This article explores the importance of autonomy and choice in multimodal learning environments, emphasizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. It highlights strategies like offering content choice, flexible task timing, and low-stakes practice to enhance student engagement and personalized learning.
What is Autonomy and Choice in Multimodal Learning?
Autonomy and choice allow students to engage with course content and demonstrate learning in ways that suit their individual preferences, making education more personalized and engaging. This approach aligns with UDL principles, which advocate for multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression.
Core components include:
- Learning Pathways: Complex “choose your own adventure” assignments built into Carmen enable personalized exploration.
- Content Choice: Students select between various content formats (e.g., articles, videos, podcasts) to explore topics of interest.
- Learning Preferences: Options like watching videos, reading transcripts, or reviewing slides accommodate students with disabilities.
- Low-Stakes Practice: Optional, flexible practice activities help students build confidence without high-pressure grading.
- Flexibility in Sequencing: Students complete tasks in an order or timing that aligns with their schedules and learning habits.
Why Incorporate Autonomy and Choice?
Providing autonomy and choice fosters student engagement, motivation, and deeper learning by making educational experiences more relevant and accessible. Key benefits include:
- Enhanced Engagement: When students choose their learning paths, they feel more invested and motivated.
- Improved Learning Outcomes: Allowing students to choose between multiple formats for assignment submissions adds a personal connection to the material and helps students better understand and retain the information.
- Accessibility and Inclusivity: Offering multiple formats and pathways ensures all learners, including those with disabilities, can participate fully.
- Real-World Skill Development: Encourages creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making which are skills critical for personal and professional success.
How to Implement Autonomy and Choice in Your Course
This activity helps you rethink your course design to give students more autonomy and choice. You’ll start by reviewing all the assessments and learning activities in your syllabus—quizzes, discussions, projects, assignments, and more. Then, consider whether any repetitive tasks could be refreshed or replaced with different types of assessments or activities. Look for ways to offer low-stakes practice opportunities, especially before midterms and finals, to keep students engaged and set them up for success.
Step 1: Audit Your Course Activities
- Review Your Syllabus: Identify 5 key assessments, assignments, or activities that could benefit from increased student autonomy.
- Evaluate for Redundancy: Look for repetitive tasks (e.g., weekly quizzes, traditional discussion boards, long research papers) that may disengage students.
- Identify High-Stakes Bottlenecks: Spot areas where students lack opportunities to practice before major assessments (e.g., midterms or finals).
Step 2: Offer Student Choice
For each identified activity, replace or modify it to offer more autonomy and choice. Consider these strategies:
| Current Activity | Alternative with More Choice |
|---|---|
| Standard research paper | Let students choose between a paper, podcast, infographic, or video presentation. |
| Weekly discussion boards | Allow students to respond through video, audio, text, or an interactive tool like ThingLink. |
| Lecture-based content | Provide students with the option to watch a video, read a transcript, or explore an interactive resource. |
| Traditional exams | Offer low-stakes practice quizzes or scaffolded assignments leading up to high-stakes exams or an alternative project-based assignment. |
| Rigid assignment deadlines | Implement flexible due dates or let students choose from a set of deadlines. |
By replacing rather than adding, you can create a more engaging, student-centered learning experience while maintaining course rigor and accessibility. This approach also allows students to reflect on learning processes and connections in a more authentic way. Implementing autonomy and choice in your course can be easily accomplished with the assistance of an instructional designer.
