January 21, 2025
By Rasha Elsayed
What do using the Universal Design for Learning framework and a jazz band’s jam session have in common? Both welcome diverse perspectives and foster creative, open spaces where people feel safe to take risks and learn. Joining the two concepts allows individuals and teams to improvise and bring their unique talents and perspectives to problem-solving.
At WestEd, we work toward a future where all learners have access to high-quality opportunities for success and communities thrive as spaces of self-determination and well-being. Our Universal Design for Learning Lab (UDL Lab) is an extension of that vision. The UDL Lab is an agencywide endeavor comprised of a cross-section of WestEd staff who are applying the UDL framework in innovative ways to address real challenges in education, human development, and beyond.
“We’re not just applying UDL principles—we’re cultivating a UDL consciousness,” explains Leticia Perez, a Senior Professional Learning Specialist and designer with the UDL Lab team. “The goal is to see how UDL permeates our language, how we think, and the ideas that pop up as we learn from the strengths and needs of those around us.”
In this blog post, we discuss UDL as a valuable tool for problem-solving within organizations and how our transformative “jam sessions” serve as powerful professional learning communities where teams improvise to create innovative solutions.
What is Universal Design for Learning?
Universal Design for Learning has long been recognized in education as an effective framework for creating inclusive, flexible learning environments by designing learning experiences that give students choices in how they learn, what materials they use, and how they show their understanding.
The framework accomplishes this through three simple yet profound principles:
- Multiple Means of Engagement: Provide diverse ways to motivate learners and sustain their interest.
- Multiple Means of Representation: Present information and content in various formats to accommodate different learning styles and backgrounds.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Offer learners multiple ways to navigate learning environments and demonstrate their knowledge.
At its heart, the framework is about exploring and maximizing the benefits of learner agency.
WestEd’s UDL Lab goes beyond using UDL as a checklist to embracing it as a mindset.
Alex Dang-Lozano is the Accessibility Manager with WestEd’s Communications Department and a member of the UDL Lab team. “We’re showing that UDL principles can apply to all aspects of our work and interactions, not just formal education,” he says.
UDL Jams as a New Approach to Problem-Solving
The UDL Lab developed UDL Jams—collaborative sessions that help people shift their perspectives toward thinking about UDL as a framework for tackling diverse challenges.
Modeled after a jazz jam session, where musicians of different backgrounds come together to improvise new music, the UDL principles become the chords, rhythms, and melodies in our Jams.
These chords—representing the principles of engagement, representation, and action and expression—serve as our foundation, inviting people to slow down, consider diverse perspectives, and develop innovative solutions to challenges.
“We show people a video of a real jam session. It really resonates with them and drives home the idea that, just like with the sound and melody in jazz, everyone can contribute their unique voice to our UDL Jams,” says Zach Smith, Senior Project Director at WestEd.
The Jams have two formats:
- Jam 1 is an introductory event where people apply UDL principles to an engaging, non-educational challenge. This type of Jam helps teams develop a shared understanding of UDL as a problem-solving framework.
“No matter how much experience you have with UDL, our first jams are structured to invite you to slow down and think about the different elements of UDL,” Smith says. “We’re not just telling people what UDL is. We’re making them think about it, apply it, and then reflect on the process.”
- Jam 2 builds on the language and learning of Jam 1, and brings it closer to home. Instead of using a fictional challenge, teams apply UDL principles to a real challenge they are facing.
“Our role is first to support putting teams in an adaptive and reflective mindset to help them define and right-size their challenges and provide them with the tools and strategies necessary to apply UDL principles,” says Irisa Charney-Sirott, Senior Program Associate with WestEd’s Learning & Technology Team and UDL Lab designer.
How UDL Jams Drive the Process of Learning
At a recent UDL conference, the UDL Lab team led a Jam session that energized educators.
“We introduced a non-educational scenario about community water contamination, which initially threw people off,” Smith recalls. “But then engagement skyrocketed. People were deeply involved in the challenge, considering how the character in our scenario would feel. They were engaging deeply in UDL without initially knowing it.”
The inclusive nature of the Jams inspired a sense of openness and collaboration.
“A self-described UDL novice drove the conversation [in the conference session], even while working alongside a UDL expert. That’s the beauty of that first jam—it provides a low-risk scenario where everyone’s input is valuable.”
Bob Montgomery, Senior Project Manager with Learning & Development at WestEd and UDL Lab designer, added, “We discovered that many learning design frameworks share core principles with UDL under different names. The UDL Jams foster a common language while building upon prior knowledge.”
After running UDL Jams inside and outside of WestEd at conferences such as the UDL Summit and the Santa Clara Inclusion Collaborative, internal WestEd staff meetings, and even impromptu gatherings, Jose Blackorby, Senior Researcher in Special Education and UDL Lab director, reflects on the achievements of the UDL Lab so far:
“We see a shared language and mindset around inclusive design emerge through the UDL Jams, reimagining how we approach every aspect of our work. The potential for this approach to revolutionize organizational practices and problem-solving in sectors outside of education is immense. We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible with UDL as our guiding framework.”
How WestEd Can Support Your Team with UDL
Ready to transform your team’s approach to problem-solving? Here are some ways you can get involved.
Book your own UDL Jam session where you’ll learn UDL by applying UDL to real life challenges in lesson planning, school and district leadership, and beyond. The first step is scheduling a meeting with a member of the UDL Lab design team so we can find a solution specific to your and your organization’s needs. Reach out to [email protected] to find a time to connect, share your UDL implementation goals, and find a solution that works for you and your teams.
Lastly, be sure to catch our upcoming Leading Voices podcast for in-depth insights on the UDL Lab, our designers, how UDL Jams work, and what they can offer you and your teams.
Rasha Elsayed, Research Associate in the Science and Engineering Program at WestEd, works primarily on program evaluations and research projects and is a member of the WestEd UDL Lab. WestEd’s UDL Lab Design Team also includes Alex Dang-Lozano – Accessibility Manager, Alex Dreier – Digital Learning Senior Program Associate, Irisa Charney-Sirott – Senior Program Associate II, Ishwa Tirmizi – Program Assistant II, Jose Blackorby – Senior Researcher in Special Education, Leticia Perez – Senior Professional Learning Specialist, Robert Montgomery – Senior Project Manager, and Zach Smith – Senior Project Director.