LibGuides: Universal Design for Learning Strategy Database: Strategy Development

Strategy Development (UDL Guideline 6)

A critical aspect of learning is the capacity to act skillfully and purposefully, or to demonstrate “executive functions.” One component of executive function as it relates to the strategic networks is strategy development. These capabilities connected to the strategic networks allow humans to become intentional in their short-term reactions to their environment and to set long-term goals and plan effective strategies for reaching those goals. These practices include monitoring progress and modifying strategies as needed.

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Set meaningful goals (Consideration 6.1)

Setting meaningful goals that are both challenging and motivating is a critical part of the learning process. It is important to set goals that are big enough to capture the vision and complexity of what is being learned, but are specific enough to be clear, objective, and measurable. Articulating a goal helps to develop a plan to achieve it and to identify the tools or resources that will best support the learning along the way. Knowing the goal helps to monitor progress, recognize when to shift strategies or direction, and to give meaningful feedback.

Strategy
Use prompts and scaffolds to estimate effort, resources, and challenge.	Code student assignments: Highlight key information or use symbols to signal where the instructions are, which questions to start with, which questions to complete independently vs. with a partner etc. Self-Monitoring: Teach students how to block their time and set short-term goals
Use models or examples of the process and product of goal-setting.	Work exemplars: Provide work exemplars before each assignment so that students have an example of what the complete product should look like. Analyze exemplar: Work with student to pull out key criteria for success
Use guides and checklists for scaffolding goal-setting.	Checklist: List the details of all the steps to complete a task Code student assignments: Highlight key information or use symbols to signal where the instructions are, which questions to start with, which questions to complete independently vs. with a partner etc. Self-Monitoring: Teach students how to block their time and set short-term goals
Post goals, objectives, and schedules in an obvious place.

Anticipate and plan for challenges (Consideration 6.2)

Once a goal is set, it is important to create time and space to plan a strategy, identify useful tools, and anticipate the challenges that may surface along the way. This proactive planning can reduce barriers and ensure more individuals have the opportunity to reach their goals.

Strategy
Use reflection prompts to anticipate challenges and encourage strategic planning.	Quick jots/Turn and Talks before whole group discussions: This can support all learners in rehearsing their thoughts and language before sharing. Stopping points: Prompt students to think about the steps in a process
Use prompts to “show and explain your work” (e.g., portfolio review, art critiques).	Gallery walks: Allow students to display their work (either individual work or group work) visually and peers can walk around the desks/walls to review the work. Teachers can provide prompts to the students such as “What is one thing that each student did multilingual learners in their project?” or “What is one thing you learned from each project?” Teaching posters: Students can display their learning in poster form and use the visual posters as a reference when they present their learning.
Use checklists and project planning templates for understanding the goal and setting up prioritization, sequences, and schedules of steps.	Checklist: List the details of all the steps to complete a task
Use coaches or mentors that model think-alouds of the process.
Use guides for breaking long-term goals into reachable short-term objectives.

Organize information and resources (Consideration 6.3)

Working memory can be conceptualized as a “scratch pad” for maintaining chunks of information to access as part of building knowledge and problem-solving. Wherever working memory capacity is not construct-relevant, it is important to draw from a variety of scaffolds and organizational aids to keep information organized and “in mind.”

Strategy
Use graphic organizers and templates for data collection and organizing information.	Guided notes templates: Guided notes are effective in helping students to organize their thoughts while reading. Teachers can prepare guided notes, or handouts that outline readings, but leave blank space for students to fill in key vocabulary words or definitions. Guided notes promote active engagement during independent reading and notes for use as a study guide, and help students to identify the key vocabulary.
Use prompts for categorizing, systematizing, and discovering themes and patterns.
Use checklists and guides for note-taking.	Note-taking skills: Teach multiple methods for note taking ( Map, outline, charting, sentence) Guided notes templates: Guided notes are effective in helping students to organize their thoughts while reading. Teachers can prepare guided notes, or handouts that outline readings, but leave blank space for students to fill in key vocabulary words or definitions. Guided notes promote active engagement during independent reading and notes for use as a study guide, and help students to identify the key vocabulary.

Enhance capacity for monitoring progress (Consideration 6.4)

Learning cannot happen without feedback, and that means learners need a clear understanding of the progress that is being made toward the learning goal. Generating multiple and varied forms of feedback throughout the learning process is essential to supporting learners’ growth. It is important to ensure these multiple and varied forms of feedback are explicitly connected to the learning goal and are explicit, timely, informative, accessible, and customizable. Especially important is providing “formative” feedback that supports learners to monitor their own progress effectively and to use that information to guide their own effort and practice.

Strategy
Use prompts to guide self-monitoring and reflection.	Provide prompts to support the thinking process. For example, “What was the first step you took in the process?” or “What would you do differently next time?”
Use representations of progress (e.g., before and after photos, graphs and charts showing progress over time, process portfolios).
Explore the different types of feedback that are most useful according to specific preferences, goals, and contexts.
Use templates that guide self-reflection on quality and completeness.
Use differentiated models of self-assessment strategies (e.g., role-playing, video reviews, peer feedback).
Use checklists, scoring rubrics, and examples.	Self Evaluate: Teach students how to use a rubric to self-evaluate their progress Exemplars: Multiple examples of annotated student work/performance examples

Challenge exclusionary practices (Consideration 6.5)

Deep-seated biases and systems of discrimination have led to the exclusion of historically marginalized learners across societies and around the globe. It is imperative to create structures to learn from learners’ lived experiences in order to surface exclusionary practices–as well as to address them.

Strategy
Create time for regular community sessions and individual reflection sessions
Work as individuals and as communities to name, explore, and address exclusionary practices.
Work as individuals and as communities to develop concrete and specific actions for addressing exclusionary practices and building inclusive communities.
When an exclusionary practice is uncovered, provide opportunities for healing using community-based practices such as restorative justice.