Universal Design for Learning (UDL) training for schools
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) starts from a simple idea: learners vary in how they engage, take in information and show what they know, so you design for that variety from the start. That is the shift behind the training I offer to teachers, SENCos and school leaders in Malta and online, in English or Italian.
What are the three UDL principles?
CAST, the organisation that developed UDL, sets out three principles. Each one addresses a different barrier learners face and how to remove it.
The first is multiple means of engagement, which is about how learners get interested and stay involved. In practice, that might mean letting a child choose to work alone or in a pair, so the task feels like something they can take on.
The second is multiple means of representation: showing information in more than one way. A diagram alongside written instructions, or a text that can also be listened to, both serve this principle.
The third is multiple means of action and expression, which lets learners show what they know in different ways. A child might answer in writing, in a drawing, or out loud. The point is that the response matches how they think, not how the task was designed.
How UDL and differentiation fit together
UDL designs the lesson for variety before you meet the learners. Differentiation adapts it for particular learners once you know what they need. They are not rivals; they work in sequence.
A well-designed lesson still leaves some learners who need extra scaffolding. But differentiation without UDL can mean rebuilding every lesson for every child, which is exhausting and hard to keep consistent over time.
In practice, we look at what a lesson already offers, then decide where individual adaptation is really needed. That keeps the workload realistic and the teaching steady.
How I support schools with UDL
I start by looking at how your school currently plans and delivers lessons, and where a small change could help more learners without adding extra work for staff. That review covers materials, tasks and classroom spaces, so that what you design works for a wider range of learners from the start.
I also run staff training and workshops on UDL, differentiation and inclusive design, built around your own lessons and your own questions rather than a generic template. The aim is practical understanding you can use the following week.
Over time, this shifts inclusion from something that depends on individual goodwill to something built into how the school plans. That whole-setting approach lasts beyond any one teacher’s enthusiasm. It’s also where my background lies: I’ve worked as a Special Education Consultant, adapting educational and STEM initiatives for learners with diverse needs and advising on accessibility, engagement and inclusive design.
I’m also interested in how technology, including AI, can reduce unnecessary barriers. Text that can be read aloud or resized, or different ways to show understanding, can open a lesson up without a separate plan. But a tool doesn’t know a child’s day. Technology shouldn’t replace professional judgement, relationships or the human side of teaching, so when I advise schools I look for uses that support access and personalisation, chosen deliberately and with clear limits.