Examples 2.1 | National Center On Universal Design for Learning

UDL Guidelines - Version 2.0: Examples and Resources

Checkpoint 2.1: Clarify vocabulary and symbols

I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation

Language, expressions, and symbols

Key Considerations

How does this help learners meet the goal?
How does this account for the variability of all learners?
Are the vocabulary and symbols clear to all learners?

udlcenter [at] udlcenter [dot] org (Can you think of other examples/resources that illustrate this checkpoint? Tell us!)

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Example/Resource	Why UDL?
	Visuwords Visuwords is an online graphic dictionary and thesaurus that helps develop word knowledge. Word relationships are illustrated by the color and pattern of the link between words. Age Group: All ages Content Area: All content Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? Flexibility of color and contrast is a great example of customizing the display of information so that it is accessible to a broader range of users. See also: 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media
	Word Generation Word Generation is a middle school academic language program that is strategically designed to create a coherent school-wide effort that gives students the sustained exposure to academic language they need for success in school—even while demanding relatively little (15 minutes, once a week) from any single subject area teacher. Age Group: Middle school Content Area: Literacy Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology	Why UDL? Embedding new vocabulary into engaging, controversial passages is an effective way to support students' vocabulary development. See also: 7.2: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
	Doing What Works: Teach Vocabulary On this Doing What Works site, understand the research-based recommendation to teach vocabulary, watch videos on how actual schools are teaching vocabulary, and find a collection of tools and ideas to help you improve your practice. Age Group: K-5 Content Area: Literacy Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology.	Why UDL? This site provides excellent examples as to how to support vocabulary development in the classroom.
	Doing What Works: Develop Academic English On this Doing What Works site, understand the research-based recommendation to develop academic English, watch videos on how actual schools are developing academic English, and find a collection of tools and ideas to help you develop academic English in your classroom. Don't miss the great videos! Age Group: K-5 Content Area: Literacy Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology.	Why UDL? This site provides excellent examples as to how to support vocabulary and grammar development in the classroom. See also: 2.2: Clarify syntax and structure 2.4: Promote understanding across languages
$real world example for "angle"$	Mathematics Glossary This free online glossary defines mathematical terms and concepts through text, images, and examples relating to real world applications. Age Group: All ages Content Area: Math Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? The Mathematics Glossary uses multiple means of representation to explain and reinforce concepts. Multiple exposures to vocabulary and symbols through various forms of representation increase depth of knowledge. See also: 2.3 Support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media 7.2: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
	Windows to the Universe This interactive, educational website about our universe and planetary systems was created by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and is supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) among others. Age Group: All ages Content Area: Science Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? The glossary in "Windows to the Universe" is an excellent example of providing options that define vocabulary. Embedded links to the glossary give students immediate access to definitions of unfamiliar terms. See also: 3.1: Activate or supply background knowledge 8.2: Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
	Shahi Shahi is a visual dictionary that combines Wiktionary content that includes a definition and examples of word use in a sentence as well as images from flickr, google, and yahoo that correlate with the specified word. Age Group: All ages Content Area: All content Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? Shahi offers image cues as well as a text based definition to increase depth of vocabulary knowledge. See also: 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media
	Wordle Wordle is a toy for generating 'word clouds' from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. Age Group: All ages Content Area: All content Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? The word clouds created used Wordle reinforce key vocabulary and may serve as a starting point for developing vocabulary lists. See also: 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media
	Tagxedo Tagxedo is another fun way to create word clouds. This tool allows you to create a T-shirt depicting clouds (although there is a fee for this). Age Group: All ages Content Area: All content Cost: Free (except to make t-shirts) Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? Creating word clouds in Tagxedo provides additional practice with new words as well and can be used to help student visually see conceptual relationships between words. See also: 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media
	Vocab Ahead Vocab Ahead offers videos that give an active demonstration of vocabulary with audio repeating the pronounciation, definition, various uses, and synonyms. Students can also go through flash cards which give a written definition and visual representation of the word. Age Group: Grade 5 and up Content Area: Literacy Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? Vocab Ahead goes beyond a single text definition to increase depth of word knowledge by also supplying visual representations, models of pronunciation, and examples that show how the word is used in a real context. See also: 3.4: Maximize transfer and generalization
	CAST's UDL Editions UDL Editions take advantage of the flexibility of digital media to reach and engage all learners. Leveled supports and the Texthelp Toolbar balance challenge and support for each learner, ages 10 and up. Select your book to get started! Age Group: Grade 3 and up Content Area: Literacy Cost: Free Technology Involved: Internet connection	Why UDL? The multimedia glossary embedded throughout all of the texts in UDL Editions is a great example of supporting vocabulary and symbols. Click on an underlined word, and read the definition in text, listen to the defintion through text-to-speech, and see visual depictions. See also: 1.3: Offer alternatives for visual information 2.2: Clarify syntax and structure 3.3: Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation 5.3: Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance 8.2: Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

Example/Resource

Why UDL?

