The 3rd training session of the “ApprEUnance” program took place from March 6 to 10 in Sligo in the North West of Ireland.
The theme of apprenticeship was on the program and the discovery of the Irish policy in favor of its development was enlightening.
Beyond the organizational aspects (aid to companies and apprentices) what is striking is the desire to multiply the training courses by apprenticeship and to allow a wide mix of audiences.
In addition, the rate of supervision and the material means (equipment of the workshops) seem very important. This last point is not without questioning the place left to companies in training. Are they considered only as places of professional practice or as real partners in training?
But beyond the quite classic questions about the implementation of learning, an element very much in line with our theme of "learning" aroused our curiosity. This is the concept of "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL).
Universal Design for Learning
According to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, the term "universal design for learning" is an educational framework based on research in the educational sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, which guides the development of learning environments. flexible and flexible learning spaces that can accommodate individual learning differences.
Each teacher must respond to an objective related to the repository and to a diverse group of students (whether in class or remotely). Now, we know that we learn in such a unique way that our fingerprints are unique in the world. Thus, each group of students is unlike any other and with UDL their curriculum needs will be designed from the outset to meet this diversity.
UDL is therefore an approach to the repository that attempts to minimize barriers and maximize learning for all students. Hence the term “universal”. The program can be used everywhere and understood by everyone. Each learner in a class brings their own background, strengths, needs and interests. The curriculum being placed at the service of the learner (and not as a constraint to be followed to the letter).
The UDL allows itself the flexibility of the programs and focuses on learning objectives, methods, materials and assessments that make it possible to answer these questions:
· What is the educational objective?
· What do I want my students to learn, do and care about?
· What obstacles (barriers) might interfere with my students in achieving these goals?
To eliminate obstacles to learning, it is necessary to act on the three principles (representation, action/expression, and commitment) of the UDL (see diagram).
Concretely, it is about:
· Make current content and information available in multiple media and various media.
· Use graphics and animations.
· Highlight essential features.
· Activate basic knowledge and support vocabulary so that students can acquire the knowledge taught.
· Provide multiple means of action and expression.
· Give students plenty of options to express what they know and provide models, feedback, and materials for their different skill levels.
· Provide multiple means of engagement.
Give students choices to stimulate their interests and autonomy,
· Allows you to risk mistakes and learn from them.
To conclude, it seems to us that the discovery of this concept put forward in Ireland nourishes the reflection carried out within the partners on the logic of "learning" in work-study training.
