Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education (2022) 25:75–89

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-022-00096-z

ORIGINAL PAPER

Universal Design for Learning - A framework for inclusion in

Outdoor Learning

Orla Kelly1  · Karen Buckley2 · Lauren J. Lieberman3 · Katrina Arndt4

Accepted: 9 February 2022 / Published online: 18 March 2022

© The Author(s) 2022

Abstract
This article proposes the application of the principles of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) as a framework for promoting inclusion in outdoor learning in
primary school settings. The authors conceptualise outdoor learning, highlighting
the potential for more child-initiated experiential learning. Yet this paper is not con-
cerned only with outdoor learning, but with the inclusion of all learners in outdoor
learning, through enactment of the curriculum in mainstream schooling. The diverse
profile of children in primary schools calls on teachers to prepare teaching, learning
and assessment activities to address a wide range of social, emotional, physical,
cognitive and cultural needs. Contemporary researchers recognise outdoor learning
as an effective pedagogy to promote inclusion and therefore reduce the barriers
for full participation in the primary classroom. UDL is offered as a framework for
planning outdoor learning to support delivery of curricula that are responsive to
the needs of all learners. UDL is underpinned by three principles: multiple means
of engagement, representation, expression and action. Two vignettes are shared to
illustrate how these principles can be applied to outdoor learning in a meaningful
and sustained way. The article highlights the benefits for teachers and learners of
applying UDL principles to outdoor learning to promote inclusion in the diverse
primary class.

Keywords  Universal design for learning · Inclusion · Outdoor learning · Primary

education · Curriculum

Outdoor learning for all children

The fundamental belief on which this paper is premised is that all children should
have equal access to outdoor learning, highlighting issues of inclusion and diversity.
All children should be connected with nature, through education that encourages

Extended author information available on the last page of the article

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environmental awareness and stewardship. Indeed, children’s rights to an education

that addresses the development of respect for the natural environment is enshrined in
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (The United Nations, 1989). We argue
that this can be achieved through outdoor learning, if undertaken in appropriate ways.
Outdoor learning, at an entry level, can be described as teaching and learning
which could take place in the classroom but is taught outside the classroom with little
or no connection to the environment or place. At a deeper level, it can be described as
teaching and learning which supports the development of children’s knowledge and
understanding of their environment through direct engagement. At an even deeper
level, it can be described as a pedagogy which supports children’s learning and devel-
opment across a range of domains with the outdoors providing the context, resources,
setting and/or space for rich experiential and authentic learning. We draw on this
even deeper level and conceptualise outdoor learning as learning that takes place not
just outside the classroom but outdoors. Such outdoor learning promotes a change of
location rather than a change of curriculum (Lloyd, 2018).
At this level the outdoors allows for experiential learning in authentic settings,
where learning is carried out in real-world contexts, which have personal relevance
to the learners. The teacher’s role shifts to one of observer and facilitator which offers
opportunities for the emergence of different relationships and group dynamics. Here
outdoor learning can work to disrupt the usual culture of adult dominance in learn-
ing situations, enabling children to experience more freedom to initiate their own
learning experiences, to play for longer periods without interruptions and to show
independence of thinking and action (Waite and Davis, 2007). This links with Waite
and Pratt’s work (2017) on the cultural density of places, where outdoor spaces and
places unfamiliar to staff and students are considered culturally light as they bring
fewer rules and/or routines allowing for more playful child-initiated learning and
egalitarian management of how time is spent (Waite, Rogers and Evans, 2013).
Yet this paper is not concerned only with outdoor learning, but with the inclusion
of all learners in outdoor learning, through enactment of the curriculum in main-
stream schooling. Quality inclusive and equitable education for all is enshrined in
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (United Nations 2021) and specifically Target 4.5:
by 2030 eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all
levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons
with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations. Teachers
encountering heterogeneous classes need to be ready to include all learners. Readi-
ness does not mean having a particular skill set; instead, we believe that the mind-set
or attitude a teacher has about inclusion is the most important element of successful
inclusion. Jorgensen (2018) defines inclusive education as school communities in
which all students are presumed competent, are welcomed as valued members in
the class, fully participate and learn alongside their same age peers and experience
reciprocal social relationships. These are all seen as an integral part of successfully
planning for and including all children into outdoor learning spaces.
Hopper (2017) recognises that there are many challenges facing teachers when
considering issues associated with inclusion, planning, differentiation, and assess-
ment. However, he describes how those teachers who plan for these challenges and

