Barriers to Learning: Materials
staircase at the Lourve Museum in Paris.
In this section, we will explore how materials used for teaching may act as barriers to learning.
Look at the stairs in the image to the left.
The famous circular staircase in the Louvre Museum in Paris has an elevator in the center to accommodate visitors with disabilities [1]
Most stairs actually present barriers to many individuals. The stairs pictured here in the Louvre were designed to accommodate all visitors.
Just like stairs, many of the materials used in lessons present barriers to learning for some students. All materials require the user to have certain skills in order for him or her to make meaning from them. For example, text requires a person to be able to decode the text. The skills required by materials can present barriers for some students.
Select the link to return to the CAST Module 2 webpage and complete the section Identifying Barriers in Materials.
Think about what kinds of skills these materials require in order for students to make meaning from them. Consider how each of the materials listed in the table below might actually be a barrier to learning for students.
Look at the stairs in the image to the left.
The famous circular staircase in the Louvre Museum in Paris has an elevator in the center to accommodate visitors with disabilities [1]
Most stairs actually present barriers to many individuals. The stairs pictured here in the Louvre were designed to accommodate all visitors.
Just like stairs, many of the materials used in lessons present barriers to learning for some students. All materials require the user to have certain skills in order for him or her to make meaning from them. For example, text requires a person to be able to decode the text. The skills required by materials can present barriers for some students.
Select the link to return to the CAST Module 2 webpage and complete the section Identifying Barriers in Materials.
Think about what kinds of skills these materials require in order for students to make meaning from them. Consider how each of the materials listed in the table below might actually be a barrier to learning for students.
Select the document below to download a list of prevailing materials used in classrooms for your lesson analysis.
methods_materials.pdf | |
File Size: | 42 kb |
File Type: |
Lesson Analysis
Now that you know more about barriers in materials, using the lesson you chose (elementary or secondary), examine the materials used in the lesson. What would you suggest? What are the barriers? You may take notes on the lesson or using the document below.
udl_barriers_worksheet.doc | |
File Size: | 251 kb |
File Type: | doc |