Multiple Means of Action and Expression
- Include multiple tools that support students’ engagement with activities and sense-making (e.g., investigation materials, assistive technologies).
- Vary the requirements for response (e.g., provide flexibility in the timing or range of motor action needed to interact with instructional materials).
- Leverage multiple modalities for communicating content and expectations (e.g., drawings, gestures).
1. Considering Motor Demands: The motor demands of each task should be analyzed and educators should offer alternatives to physical barriers that are present (e.g., physical manipulative and technologies). When selecting digital tools it is essential to ensure that they are accessible to learners that are using assistive technology.
2. Leveraging Accessible Media: Reduce media-specific barriers by providing multiple options for learners to express what they have learned (e.g., text, speech, illustration, music, dance, video, etc). For example, leverage learner interest and expertise by offering a social-media inspired option for expression (e.g., students can respond to a tweet with evidence and science reasoning to support their claim or create a meme to explain a scientific process).
3. Support Students Set Goals: Educators can support student goal setting by providing prompts that lead learners to set goals and break them down into manageable next steps, providing checklists that are aligned to three dimensional learning tasks, and make goals for the instructional sequence clear by referring to them throughout the unit. Prompt learners to “stop and think” or “show and explain” and ask questions for self monitoring and reflection throughout the unit.
4. Fostering Student Choice: Do not assume that there is a singular method and timeline for learners to show what they know. When providing multiple means of action and express, all options should be presented as valuable as opposed to hierarchical. To ensure that all options contain the same level of rigor it is essential to think about the different expectations for each method as it relates to the task. Additionally, learners should be positioned to make instructional decisions based on their personal goals and strengths.