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take their lessons into the outdoors frequently find both their teaching and the chil-
dren’s learning greatly enriched.
Other researchers have investigated outdoor learning and reached similar conclu-
sions. Lloyd (2018), in her study of outdoor learning in a primary school setting, dis-
covered that children who found the indoor classroom challenging, for the most part
excelled outdoors. Furthermore, the results indicated that learning outside the class-
room was beneficial to the children’s overall curriculum learning. Guardino, Hall,
Largo-Wight and Hubbuch (2019) reported on a research project which explored the
perceptions of kindergarten teachers and their students’ of teaching and learning in
a traditional indoor classroom compared to a newly constructed outdoor classroom.
Analysis revealed that the children with disabilities were less distracted and more on-
task when working in the outdoor classroom (p. 113). Beames, Christie and Black-
well (2017) highlighted through a particular case study how the nature of outdoor
learning, offering hands-on and interactive learning experiences, often breaks down
barriers for individuals who find the constraint of an indoor environment a challenge.
A study by Dahl, Standal and Moe (2018) on Norwegian teachers’ safety strategies
for Friluftsliv excursions described how some teachers adapted their teaching to
include all pupils, irrespective of differences and abilities, by using simpler forms of
natural contexts and local places in their teaching practices, and trying to include a
variety of skills, equipment and experiences.
Such changes in practice could be framed in a Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) context. There has been little research connecting UDL and outdoor learn-
ing. Harte (2013) and Heugen (2019) have described using the UDL framework in
early years settings. Importantly, Heugen suggests that “bringing together the UDL
framework with research-based principles for implementing nature-based outdoor
classrooms helps us move much closer to supporting children of all abilities to be a
part of things – and thrive – outdoors” (p. 12). It is the connection between UDL and
outdoor learning that sits at the heart of this paper.
The UDL framework is defined as a tool to maximize the teaching and learning
process for all students (Center for Applied Special Technology [CAST], 2018). UDL
is a set of principles for curriculum development and implementation that give all
individuals equal opportunities to learn. It aims to improve the educational experi-
ence and outcomes for all students by introducing more flexible methods of teaching,
assessment and service provision to cater for the diversity of learners in classrooms.
This approach is underpinned by research in the field of neuroscience (CAST, 2018).
The universal design approach originated in the United States in the 1960s after
the passing of the federal law Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. This law required
universal access to buildings that were federally funded (Story, Mueller and Mace,
1998). In the 1980s the universal design approach was applied to education as UDL.
At this time its application to the physical education context was still relatively new
(CAST, 2018). In the time since UDL was applied to physical education specifi-
cally in the late 2000s, relatively little has been done in translating this knowledge to
teacher practitioners in physical education and other more dynamic movement fields
until recently (Lieberman, Grenier, Brian and Arndt, 2020). Previous UDL physical
education articles have included strategies for general recommendations and ratio-
nale (Lieberman, 2017; Lieberman, Lytle and Clarcq 2008), community sports pro-

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grams (Sherlock-Shangraw, 2013), severe disabilities in general physical education

