Designing for Strategy Development (Guideline 6)
A critical part of learning is the ability to act skillfully and purposefully. These executive functions include setting meaningful goals, anticipating challenges, organizing information, monitoring progress, and adapting strategies. Learners vary widely in their executive capacities, and without scaffolds, barriers can arise. Designing for strategy development benefits all learners by strengthening executive capacity and making purposeful, self-directed learning more accessible.
Strategy Library: Designing for Strategy Development
This strategy library focuses on strategy development, with five key areas that reduce barriers and support learner variability. Each strategy comes from the UDL Guidelines 3.0 and is paired with practical approaches you can apply right away using U of T’s Academic Toolbox.
Set meaningful goals (6.1)
CAST 6.1 definition: Setting goals that are both meaningful and measurable supports purposeful learning. Learners benefit from scaffolds, models, and guides that make goals explicit, realistic, and manageable.
Examples using U of T's Academic Toolbox
- Microsoft Word: Create checklists, graphic organizers, or structured templates that help students plan and monitor outcomes.
- Quercus Announcements: Reinforce outcomes and milestones at key points in a course.
- Quercus Assignments: Highlight related learning outcomes and expectations directly in assignment instructions.
- Quercus Calendar and To-Do List: Help students manage outcomes by tracking due dates, milestones, and next steps across devices.
- Quercus Discussions (Pinned): Keep goal-setting or project guidelines discussion visible.
- Quercus ePortfolios: Support goal-setting and reflection by letting learners curate work over time toward their goals.
- Quercus Files: Share sample assignments or models so students can understand what meeting outcomes looks like.
- Quercus Modules: Scaffold content using prerequisites, requirements, and lock until features to gradually release new material in alignment with outcomes.
- Quercus Outcomes: Align content and activities with explicit course or program outcomes.
- Quercus Rubrics: Make assessment criteria transparent, showing how outcomes will be evaluated.
Anticipate and plan for challenges (6.2)
CAST 6.2 definition: Planning ahead helps learners anticipate difficulties, identify resources, and break larger outcomes into manageable steps. Scaffolds and models can make this process clearer and more effective.
Examples using U of T's Academic Toolbox
- Library Resources: Provide background readings or reference materials that help students prepare for areas where challenges are likely to arise.
- Microsoft Forms: Collect student check-ins or reflections to surface anticipated challenges and needed resources.
- Microsoft Teams and Zoom: Host planning discussions, or record short demos and think-alouds to model strategic approaches (with captions for accessibility).
- Microsoft Word: Create checklists, graphic organizers, or structured templates that support planning and monitoring. Use comments to scaffold explanation of steps and reasoning.
- Quercus Announcements: Send reminders or planning prompts to guide students through multi-step tasks.
- Quercus Calendar: Sync deadlines with personal calendars to anticipate challenges across multiple courses.
- Quercus Modules and Pages: Sequence content with clear guidance and checkpoints, and use prerequisites, requirements, and lock until features to scaffold progression.
- Quercus Quizzes: Provide low-stakes self-checks that help students identify areas where challenges may arise.
- Snagit: Create annotated screenshots or short videos to demonstrate planning processes or step-by-step strategies (captions can be auto-generated later in Stream).
Organize information and resources (6.3)
CAST 6.3 definition: Because working memory is limited, learners benefit from tools that help them organize, categorize, and structure information and resources to reduce cognitive load.
Examples using U of T's Academic Toolbox
- Library Resources: Integrate curated references and readings directly into courses for organized, centralized access.
- Microsoft OneDrive: Store and organize shared files in a structured, accessible format.
- Microsoft Whiteboard: Co-create diagrams, maps, or frameworks that visually organize complex information.
- Microsoft Word: Use checklists, graphic organizers, or templates to structure tasks and information.
- Quercus Dashboard: Reorder and favourite courses for focus and prioritization.
- Quercus Files: Share and organize course materials in a central location for easy navigation.
- Quercus Modules: Present logically ordered units and scaffolded resources with prerequisites, requirements, or lock until features.
- Quercus Rich Content Editor: Use headings, formatting, and embedded media to structure information clearly.
- Quercus Rich Content Editor Icon Maker: Signal categories, activities, or stages visually with consistent icons.
Enhance capacity for monitoring progress (6.4)
CAST 6.4 definition: Learners benefit from feedback that is clear, timely, and connected to outcomes, so they can monitor and adjust their progress. Opportunities for self-assessment and reflection also help learners take greater ownership of their learning.
Examples using U of T's Academic Toolbox
- Microsoft Forms: Use quick surveys for student self-reflection and progress check-ins.
- Microsoft Word: Provide checklists, graphic organizers, or templates to help students track tasks and monitor progress.
- peerScholar: Engage students in cycles of peer review and self-assessment.
- Quercus Announcements: Share prompts and reminders that reinforce progress milestones.
- Quercus Course Analytics: Provide data dashboards on learner activity and progress to support monitoring.
- Quercus ePortfolios: Invite students to curate work over time and reflect on their growth.
- Quercus Gradebook: Give learners continuous access to their progress and performance data.
- Quercus Outcomes: Show learners how their work aligns with explicit course or program outcomes.
- Quercus Quizzes: Offer low-stakes, formative self-checks so students can monitor their understanding.
- Quercus Rubrics: Clarify expectations and support self-monitoring by making assessment criteria transparent.
- Quercus SpeedGrader: Provide feedback in text, audio, or video formats to guide learners in adjusting their work.
Challenge exclusionary practices (6.5)
CAST 6.5 definition: Bias and systemic barriers can exclude historically marginalized learners. Inclusive design can help surface and address these practices while creating opportunities for belonging, equity, and restorative approaches.
Examples using U of T's Academic Toolbox
- Hypothesis: Collaboratively annotate texts to surface diverse perspectives and critique bias in language or representation.
- Library Reading List: Curate course readings with inclusive authorship and diverse representation.
- Microsoft Forms: Gather student feedback or concerns anonymously (or with attribution) to identify exclusionary practices and improve inclusivity.
- Microsoft Teams and Zoom: Facilitate restorative dialogue or inclusive community-building sessions.
- peerScholar: Structure peer review cycles to value multiple perspectives and encourage constructive, respectful feedback.
- Quercus Announcements: Reinforce inclusive practices, values, and community agreements throughout the course.
- Quercus Discussions: Provide space for dialogue about inclusion, equity, and community norms.
- Quercus Groups: Organize collaborative projects that honour diverse voices and contributions.
- Quercus Profile Settings: Invite learners to represent themselves authentically in class communities.
- Quercus Rubrics: Make evaluation criteria transparent and aligned with inclusive practices, reducing hidden bias in assessment.
- Quercus Surveys (via Quizzes): Gather student experiences to surface and address barriers.
Try One Thing
UDL doesn’t mean redesigning everything at once. Start small: pick one strategy from the lists above and try it out in your teaching or staff-facing context. Even a single simplification, added option, or reduced barrier can have meaningful impact.
Need support? CTSI offers consultations to help you adapt strategies for your context. Reach out to us to start a conversation.
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