Student Choice Within Universal Design for Learning–Based Learning Environments

• In Event: Learning Environments for Fostering Agency and Learner Identity

Abstract

This study utilized the instructional design framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to investigate students’ perception of choice within the learning environment outfitted with active, flexible furniture. Students’ perception of choice was considered as an independent construct, by which students’ perceptions of their own self-reported levels of empowerment, engagement, and teacher support were investigated using a structural equation model (SEM). The findings of this study illustrated that students’ perception of choice had a direct impact on students’ reported sense of empowerment, teacher support, and engagement levels. The results of this study provide empirical data which supports the incorporation of active, flexible furniture design within classrooms as being facilitative for student choice-making.

Authors

• Haidee A Jackson, The University of Kansas

• James Basham, The University of Kansas

• Ling Zhang, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• David Reid