of races, genders and cultures in examples, images and reading lists.

Use icebreakers to build community. Try these resources:

Create class rules and etiquette, and try using learning contracts.

Offer choices to students in how they communicate, access resources and demonstrate their knowledge, to empower learners to take charge of their own learning.

Connect learning to real-world experiences that are meaningful and valuable.

Provide options for Sustaining Effort and Persistence

How can I help my students to connect their learning to experiences that are meaningful and valuable?

How can I empower learners to take charge of their own learning?

Be clear about your learning outcomes, and always relate content and assessments to module outcomes and goals.

Create predictable in-class routines like opening each lesson with the stated goals of the session and closing it by highlighting next step learning actions for learners to follow up on the lesson content.

Be mindful of situations that can create anxiety, such as speaking out in class, or giving presentations. Empower students by giving them options in these situations, such as choosing how they offer an answer, or allowing them to prerecord a presentation.

Foster community and collaboration by supporting peer mentoring, group discussion, and encouraging communities of learners.

Ask students to discuss their academic strengths and weaknesses (such as taking notes, writing, and research) or preferences (such as working alone, in groups, with partners; working in quiet or with conversation), and have them give examples of what has worked well in terms of engagement in the past.

Provide options for Self Regulation

How can I encourage student self-regulation and personal coping skills?

Cultivate a classroom culture that acknowledges effort in addition to achievement.

Give learners confidence in their learning skills. Foster a safe space to learn and take risks. Make being unsure the norm, and encourage questions and feedback.

Scaffold learners with rubrics, checklists and online quizzes to track their own progress.

Listen to your learners. Dedicate time at the end of class for student feedback, and offer exit tickets (short anonymous student surveys) on what they’re not clear on, what’s working well and what isn’t.