Reflective Tools and Templates
This series of tools for reflection and UDL implementation planning were created to accompany the UDL for FET project and designed to be used in conjunction with 'UDL for FET Practitioners: Guidance for Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Irish Further Education and Training'.
1. The UDL Pause and Reflect Tool
This reflection focused word-template is designed to get you thinking about how your learners engage with, understand and demonstrate their learning in different ways.
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Approx. Time to Complete: 60-90 mins
This tool, the first in the series, gathers together all of the Pause and Reflect exercises contained in the UDL for FET Practitioners guidance, and provides space for you to respond and make notes on the outcomes of your reflections. The 25 reflective questions are grouped together to align with the chapters in the guidance so you can either use this template as your read through each chapter of the guidance, or complete it when you’ve read the whole thing.
This tool is reflection focused and helps to ground the UDL actions you will plan and implement later using the other more action focused tools, in a better understanding of how your learners engage with, understand and demonstrate their learning in different ways.
To use it, simply read the grouped reflective questions and respond in the space provided. Use these reflections to inform the UDL options you choose to implement in later tools.
Download the UDL Pause and Reflect Tool
2. The Starting Small with UDL Tool
This action/planning focused word-template is designed to get practitioners started with UDL implementation by selecting and planning easy-to-implement UDL options for their learners.
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Approx. Time to Complete: 30 mins to 1 hour (plus implementation time)
While Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is not a set of specific practices, it is useful to have models for where to start one’s practice of designing more inclusive interactions and implementing the UDL principles. Each of the plus-one strategies in this reflective tool (the second in the series) can be accomplished in less than 3 hours—most in about 20 minutes – and will provide one more way for your leaners to engage with, understand or express their learning. Use these plus-one prompts to generate ideas that match well with your subject matter, learner population, and role at your college or centre.
When you’ve selected some practices which you believe will provide UDL benefits for your learners in your context, create some of your own ideas and write reflections about how to implement them in the space provided.
Download the Starting Small with UDL Tool »
3. The Grow Your UDL Practice Tool
This action/planning focused word-template is designed for deeper practitioner reflection and planning on intentionally implementing each UDL guideline, individually or in collaboration with your colleagues.
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Approx. Time to Complete: 90 mins to 2 hours (plus implementation time)
The aim of this tool, the third and final one in the series, is to provide you with space to reflect more deeply on each individual UDL guideline and to provide practice prompts to help you to intentionally plan and deliver a more comprehensive UDL implementation which addresses all/most of the guidelines. To use this tool, go through each UDL principle and the connecting nine guidelines within and read the associated plus-one FET practice prompts. Then, develop your own ideas about how to apply the guideline to your own practice and make notes to plan how to implement them in the space provided.
