Universal Design for Learning (UDL) implementation requires intentional consideration and development of the goal or objective for any part of a lesson. This resource will support you in developing goals and/or objectives for your learning experiences by recommending questions to ask yourself as you begin, tips for creating meaningful goals, and ways to reflect on the principles of UDL as you develop these goals.

This resource is a part of the Distance Learning Series of the TIES Center.

The Investigating and Questioning Our World through Science and Technology project (IQOWST) is the basis for describing the Learning-Goals-Driven design model for developing science curriculum.  A team of researchers developed a science curriculum for the middle grades with a focus on (a) unpacking national science standards (b) developing a learning performances approach to specifying learning goals, and (c) aligning learning goals, instructional activities, and assessments.

This resource discusses ways in which learning goals can be constructed through the lens of Universal Design for Learning. Within instructional design, goals are expectations for knowledge, skills, or outcomes.  Expectations, moreover, can be communicated as performance goals that focus on proving ability or as learning goals which emphasize developing and improving ability.

Goal-based planning is essential to the UDL approach.  Open-ended goals work better in a diverse classroom because they provide more entry points to students working at different levels.  Goals framed as essential understandings or big ideas open the door for the personalization of learning, choice and inclusion.  Understanding by Design (UbD) is one approach to goal-based planning that is compatible with UDL.<br><br>
Goals form the basis for instruction and assessments.  Adopting a UDL mindset may require you to reconsider your overall assessment philosophy.  Does everything a student completes need to be assessed?  Do you allow students to retest?  Do your methods of assessment encourage risk-taking?  If students are demonstrating their learning in a variety of ways, how is it possible to evaluate fairly?  Goal-based planning in combination with rubrics, especially rubrics created with the help of students, is one strategy used in UDL classrooms.