How Universal Design Techniques Can Create a More Inclusive Classroom
Let’s start off with a quick vocabulary lesson for those of us new to this topic. (For the record, anyone can learn something new. All it takes is some curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the right tools (and terms) to do it right.)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for guiding educational practice that provides flexibility in the ways information is presented. It reduces barriers in instruction and it supports, challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.
UDL differs from Universal Design (UD) which is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving how we function within the world and socialize with others. One of its goals is to create environments to be as usable as possible by as many different people as possible.
In this post, we are going to combine the UDL and UD to come up with seamless hacks to make your classroom more inclusive, organized, flexible and intentional for your students.
It’s important to be intentional (deliberate, conscious and calculated) when designing a classroom space to avoid clutter and to make the space easy to navigate for students.
Simple design techniques are the best as they can be continuously adapted. Think of this as a beginners guide to Universal Design for classrooms!
Let’s get started with a few main principles.
Size of space plays a role in student learning
Think of the small, intimate square rug that young students might sit on during story time. Think about the cool hiding spot they all run to with friends during free time. And now think about the seminar rooms on college campuses versus the 500-seat lecture hall: which environment would you be more prone to falling asleep in?
Classroom size plays a huge role in student attentiveness. Refuge spaces are small and cozy, which are particularly good for peer-to-peer sharing sessions and individual work. Prospect spaces encompass the bigger picture of a space and are more suitable for group work or presentations.
Some students shine in large, prospective spaces or class styles while others seek out one-on-one attention with the teacher in refuge style spaces. In addition, a student who may not comfortable with math may need more of an intimate, hands-on teaching style whereas the student who’s super excited about a debate might shine in a larger classroom. It’s important to be aware of learning space sizes, based on the needs of your lesson and also the preference of your students.
Modular furniture aids in classroom flexibility
Modular furniture has become super popular over the years. It creates a more flexible learning environment that enables students to easily move around, work in small or large groups while still having a space to call their own in any given environment. When shopping for furniture, look for seating and table options on wheels for maximum flexibility. You can even use bean bags or milk crates in your classroom to add seating that is adaptable to multiple purposes!
Make wall decoration tactical and intentional
Let’s talk about wall space within grade school classrooms. They’re usually plastered with calendars, motivational posters, random charts, and quotes. They’re often canvases for information overload. In order to keep the walls functional, aesthetically pleasing and organizing follow these simple rules:
- Keep it Simple! A basic color scheme and overlapping of contrasting colors helps prevent visual chaos. Add patterns that compliment the colors being used. Avoid overwhelming typefaces like script fonts. Stick to the traditional serif or sans serif. Take time on your walls and don’t be afraid to seek help from another person (or a ruler!)
- Make them Interactive: Making the walls/boards in a classroom interactive makes it necessary to keep them simple and user friendly. Job charts, calendars, goal walls, questions of the day, opinion boards etc. are classics that can be implemented into the wall spaces of elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.
- Keep it intentional and lose the “positive polar bear” poster: Before thinking about buying 10 “motivational” posters for the walls in the classroom think about if they’re actually motivational. Don’t be afraid to spice it up! Create your own posters of things they can actually relate to. If it’s not intentional, throw it in the recycling bin.
Remember, learning begins with a curious mind and good design begins with the research and action to make it so. Let’s get out there and make it happen!
Does your classroom already follow these universal design principles? room2learh has joined forces with NAC Architecture to sponsor a #HackYourClassroom contest: How have YOU been adapting your learning spaces to meet student needs? One innovative teacher will win $500 for new classroom supplies! Click here to learn more and enter.
Kimberly Williams is a Designer with tons of tricks and knowledge up her sleeve. When she’s not working with Open Architecture Collaborative to aid in community development and public interest Interior Design she’s a freelance Graphic Designer helping businesses and nonprofits around the country. Kimberly is an advocate for #socialjusticebydesign and invests her time in creating good design for all. Kimberly lives in Atlanta, GA.
Check out her work at www.kimberlyrwill.com and find her on Instagram and Twitter.
