Reducing barriers for ākonga

A UDL approach intentionally anticipates, identifies and addresses barriers up front to ensure learning environments are equitable and free from discrimination and bias.

Below you will find examples of things you can do in the design of learning to reduce barriers for ākonga. They have been adapted from Getting started with Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

They are organised using the three UDL Guidelines, which are grounded in the concept of neuro-variability. Read more about UDL and the Learning Brain.

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Engagement: Supporting motivation, interest, identity and self regulation

What barriers to engagement might ākonga experience in the design of my lesson?

• The teacher makes all the decisions about what we study.
• There is no opportunity to connect my language, culture, identity and experience to the learning.
• The teacher just talks about boys and girls, I don’t fit.
• It’s so noisy in here I can’t think.
• I’m scared to ask for help.
• This doesn’t relate to my life, when will I ever need to know this.

Supporting Examples:

• Ask ākonga about their interests, strengths and needs. Use this to guide lesson design.
• Connect learning to culture and identify
• Create opportunities for ākonga to use their first language
• Offer headphones and provide flexibility on where ākonga can work.
• Offer multiple ways for ākonga to seek support.
• Make authentic links to why the learning is valuable.

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Representation: Supporting access to information, creating flexible content and building understand

What barriers to accessing and understanding information might ākonga experience in the way I communicate and present information (instructions, content and materials)?

• I can’t hear the video and there are no captions.
• The teacher is using a whole bunch of words I don’t understand.
• I can’t relate to any of the examples or stories the teacher provides to support my understanding.
• Often instructions for assignments or assessment require heaps of reading.

Supporting Examples:

• Select videos with accurate captions, turned on.
• Provide multiple opportunities to support new vocab and concept building.
• Model using glossaries in multiple media.
• Ensure analogies and stories are relevant and connect to ākonga experiences and their cultures, languages and identities.
• Present instructions succinctly using text, image and video.

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Action and expression: Supporting access to learning materials, personal organisation, expressing thinking and learning

What barriers to participating and demonstrating learning might ākonga experience in the design of my lesson?

• I feel held back by having to read when I understand the concepts.
• The teachers can’t read my writing
• What I’m supposed to be doing.
• How do I get started?
• All the resources are online and we have no wifi at home.
• We are given options for how to present our learning but no support on how to make the best choice to demonstrate my strengths and knowledge.
• Am on the right track with this assessment?

Supporting Examples:

• Model the effective use of digital tools e.g. text-to-speech, online research, illustrated glossaries.
• Provide access to keyboards.
• Provide sentence starters, graphic organisers, planners
• Ensure ākonga have equitable access to the tools they need to be successful.
• Discuss with ākonga the pros and cons of presentation options, and how to make the best choice.
• Ask ākonga what check-in options will be useful, provide a range of options e.g. check point template.

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The templates below are there to help you to use UDL when you plan your teaching. Download them and fill them in either on your own, or alongside your colleagues:

[ Multiple File Download ]

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Documents Count: 4

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