Using the Universal Design for Learning Framework to Support Culturally Diverse Learners.

This article describes the mechanism through which cultural variabihty is a source of learning differences. The authors argue that the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be extended to capture the way in which learning is influenced by cultural variabihty, and show how the UDL fi-amework might be used to create a curriculum that is responsive to this cultural dimension of learning. We also suggest that when used in this way, the UDL framework may not only reduce barriers for culturally diverse learners, but also increase the learning opportunities for all learners—helping them to develop proficiency in a broader range of expressive, analytic, and cognitive styles that are crucial to success in the twenty-first century. One of the recent advances to come out of the modern learning sciences is a clearer picture of the profound influence of experience in shaping the brain, leading to the understanding that brain activity and learning cannot be separated from the context in which they occur. In other words, one cannot expect to impact learning in the current moment if the context in which learning has happened in the past is not considered. All experiences occur when individuals interact with their immediate physical and social contexts, which are constantly being informed by the larger cultural context in which they are embedded. For purposes of this article, culture is defined as "the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group" (CARLA, 2009, p. 1). As such, culture informs all aspects of learning, from the high-level reasoning skills to perceptual habits. Different cultures provide different experiences; therefore, they are a significant source of learner variability. However, learner variability raises many challenges, which have not been addressed adequately by most educational systems. Based upon research, in the learning sciences, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a promising framework that seeks to deal with learner variabihty by offering multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement. The framework was developed after an extensive review of empirical studies in the learning sciences from which key findings were extracted and translated in order to create a set of research-based instructional design principles. By pointing to areas where learners are most likely to vary, these principles help teachers design their instruction for a variety of learning needs (Meyer & Rose, 1998; Meyer 8c Rose, 200S; Rose 8c Meyer, 2000, 2002). As described by Meyer and Rose, it is the students in the margins of the bell curve, the atypical learners, that first drew attention to the necessity of providing options for access and learning. Therefore, the original aim of the UDL framework was to cater to students with special needs and to provide and promote an inclusive learning environment for all children. The UDL framework sought to accomphsh this goal by translating findings extracted from established research literature that investigated variability in learning needs and delivering them in an educator-friendly format (for more information on the empirical literature on which the UDL framework is based see http://www.udlcenter.org/research /researchevidence).Therefore, most of the focus of UDL has been on learner variability attributable to what is referred to as disability, wdth less attention to learner variability attributable to experience or culture. If UDL is to be useful globally, it is necessary to consider not only how the fi-amework translates to other cultures, but also, how it can be used to create curriculum that accounts for learner variability that is attributable to culture. Therefore, this article seeks to raise awareness of the impact of culture on learning and cognition as well as to provide some examples of how the UDL framework might be extended to capture the cultural dimension of learner variability. We suggest that, when apphed in this way, the UDL framework may not only reduce barriers for culturally diverse learners, but also increase culturally informed learning opportunities for all learners—helping them to develop proficiency in a broader range of expressive, analytic, and cognitive styles that are crucial to success in the twenty-first century. A key goal of this article, therefore, is to consider a broader spectrum of sources of learning differences, including those related to culture. This article is not a report of findings, but rather a description of an approach to using the UDL framework in innovative and creative ways to address learning needs that have not been traditionally targeted through UDL, namely those of students from culturally diverse backgrounds. By raising awareness both inside and outside the UDL community about the potential for using the UDL framework to address the needs of students of different cultural backgrounds, our hope is that this will trigger research that will explore the effectiveness of the UDL framework in meeting the instructional needs of these students. The reader will notice that we have made substantial efforts to avoid the terminology "multicultural education" and/or "culturally