Universal Design Learning
Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of the Center for Individual Opportunity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to maximizing opportunity using the science of the individual. In addition, he is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he teaches Educational Neuroscience. Something interesting about Rose that many do not know, due to his professionalism, is his 0.9 high school drop out GPA.
Rose did a TEDx talk about technology in the classroom. He began the speech with an analogy of the evolution and design of the Air Force cockpit. In 1952, the Air Force was looking into expanding their pool of pilots, but there was a problem. The good pilots were flying better planes, but something was not right, the results got worse. The problem was in the cockpit. It was designed for the "average" pilot based on the measurements of the pilot's height, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, legs, reach, torso, neck, and thighs. After examining over 4,000 pilot's with the hypothesis of the majority being "average," the results showed zero pilot's were in this range. Controversial to stereotypical belief, no one is "average."
Rose compared the Air Force's findings to the classroom. The classroom is the cockpit of society. Now, in order for the Air Force to buy the planes with adjustable cockpits to fit the pilot, they had to make an ultimatum with the manufacturing companies; make an adjustable cockpit, or we will not buy. With the manufacturing companies saying it will be too expensive and realizing the Air Force will not budge, it ended up not being too expensive after all. This is commonly the argument in classrooms today, Rose argues. Annually, there are 50,000 students with intellectual gifts that drop out nation wide, due to standardized education. The U.S. education system is designed for the "average" student, known as age appropriate. But, like the pilot's, there is no such thing as an "average" student. A student is not one-dimensional. They have characteristics that vary, such as memory, language, knowledge, vocabulary, curiosity, perception, cognition, and interest. Each student has a jagged learning profile with strength and weaknesses.
Learning strategies designed for the "average" student are quite simply designed for nobody, and it hurts everyone. When classrooms are taught for the "average" it destroys talent. This is a liability - if one student is gifted in one area, naturally they will excel, until the educational environment cannot challenge them, and they get bored, and drop out. This type of learning strategy is also a weakness - it is hard to see and nurture talent. Say a student is gifted in science but is a below average reader. The science textbooks being used assume that every student is able to read at the "age level," and this shows the student they have a weakness and can no longer excel in science.
This is where technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) come in. For or against it, education has gone digital. The United States public schools are the largest buyers of iPads in the world. By integrating technology in the classroom, the chance to change learning environments is available so they are flexible enough to nurture every student's individual potential. Similar to the Air Force, "manufacturers" of education say it is too expensive. Having technology in the classroom does not have to be expensive. Simple things such has language translation, support for reading, enhancing vocabulary, dictation are simple functions of modern day computers. Simple things such as these have enormous impacts for individuals. The technology does not assume that every student in the classroom is reading at grade level. By integrating technology, it improves student performance. The child who excels at science but reads at a low level can now pursue his achievements with the support of technology. The computer can read the passage to him so he does not have to feel defeated by his set-back.
Rose states a formula for success:
Success = Ban the average + design to the edges
This will expand the talent pool. The only thing left for UDL to take off is the educators to demand it.
Rose did a TEDx talk about technology in the classroom. He began the speech with an analogy of the evolution and design of the Air Force cockpit. In 1952, the Air Force was looking into expanding their pool of pilots, but there was a problem. The good pilots were flying better planes, but something was not right, the results got worse. The problem was in the cockpit. It was designed for the "average" pilot based on the measurements of the pilot's height, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, legs, reach, torso, neck, and thighs. After examining over 4,000 pilot's with the hypothesis of the majority being "average," the results showed zero pilot's were in this range. Controversial to stereotypical belief, no one is "average."
Rose compared the Air Force's findings to the classroom. The classroom is the cockpit of society. Now, in order for the Air Force to buy the planes with adjustable cockpits to fit the pilot, they had to make an ultimatum with the manufacturing companies; make an adjustable cockpit, or we will not buy. With the manufacturing companies saying it will be too expensive and realizing the Air Force will not budge, it ended up not being too expensive after all. This is commonly the argument in classrooms today, Rose argues. Annually, there are 50,000 students with intellectual gifts that drop out nation wide, due to standardized education. The U.S. education system is designed for the "average" student, known as age appropriate. But, like the pilot's, there is no such thing as an "average" student. A student is not one-dimensional. They have characteristics that vary, such as memory, language, knowledge, vocabulary, curiosity, perception, cognition, and interest. Each student has a jagged learning profile with strength and weaknesses.
Learning strategies designed for the "average" student are quite simply designed for nobody, and it hurts everyone. When classrooms are taught for the "average" it destroys talent. This is a liability - if one student is gifted in one area, naturally they will excel, until the educational environment cannot challenge them, and they get bored, and drop out. This type of learning strategy is also a weakness - it is hard to see and nurture talent. Say a student is gifted in science but is a below average reader. The science textbooks being used assume that every student is able to read at the "age level," and this shows the student they have a weakness and can no longer excel in science.
This is where technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) come in. For or against it, education has gone digital. The United States public schools are the largest buyers of iPads in the world. By integrating technology in the classroom, the chance to change learning environments is available so they are flexible enough to nurture every student's individual potential. Similar to the Air Force, "manufacturers" of education say it is too expensive. Having technology in the classroom does not have to be expensive. Simple things such has language translation, support for reading, enhancing vocabulary, dictation are simple functions of modern day computers. Simple things such as these have enormous impacts for individuals. The technology does not assume that every student in the classroom is reading at grade level. By integrating technology, it improves student performance. The child who excels at science but reads at a low level can now pursue his achievements with the support of technology. The computer can read the passage to him so he does not have to feel defeated by his set-back.
Rose states a formula for success:
Success = Ban the average + design to the edges
This will expand the talent pool. The only thing left for UDL to take off is the educators to demand it.