Think. Design. Engage: Where AI Meets UDL and the Design Thinking Process

By Barbara Bray and Stephanie Howell

Stephanie Howell and I decided to create a planning tool using the Design Thinking Process, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and AI. In deciding what resources you need based on the learners you have, you may first need to determine how your learners learn best, what lesson or activity you plan to focus on, how design thinking can support the process, and which AI tools you include in a lesson or activity. We updated a previous planning tool for AI that I co-created with Jackie Gerstein on makerspaces. [source]

There is no “average†brain

The assumption that metrics comparing us to an average—like GPAs, personality test results, and performance review ratings—reveal something meaningful about our potential is so ingrained in our consciousness that we don’t even question it. That assumption, says Harvard’s Dr. Todd Rose, is spectacular—and scientifically wrong. [Source]

“If we overcome the barriers of one-dimensional thinking and demand that social institutions value individuality over the average, then we will change the way we think about success– not in terms of our deviation from average, but on the terms we set for ourselves.â€

Dr. Todd Rose, author of The End of Average

From Todd Rose’s Project Variability, he states that “even though we have the most diverse population in the world, we are unable to exploit this natural advantage in human capital.†Four percent of dropouts in the US are intellectually gifted. That comes up to 50,000 minds each year who don’t fit in the average model. How much of this is bad design? We design learning environments for the average learner. We call our system age-appropriate, but it is not. Learners vary on many dimensions of learning.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), developed by David Rose and Ann Meyers of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), was designed to reduce barriers to the curriculum and maximize learning. UDL provides a framework for all learners to help them become self-directed and independent expert learners. UDL has reordered the principles and guidelines, beginning with Multiple Means of Engagement, which complements the WHY of Learning and how the Design Thinking Process involves learners in identifying an authentic problem or challenge.

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) 

• Multiple Means of Engagement is the affective network that explains how interest and purpose engage and motivate learners to want to learn. (The WHY of Learning) 
• Multiple Means of Representation is the recognition network for how content is represented and how learners process information. (The WHAT of Learning) 
• Multiple Means of Action and Expression refers to the strategic network that involves how learners monitor progress and demonstrate and reflect evidence of learning. (The How of Learning)

UDL is based on principles that empower everyone to have agency over their own learning. It enables educators and learners to establish clear goals, anticipate potential environmental barriers, create meaningful options, and fully embrace human diversity.

http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html 

The National Center on Universal Design for Learning refers to the alternate version of the UDL Guidelines found in the book UDL Theory and Practice by David Rose and Ann Meyers. Starting with the WHY of Learning, the UDL Guidelines take you on a deep dive into each of the principles, using checkpoints that provide resources, examples, and research. 

The Design Thinking Process

Design thinking is an approach to learning that includes considering real-world problems, researching, analyzing, conceiving original ideas, experimenting, and sometimes building things by hand. This process guides students to consider the needs of others, solve challenges, overcome setbacks, and stay motivated to learn. The process also teaches students to build on the ideas of others, vet sources, generate questions, deeply analyze topics, and think creatively and analytically. The Design Thinking Process includes five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

https://dschool.stanford.edu          https://designthinking.ideo.com/

Design Thinking 1. Empathize + (UDL) Engagement

Design Thinking 1. Empathize + (UDL) Engagement

To create meaningful innovations or solutions, you need to know your audience and care about their lives.

The UDL connection to Engagement, the first phase of Empathy and Perspective Taking, involves learners having options for sustaining effort and persistence by fostering collaboration and community. This phase is where learners gain an understanding of the needs of specific people from their perspective

Design Thinking 2. Define + (UDL) Engagement/Representation

Framing the right problem is the only way to create the right solution.

Design Thinking Phase 2 and the UDL connection to engagement and representation involves defining the problem to address and establishing a point of view based on the needs prioritized in Phase 1.

Design Thinking 3. Ideate + (UDL) Representation/Action & Expression

It’s not about coming up with the ‘right’ idea, it’s about generating the broadest range of possibilities.â€

The Design Thinking Phase 3 and the UDL connection to Representation involves brainstorming and generating a solution to address the problem by highlighting relationships among the ideas. Aligning to Action & Expression, learners can use AI and other tools to communicate their ideas.

Design Thinking 4. Prototype + (UDL) Action & Expression

The prototype is the iterative generation of artifacts intended to answer questions to get you closer to your solution.

The Design Thinking Phase 5 and the UDL connection to Action and Expression have learners collaborating to transform the idea into a product, event, story, or another process, solving the problem. One product could be a story where they decide on a way to showcase it, such as a presentation, a performance, a book, or even a video. 

Design Thinking 5. Test + (UDL) Engagement/Representation

Testing is an opportunity to learn about your solution and your user and invite feedback.

The Design Thinking Phase 5 and the UDL Connection to Engagement and Representation foster collaboration by inviting feedback from the audience first interviewed in Phase 1. The audience reviews the final product and how it met the needs by solving the problems

Digital Tools in the Learning Backpack 

Review the AI programs, online tools, and Google Doc templates using any of the examples of activities mentioned above. Choose any of the apps or tools you believe will enhance your lessons and engage your learners to add to your Learning Backpack.

Apps/Tools

Learning Backpack

Activities/Templates

Figma Notebook LM   ChatGPT SchoolAI Gemini  PadletThinglink  Canva

Storyboard  Crazy 8’s Empathy Map Generate Sort Connect Elaborate Thinking Hat activityGripe JamWhy’sKWL

Below are two Google Docs using AI with detailed activities:

 Using AI to Strengthen Authenticity in PBL (Activities)

 From Feedback to Glows & Grows by Greta Sandler

Now it’s your turn!

Choose a lesson you plan to focus on, how UDL and design thinking can support the process with specific activities, possibly the UN SDGs, and which AI apps or tools you will include.

Design Thinking, UDL, and AI Planning Tool

Lesson:
Design Thinking	UDL Connection	Activities	AI/Tools
Phase 1: Empathize Learners brainstorm an understanding of needs in the global community and identify the intended audience in the local community. Learners share what they have learned about the community’s needs and concerns.	Engagement (Why) Learners have options for sustaining effort and persistence by fostering collaboration and community. They develop empathy for others by understanding what the community needs from diverse perspectives.
Phase 2: Define The learners generate possible authentic problems based on the prioritized needs within the local or global community. Together, they define the problem to address.	Engagement (Why) Learners recruit interest by optimizing relevance, value, and authenticity. Representation (What) The educator activates learners’ background knowledge, patterns & features around real-world problems
Phase 3: Ideate Learners, working in small groups, generate ideas to solve the design thinking problem or challenge. Each generated design is analyzed as to its potential to resolve the design challenge.	Representation (What) Educator helps learners highlight patterns, critical features, and relationships of ideas generated.Action & Expression (How) Learners use multiple tools to communicate their ideas.
Phase 4: Prototype Learners collaborate on an idea of a product, event, or story that could solve the problem. Learners collaborate to design the process through multiple tools.	Action & Expression (How) Learners vary the navigation as they build the prototype. They use tools to communicate ideas or pitch a design to another group for ongoing constructive feedback.
Phase 5: Test The final design is presented to users for feedback. The designers ask users about the degree to which the design met their needs, asking questions about what worked and what still needs improvement.	Engagement (Why) Engagement is increased by fostering collaboration through feedback.Representation (What) Learners highlight patterns and features to share effective feedback with users.

Barbara Bray https://linktr.ee/barbarabray27
Stephanie Howell  https://linktr.ee/mrshowell24