A Research Reader in Universal Design for Learning

This fascinating and inventive book surveys the UDL research field in comprehensive detail while pointing—in imaginative and necessary ways—to crucial research undertakings yet to come. In recent years there has been heightened interest in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), particularly within the worlds of education policy and practice. As a framework that reduces barriers and maximises learning opportunities for all students, UDL provides a powerful and comprehensive answer to the growing call for more “personalised” curricular materials that can accommodate the full diversity of learners and teachers within the education system. This book considers the major research areas that underlie UDL and call out for further exploration in the years ahead. Each of the book’s six chapters includes a ground-breaking article that is centrally related to the larger UDL project, along with reflections on that article by contemporary researchers. As David H. Rose notes in his afterword, “the authors of this collection have set out to do more than revitalise and illuminate the foundations of UDL. They have set out also to prepare the field—to set the context—for the kind of research that needs to come now.”

About the Author :
Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Samantha G. Daley, and L. Todd Rose work at CAST, the Center for Applied Special Technology. Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Samantha G. Daley, and L. Todd Rose work at CAST, the Center for Applied Special Technology. Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Samantha G. Daley, and L. Todd Rose work at CAST, the Center for Applied Special Technology. Chris Dede is the Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Review :
This compilation of intriguing readings both classic and contemporary is informative, insightful, and engaging. The readings and their commentaries provoke critical inquiries into the nature of learning for all children and highlight the ways in which the principles of UDL emerge from a deep understanding of these dynamic learning processes. Penny Hauser-Cram, professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College" As this rich collection illustrates, UDL represents a commitment to facilitating genuine transdisciplinary collaboration, linking research to practice, and acknowledging complexity and diversity with rigor and integrity. As such, UDL has the potential for transforming education by creating learning environments that acknowledge, honor, and support diversity. This important volume explores in depth the research underpinning UDL. I know that I will return to it again and again. Paul B. Yellin, associate professor of pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, and director, The Yellin Center for Mind, Brain, and Education "