Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Universal Design for Learning - A framework for inclusion in Outdoor Learning
Universal Design for Learning gives primary teachers a planning framework for making outdoor learning inclusive of every learner in a diverse class.
What's new
This conceptual paper proposes Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework for planning inclusive outdoor learning in mainstream primary schools. It draws on UDL's three principles: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of expression and action. The authors use two vignettes to show how these principles can be applied to outdoor learning in a meaningful and sustained way. They argue that this approach helps teachers meet the wide range of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and cultural needs in a primary class.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Primary classrooms in Aotearoa are diverse, and EOTC should be open to every learner. UDL gives teachers a shared language for planning outdoor learning so that barriers to full participation are removed at the design stage.
Putting it into practice
When planning your next outdoor lesson, use the three UDL principles as a checklist. Give learners more than one way to engage, more than one way to take in the content, and more than one way to show what they have learned.
How strong is the evidence
This is a conceptual paper illustrated with two vignettes. It offers a planning framework and does not test outcomes empirically.
What to read
The two vignettes, which show the UDL principles applied to outdoor learning.