(Grenier, Miller and Black, 2017), early childhood motor skill (Taunton, Brian and
True, 2017), and specific sports or activities (Grenier, Fitch and Young, 2018; Ludwa
and Lieberman, 2019). This article expands the literature base for outdoor learning
spaces.
A noticeable difference in the UDL approach compared to traditional models of
“one size fits all” teaching is that variations in the curriculum are implemented in
the lesson plan in advance and offered as a choice for all students instead of an after-
thought (Lieberman, Lytle and Clarcq, 2008). The main purpose of this approach is
to support the delivery of a curriculum that is completely accessible, meaningful,
and a naturally challenging learning experience that meets the needs of every student
(CAST, 2018).
There has been huge development in the theory and practice of UDL, since its
inception in the 1990s. Over the last fifteen years, CAST and other researchers have
expanded and developed the conceptual framing of UDL, reflecting significant devel-
opments in neuroscience, technology and the dynamic classroom experience. The
three core principles remain the same and articulate the basic UDL premise that “to
provide equitable opportunities to reach high standards across variable students in

Fig. 1  CAST 2018 Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udl-
guidelines.cast.org

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our schools, educators must provide” (Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014, p. 51) three
things:
Multiple means of engagement to support affective learning (i.e., why we learn),
multiple means of representation to support the ways in which we assign meaning
to what we see and recognise (i.e., what we learn), multiple means of action and
expression to support strategic ways of learning (i.e., how we learn). (Meyer, Rose
and Gordon, 2014, p. 51)
Through collaboration with contributors to the field, CAST has expanded the three
principles by developing nine guidelines, each with multiple checkpoints offering
specific approaches to implementation. These checkpoints are researched and applied
in educational settings globally, allowing for continual refinement and enhancement
of the framework over time. These detailed guidelines and checkpoints offer teachers
an opportunity to effectively integrate the UDL principles into their teaching prac-
tices (see Fig. 1; CAST, 2018).
A key element in creating a universally designed learning environment lies in the
course and curriculum design process. It is of great importance to acknowledge that
this actually is a process. It includes the description of learning outcomes, fulfilment
of competence standards, implementation through teaching and learning activities,
and measurement through assessment methods. Equally important, this work is heav-
ily affected by demands of national curricula regulations.

The principles of UDL and their relationship with outdoor learning

A fundamental goal of UDL is to anticipate and redress barriers to learning, using

considered pedagogies to meet all learning needs and abilities through effective
design. Such barriers could be physical, cognitive, cultural, social, and/or emotional.
For the teacher planning outdoor learning, implementing effective instructional
plans, focused on engagement and using flexible materials in meaningful ways, gen-
erates an inclusive environment for all learners. Enacting this inclusive environment
in a meaningful and sustained way, is the real challenge for teachers. If pedagogy is
guided by ill-defined goals and equipped with only conventional instructional meth-
ods, using inaccessible resources, and inflexible ways of demonstrating knowledge
and understanding, the barriers to learning may be difficult to comprehend.
Accordingly, the UDL framework addresses the whole curriculum—goals, mate-
rials, methods, and assessments—to make it more accessible not only physically,
but also intellectually and emotionally for all learners (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose and
Jackson, 2002; Jackson and Harper, 2005). In specific application, UDL challenges
curriculum designers, teachers and assessors to, as Meyer, Rose and Gordon (2014)
describe it: (1) “define goals that provide appropriate challenges for all learners,
ensuring that the means is not a part of the goal” (p 71); (2) “use methods that are
flexible and diverse enough to support and challenge all learners” (p. 78); (3) “incor-
porate materials that are flexible and varied and take advantage of the digital media”
(p. 81); and (4) “implement assessment techniques that are sufficiently flexible to
provide ongoing, accurate information to inform instruction and determine student
understanding and knowledge” (p. 74).

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Rose and Gravel (2010) advocate for teachers to integrate the three core principles
of UDL into their instruction and assessment practices that are based on three inter-
related types of brain networks (i.e., affective, recognition, and strategic networks).
Deliberate planning of teaching, learning and assessment through these three brain
networks provides a framework for planning instruction for all learners, not just those
with disabilities or additional learning needs (Hall, Meyer and Rose, 2012).

