Theoretical Framework

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The Science and Captioning Project was designed within the theoretical framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The basic premise of UDL is that by building flexibility into educational media and materials, we can make them accessible and applicable to students with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts. UDL reflects an awareness of the unique nature of each learner and the need to accommodate differences, creating learning experiences that suit the learner and maximize his or her ability to progress. Thus, by "universal" we do not mean "uniform" but rather sufficiently flexible to be inclusive of all learners.

Developing flexible learning tools requires an understanding of the ways in which learners differ, and therefore the kinds of flexibility needed in tools to accommodate those differences. Each learner's unique abilities, disabilities, and preferences determine how he or she is best supported in learning. For example, learners differ in the ways they represent knowledge internally. Some may create mental images while others prefer words. Some find it easy to create connections between what they are learning and what they already know; for others this process is difficult, and their knowledge of subjects tends to be more isolated.

Learners also differ in the strategies and actions they use. When approaching a new task, some learners like to jump right in. They try out a variety of actions to see what works and what doesn't, and they modify their plan of action as they go along. Others prefer to be more reflective; they anticipate the potential results of different plans of action before they begin. Students may prefer to express their thoughts in many different ways, such as writing, speaking, creating images, or acting them out.

Finally, learners differ in their engagement in learning. While some learners seem to enjoy the experience of learning, others may be anxious and easily overwhelmed. Still others quickly become bored with what is going on. Some students are invigorated by competition and time constraints; others do poorly in these situations.

Because of the wide variety of instructional objectives that can be met with student-created captioned videotapes and because of the multi-sensory nature of video captioning, these projects offer multiple means of representation, expression and engagement for all kinds of students, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Thus, captioning can be a powerful addition to a universally designed learning environment.