Visuwords

Visuwords is an online graphic dictionary and thesaurus that helps develop word knowledge. Word relationships are illustrated by the color and pattern of the link between words.

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: All content
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? Flexibility of color and contrast is a great example of customizing the display of information so that it is accessible to a broader range of users.

Word Generation is a middle school academic language program that is strategically designed to create a coherent school-wide effort that gives students the sustained exposure to academic language they need for success in school—even while demanding relatively little (15 minutes, once a week) from any single subject area teacher.

Age Group: Middle school
Content Area: Literacy
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology

Why UDL? Embedding new vocabulary into engaging, controversial passages is an effective way to support students' vocabulary development.

Doing What Works: Teach Vocabulary

On this Doing What Works site, understand the research-based recommendation to teach vocabulary, watch videos on how actual schools are teaching vocabulary, and find a collection of tools and ideas to help you improve your practice.

Age Group: K-5
Content Area: Literacy
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology.

Why UDL? This site provides excellent examples as to how to support vocabulary development in the classroom.

Doing What Works: Develop Academic English

On this Doing What Works site, understand the research-based recommendation to develop academic English, watch videos on how actual schools are developing academic English, and find a collection of tools and ideas to help you develop academic English in your classroom.

Don't miss the great videos!

Age Group: K-5
Content Area: Literacy
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection to explore site; many of the strategies suggested require no technology.

Why UDL? This site provides excellent examples as to how to support vocabulary and grammar development in the classroom.

2.4: Promote understanding across languages

$real world example for "angle"$

Mathematics Glossary

This free online glossary defines mathematical terms and concepts through text, images, and examples relating to real world applications.

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: Math
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? The Mathematics Glossary uses multiple means of representation to explain and reinforce concepts. Multiple exposures to vocabulary and symbols through various forms of representation increase depth of knowledge.

2.5: Illustrate through multiple media

7.2: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity

Windows to the Universe

This interactive, educational website about our universe and planetary systems was created by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and is supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) among others.

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: Science
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? The glossary in "Windows to the Universe" is an excellent example of providing options that define vocabulary. Embedded links to the glossary give students immediate access to definitions of unfamiliar terms.

8.2: Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

Shahi

Shahi is a visual dictionary that combines Wiktionary content that includes a definition and examples of word use in a sentence as well as images from flickr, google, and yahoo that correlate with the specified word.

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: All content
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? Shahi offers image cues as well as a text based definition to increase depth of vocabulary knowledge.

Wordle

Wordle is a toy for generating 'word clouds' from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: All content
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? The word clouds created used Wordle reinforce key vocabulary and may serve as a starting point for developing vocabulary lists.

Tagxedo

Tagxedo is another fun way to create word clouds. This tool allows you to create a T-shirt depicting clouds (although there is a fee for this).

Age Group: All ages
Content Area: All content
Cost: Free (except to make t-shirts)
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? Creating word clouds in Tagxedo provides additional practice with new words as well and can be used to help student visually see conceptual relationships between words.

Vocab Ahead

Vocab Ahead offers videos that give an active demonstration of vocabulary with audio repeating the pronounciation, definition, various uses, and synonyms. Students can also go through flash cards which give a written definition and visual representation of the word.

Age Group: Grade 5 and up
Content Area: Literacy
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? Vocab Ahead goes beyond a single text definition to increase depth of word knowledge by also supplying visual representations, models of pronunciation, and examples that show how the word is used in a real context.

CAST's UDL Editions

UDL Editions take advantage of the flexibility of digital media to reach and engage all learners. Leveled supports and the Texthelp Toolbar balance challenge and support for each learner, ages 10 and up. Select your book to get started!

Age Group: Grade 3 and up
Content Area: Literacy
Cost: Free
Technology Involved: Internet connection

Why UDL? The multimedia glossary embedded throughout all of the texts in UDL Editions is a great example of supporting vocabulary and symbols. Click on an underlined word, and read the definition in text, listen to the defintion through text-to-speech, and see visual depictions.

2.2: Clarify syntax and structure

3.3: Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation

5.3: Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance

8.2: Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge

Implementation

UDL Guidelines - Version 2.0: Examples and Resources

Checkpoint 2.1: Clarify vocabulary and symbols

I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation

Key Considerations