UDL core principle 1: multiple means of engagement

The ultimate goal of applying the UDL framework is to enable learners to become
experts (CAST, 2018). Arguably, a prerequisite for developing expertise is the
engaged learner. Engagement can be fostered through designing a curriculum with
built-in options for the learner to navigate the appropriate level of challenge and sup-
port. The UDL framework considers a learning environment that is flexible enough to
account for learner variability; meeting the specific needs of every learner. To address
varied learner capabilities and needs, multiple and flexible options for engagement in
the learning process are used to support affective learning. Teachers planning outdoor
learning can design, deliver and evaluate lessons that involve creating interest and
offer learning opportunities that motivate and stimulate learners according to their
personal backgrounds and interests.
Providing options for multiple means of engagement requires developing interest,
purpose, challenge, motivation, and strong self-regulation as a learner. What UDL
researchers call “self-regulation” is the ability to set motivating goals; to sustain effort
toward meeting those goals; and to monitor the balance between internal resources
and external demands, seeking help or adjusting one’s own expectations and strate-
gies as needed (Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014, p.` 53). In practice, three broad types
of options emerge: options for recruiting student interest, options for sustaining effort
and persistence, and options for developing the ability to self-regulate (CAST, 2018).
For the teacher planning outdoor learning, it is crucial to design learning opportu-
nities that offer engagement so each student can find a way “into” the learning experi-
ence, remain persistent in the face of challenge or failure, and continue to construct
knowledge. As teachers, we can evaluate and differentiate our learner’s engagement
in the outdoor learning environment. Some learners may find comfort in a new out-
door space and be highly engaged by the novel experience; others could be intimi-
dated, feeling out of place, preferring the predictable routine and structure of the
indoor classroom. Here Jorgensen’s (2018) point about reciprocal social relationships
as a core element of inclusive education is important and strongly align with check-
point 8.3: foster collaboration and inclusion. Reciprocal social relationships mean
that all members of a group are seen as valuable and with skills to share (Jorgensen,
2018). Sometimes in inclusive settings, the dynamic becomes one of “helping” the
person with a disability. In that dynamic, the helper/helped roles can be limiting, for
both the identified “helper” – typically the student without a label – and the “helped”
– typically the student with a label. Both students are set up to see the relationship
as an unequal one. Instead, framing all relationships as reciprocal supports equitable
connections. Building in reciprocity supports an inclusive mind-set in which all are

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equal members. This can be achieved in the outdoor contexts by encouraging and
supporting opportunities for peer interactions and supporting and constructing com-
munities of learners engaged in common activities or interests (CAST 2018) as evi-
denced in both vignettes shared later in the paper.
Providing options to sustain interest and promote engagement in outdoor learning
demands corresponding flexibility in the learning context if each student is to experi-
ence an inviting, appropriately challenging, and supportive learning environment. A
universally designed outdoor learning environment that is centred around specific
content goals can capitalise on the built-in range of options in order to calibrate com-
prehension for each student. Of course, nothing can be truly universal. Flexibility
offered in any given lesson cannot address every type of variability; rather it should
be specific to the particular goal of a lesson. Prompts for the teacher taking learning
outside the classroom to consider, in order to provide multiple means of engagement,
include:

● How does this lesson spark my students’ excitement and curiosity for learning and
understanding their environment through direct engagement? (recruiting interest)
● How does this lesson tackle potential challenges with focus and determination?
(effort and persistence)
● How does this lesson harness the power of my students’ emotions and motivation
in learning? (self-regulation)

