Imagine that you came across a massive sale at a shopping centre and feeling excited to buy a pair of shoes from a footwear shop. However, upon entering, you realise that the shop offers only one type, one colour, and one size of shoes. There is no way to choose a pair based on your age, foot shape, size, design, colour preferences, or gender. How does this sound to you? Does it sound like a desirable or bad experience? Also, do you think this scenario is comparable to the educational practice of designing learning experiences for the mythical average learner?
What is the concept of the average learner? Simply put, the idea assumes that teachers design learning experiences with a student in mind who is neither at the top nor the bottom of the academic spectrum but somewhere in the middle. This approach aims to create learning experiences that are neither too easy for high-achieving students nor too challenging for those who struggle to achieve the learning outcomes. Essentially, it’s a one-size-fits-all method, implying that most students will fit into a common set of characteristics, learning preferences, or abilities, making it possible to create uniform instructional strategies – similar to the shoes example above. However, this notion is flawed because it overlooks the diverse backgrounds, abilities, and other variabilities present in any classroom.
When we examine the enrolment demographics in today’s universities, we see that diverse cohorts of students are rapidly increasing. We have local and international students from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, mature-age students, and students with various disabilities, among others. While it is great that we often acknowledge this diversity, do we truly consider all these variables in our learning design? Does the concept of the average learner still linger in the learning environments we design for today’s student cohorts? Sadly, my answer to the first question is not really, and to the second question is a resounding yes.
So, the question is, if the concept of the average learner is flawed, what should we do? Is there a better approach that can be utilised to address the broader issue? Many experts in the field of instructional design believe that the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) could be an ideal solution. UDL involves designing learning environments to be accessible to all students to the greatest extent possible, without the need for individual customisations. This may sound like a one-size-fits-all approach, but actually it’s not! The UDL promotes three core principles for educators to incorporate into their learning designs: providing students with multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. Within these broad categories, UDL encompasses several key principles to guide educators in creating inclusive and engaging learning experiences. The key idea is offering a buffet of learning experiences so each learner can choose what best suits them and have a fair chance to learn and excel in the class. This idea certainly sounds more appealing to me!
While I promote UDL as a reasonable alternative to the concept of the average learner, I must acknowledge the increased workload that may be involved in adequately applying UDL in a class. It is easy to understand that the time and effort required to prepare a buffet would be far greater than just preparing one dish, isn’t it? If so, what does it involve in it? Well, I do not think this article has the space to explain the details of applying UDL in a class. However, for those curious about what should be considered in creating a buffet of learning experiences, the UDL website provides all the nuts and bolts involved. Let’s explore and strive to create more meaningful learning experiences for our students. Happy exploring!
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