The Role of Technology in Implementing Universal Design for Learning

Technology, the kind that requires power, is becoming more and more apparent within classrooms (Purcell, Heaps, Buchanan, & Friedrich, 2013). Studies demonstrate the power of technology as a support for the inclusion of students with intellectual disability in general education settings so they can achieve positive academic, social, communication, and functional outcomes (Coyne, Pisha, Dalton, Zeph, & Smith, 2012; Knight, Wood, Spooner, Browder, & O’Brien, 2015). But technology alone, whether powered or not (i.e., low/no tech), does not establish a learning environment that supports all learners. That requires thoughtful design and planning, which can occur through the use of the universal design for learning (UDL) framework, as illustrated in Box 14.1.