UDL core principle 2: multiple means of representation

To plan for and address inclusion in the outdoor learning environment, multiple and
flexible methods of presenting information are used to support recognition of learn-
ing. Providing instructions, concepts and content through multiple methods such as
discussion, readings, digital texts, and multimodal presentations can account for var-
ied learner capabilities and needs. The teacher planning outdoor learning can pres-
ent learning materials through a variety of media (visual, auditory, or tactile), and
provide multiple examples that can be modified in complexity to reach every learner
in the class. This supports Jorgensen’s (2018) core element of presuming compe-
tence. In the absence of conclusive data, educational decisions ought to be based on
assumptions which, if incorrect, will have the least dangerous effect on the likelihood
that students will be able to function independently as adults (Donnellan, 1984). If
the assumption is that a child has a disability that prevents him or her from showing
what they have learned but they are able to learn and benefit from instruction, profes-
sionals may give her opportunities to learn new skills. That is far less dangerous than
denying a child access to academic and social opportunity and discovering later that
she can learn but was not given opportunities to learn because she was perceived to
be incapable (Jorgensen, 2018). It is essential for an inclusive learning environment
that all children have the capacity to think, learn and understand and it is up to the
teacher and other adults to have the right support and systems in place to help them
succeed. This is evidenced in multiple ways in the vignettes which follow by con-

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necting with various checkpoints, including through offering alternatives for auditory
(1.2) and visual information (1.3), clarifying syntax and structure (2.2) and highlight-
ing big ideas (3.2) (CAST 2018).
To become an expert learner, students must be afforded the opportunity to con-
struct knowledge by perceiving information in their environment, observing patterns,
understanding and integrating new information. For this to be achieved, learners
interpret and manipulate a wide variety of symbolic representations of knowledge,
and develop fluency in the skills for curating and recalling that information. Learn-
ers’ ability to perceive, interpret, and understand this knowledge is reliant upon the
media and methods through which it is presented to them. For the outdoor learning
environment to support learners in all of these recognition processes, three broad
kinds of options for representation are needed: options for perception; options for
language, mathematical expressions, and symbols; and options for comprehension
(Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014).
The use of media, particularly printed materials, provides one example to explore
the benefits of providing multiple means of representation to all learners in our
classes. Individuals with sensory disabilities (e.g., blindness) or learning disabilities
(e.g., dyslexia) may require different representations of information in order to access
and comprehend its content. In this instance, the medium is a barrier to learning
for the student with varied needs. Providing multi-modal/multi-media content sup-
ports those who absolutely require it, while also offering a rich cognitive learning
environment for all learners to explore the content from multiple points of view for
example tactile maps or a readily available glossary, as illustrated in the vignettes
which follow.
Contextual, local knowledge may cause a barrier, in the absence of appropriate
scaffolding, for the student who doesn’t comprehend local tacit knowledge shared by
most others in her class (Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014, p. 54). For the teacher plan-
ning outdoor learning and embedding UDL in practice, it is important to recognise
that learners in their contexts vary systematically and widely in all dimensions. Our
students come from an increasingly diverse population whose knowledge of vocabu-
lary, ability to decode symbols, comprehension of the structure of languages, and
their familiarity with multiple languages is wide ranging. However, this variability
is context-bound; and it emerges in interactions between learners and the learning
environment over time (Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014, p. 54). To promote under-
standing of information, concepts, relationships, and ideas, it is critical for outdoor
learning educators to provide multiple ways for learners to access them. Prompts
for the teacher taking learning outside the classroom to consider in order to provide
multiple means of representation include:

● How are my students able to interact using multiple senses with the outdoor envi-
ronment? (perception)
● How are my students able to participate regardless of their background knowl-
edge or understanding of language, text, or symbols? (language and symbols)
● How are my students able to construct meaning and generate new understanding
of information? (comprehension)

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UDL core principle 3: multiple means of action and expression

The third principle in the UDL framework is concerned with supporting strategic
ways of learning (i.e., how we learn). Affording opportunities for students to demon-
strate their understanding in multiple ways, addresses varied capabilities and allows
the learner to practice tasks with different levels of support and to demonstrate their
knowledge and skills in a range of ways. Employing multiple means of action and
expression, the teacher planning outdoor learning can support the development of
expertise in executive functions such as: goal setting, self-monitoring, strategy devel-
opment, and managing information and resources. Again, Jorgensen’s core element
of presuming competence comes into play here by optimising access to tools and
assistive technologies (checkpoint 4.2) to support children to success as seen in both
vignettes shared in the next section.
Expert learners are provided with support to set appropriate, realistic goals and
are empowered to monitor their progress. This involves setting a goal at an appro-
priate level of difficulty and being flexible with strategies (i.e., adapting an alter-
native approach when needed). Primary school learners may not comprehend what
is required in being an expert, so they might approach learning outdoors through
trial and error, persevering with an unproductive strategy or trying various other
approaches that might be “off track.” Students who have difficulty with organising
and planning, or who have never been taught those strategies, may not even know
that goal setting is an option. For learners who don’t receive effective guidance and
feedback, they have little comprehension of success or failure. It is imperative to pro-
vide students with models and examples and to offer guides and supports for setting
and pursuing goals. Prompts for the teacher taking learning outside the classroom to
consider in order to provide multiple means of action and expression can include:

