Topic 5: UDL and Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Emotion and learning are deeply, critically intertwined and the relationship between them affects academic performance yet, this connection is rarely part of the planning process when developing courses, nor is it made explicit within the activities themselves. The UDL principles provide actionable steps for educators to design educational activities that consider the role emotional variability plays in behavior and academic performance within the same student over time and between students.

Learning is also social.   For students to gain new understandings they need to be able to learn from and with one another as skillfully as they can learn from materials or a teacher. UDL can enhance social learning be enabling all students to benefit from learning together.

Our nervous system prepares our body to take immediate action based on the current goal, the setting, and learned experiences. The emotions associated with that appraisal impact our engagement, attention, and actions. In addressing the whole student, which includes factors such as race, ethnicity, family income levels, learning nature, home language, immigration status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and more, SEL is an important aspect to student learning.