Engage and Make It So!
Hello from your friendly neighborhood UDL fanatic! As we wrap up one semester and turn our sights towards the next, I wanted to take a moment to refresh our collective memory about Multiple Means of Engagement. This is one of the Universal Design for Learning domains, and we use it to help our students understand the “why” behind the learning. 
As you may remember, UDL is based on neuroscience research, and each of its domains is meant to activate different parts of the brain. Providing multiple means of engagement activates the affective brain networks. When we activate students’ affective networks, we provide them with opportunities for engagement and motivation. Because we’re all motivated by different things- some of us like novelty and some of us prefer routine, for example- it's important to offer students multiple options to engage with our course content and activities.
That leads us to the big question: how do I provide multiple means of engagement? CAST (the nonprofit education research and development organization that created the UDL framework and UDL Guidelines) offers three guidelines in this area, including Recruiting Interest, Sustaining Effort and Persistence, and Self-Regulation. These guidelines include strategies such as offering student choice, relating learning to students’ interests and goals, fostering collaboration, and providing opportunities for self-assessment and reflection. When we show students the “why” behind what we’re asking them to do or understand, they will likely be more primed and motivated to succeed.
If providing your students with multiple means of engagement sounds intriguing to you, here are a few more ways to start your UDL journey:
- Visit the CAST website for the research behind the theory
- Keep your eyes peeled for more Online Studies blog posts in 2024
- Join one of the ACUE courses offered in the spring semester
- Contact me (aryn_davis@daytonastate.edu) to set up UDL Office Hours and we can work one-on-one to improve your specific courses!
I hope that you all have a wonderful, and relaxing break. I’m looking forward to working with you in the spring to (as my friend, Jean-Luc Picard might say) “engage and make it so.” Happy Teaching!
Aryn Davis, M.Ed.
Associate Professor
School of Education
aryn.davis@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3077