Title: Diving Deeper: Engagement
Course: Accessible by Nature: Designing EE to Support All Learners > Section: Module 3: Applying the UDL Framework

Diving Deeper: Engagement

There are a variety of sources that can influence individual variation including neurology, culture, personal relevance, subjectivity, and background knowledge, along with a variety of other factors. Some learners are highly engaged by spontaneity and novelty while others are disengaged, even frightened, by those aspects, preferring strict routine. Some learners might like to work alone, while others prefer to work with their peers. In reality, there is not one means of engagement that will be optimal for all learners in all contexts; providing multiple options for engagement is essential.

Diving Deeper: Engagement

There are a variety of sources that can influence individual variation including neurology, culture, personal relevance, subjectivity, and background knowledge, along with a variety of other factors. Some learners are highly engaged by spontaneity and novelty while others are disengaged, even frightened, by those aspects, preferring strict routine. Some learners might like to work alone, while others prefer to work with their peers. In reality, there is not one means of engagement that will be optimal for all learners in all contexts; providing multiple options for engagement is essential.

TASK 3: Read the engagement case study (or open in this window)

TASK 4: Review the “Multiple Means of Engagement'' column in the UDL Guidelines Graphic Organizer (from Task 2). What activities in your anchoring activity provide means of engagement? What evidence can you find in the Graphic Organizer to support your claim? How does this evidence support your claim? Record your reflections in your journal.

You can also use this website for more in-depth content (open in this window)

Example from the Engagement Case Study in the previous task:

  - Type of Engagement: When students identify one skull, feedback is provided about their growing knowledge, as is another skull with a different field guide to guide them toward mastery.
  - Evidence: Increase mastery-oriented feedback
  - Support: This feedback is timely and specific. The focus of the feedback is on developing skills more than on getting the correct answer.

TASK 5: Create a Strategy Bank for Methods of Engagement. This can be a list of ideas you’ve gained from the case study, strategies from your anchoring activity or other previous teaching experience, and/or ideas you want to explore that you’ve read in the guidelines.

Make your own copy of this strategy bank (click here to open within this window). Click File > Make a Copy, or download as a Word or PDF document, to edit as your own. Alternatively, you might also print a copy and handwrite your notes, or capture your reflections in another format. Note: Record your responses within the first column of the chart ONLY for this prompt. You’ll utilize the other columns later in this module.

TASK 6: Applying UDL in EE

Choose a new student scenario from this folder (open in this window).  Review your anchoring activity considering the following:

  - How does your program already support this student’s engagement?
  - What changes need to be made to this activity to better support this student’s engagement? (Be sure to consider all barriers this student might face based on the scenario information)
  - Who else will these change(s) benefit?
  - Who is still not able to access this, or will have trouble accessing this?

Share your reflections in your scenario chart. This link is for reference only. Please use the same copy of the chart you started in Module 2 to continue your notes. Remember: If the student’s grade doesn’t match your anchoring activity target group, focus on the identity of a student rather than the exact age.