Welcome to your next UDL Explorer Challenge Activity!
This challenge falls within the UDL Principle of Engagement.
Our Challenge for You
To complete this challenge, we are asking you to look at the content you teach and create or add one more opportunity for students to bring in their lived experiences. You will find instructions, examples, and helpful resources below. We are excited to see what you come up with!
Why Is This Important for UDL?
When CAST (cast.org) talks about recruiting interest, it mentions the importance of connecting the course concepts to our students’ lives. You may hear students say, “So what? Why do I need to know this? When will I use this?” It’s important to try and make information relevant. When students can make a personal connection to a topic, it consolidates the learning.
Examples
Heidi’s Example:
I ask my students to recall a past dental experience and share ideas on how they can use that experience to help their own patients in practice. This personal connection to the content is powerful in helping them with empathy in their role as a certified dental assistant.
Venecia’s Example:
When I teach negotiation strategies, I give my students an assignment to provide an example of when they were successful in a negotiation with friends or family. This is a great opportunity for them to bring in their lived experience and connect it to the topic.
Explore
Here are some examples of activities that recruit interest.
UDL Principle: Learn more about the UDL principle for recruiting interest.
Read: Ways to Make Lessons ‘Relevant’ to Students’ Lives – This article highlights how making classroom lessons relevant to students’ lives is the best way to encourage intrinsic motivation to learn.
Watch: Emotional Engagement in Learning – This TEDx Talk focuses on the profound importance of emotional connection in learning and content retention/mastery.
Next Steps: Reflect and Implement
Think about the activity we just completed. What is one key takeaway or insight you gained from it? How did this activity enhance your understanding of the concept? Identify one action you can take to apply this new knowledge or skill in a real-world context.