● Does my lesson have accessible materials and tools for students to interact with
in the outdoor space? (physical action)
● Are there multiple ways for my students to construct, communicate, and share
ideas in a way that works for them? (expression and communication)
● How does the outdoor learning environment lesson provide support for my stu-
dents to plan and get the most out of the lesson? (executive functions)

Two vignettes

In the following vignettes, example activities from the USA and Ireland are offered
both to exemplify the application of the UDL framework to lessons and units of work
and to further demonstrate the potential for rich integrated, connected and inclusive
curricular learning through a pedagogy of outdoor learning. Where specific actions
support the UDL checkpoint (as per Fig. 1), these are noted.

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Vignette 1: Universal design for learning applied to a geocaching context

Sari and Ibrahim are in fourth grade and their class is going to do a geocaching unit.
Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global
Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques
to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches,” at specific locations
marked by coordinates. Sari has cerebral palsy and she uses a walker. Ibrahim just
immigrated from Syria and he has limited English vocabulary but follows directions
well with gestures. The evident barriers for Sari are walking on the grass as well as
holding the GPS while walking. The barriers for Ibrahim are his limited vocabulary
and comprehension of the directions from the GPS. They are very excited to join their
class for this new unit with their friends. The teacher wants to ensure that everyone is
included in every part of the program. Mrs. Tully is the teacher for this unit and will
be applying the UDL framework to this unit.
For her multiple means of action and expression, Mrs. Tully pairs up the students
so they have a partner (5.3; 8.3). She found a phone holder for the GPS to hook onto
Sari’s walker (4.1), and Sari could choose that strategy and/or have her partner hold
the GPS (7.1). Mrs. Tully sets a clear goal for them, which was to reach 3–4 caches
during each class period (6.1). Mrs. Tully provides feedback during the lesson and
helps Sari to navigate the smoothest path to the caches on the first lesson so she can
experience success.
For multiple means of engagement, she finds out that most of her students really
love the movies Frozen II, Star Wars, and the musician Justin Bieber. Her geocache
objects relate to these three interests of her students (7.2). This is a great motivator
for them to stay focused on the eight caches that are out there. She ensures that the
geocaches she picks are on even grass surfaces or off a dirt road for easy access (7.3).
Mrs. Tully also has her students who have smart watches and activity trackers track
the distances they walk during class to help motivate them to be active during the
activity. This additional motivation helps them keep moving throughout the lesson.
Lastly, for multiple means of representation she instructs using visual instructions
as well as visual maps and auditory cues with little terminology in between (1.2) and
asking each student to describe how to get to each cache (5.1; 6.2). This ensured that
each student knew their process and GPS coordinates for each cache. With partners
every student met their goals and enjoyed their geocaching unit.

Vignette 2: Universal design for learning applied to a science lesson focussed on

environmental awareness and care

Mr. Smith is a second grade teacher in a large urban school in Dublin. He plans a
series of lessons to enable the children to identify and help to implement simple
strategies for protecting, conserving and enhancing the environment in line with the
science curriculum (DES/NCCA, 1999). Tariq is an asylum seeker, who has been liv-
ing in Direct Provision housing for over two years, with limited access to play spaces
and lack of opportunity for social and extra-curricular activities. He has also been
exposed to racism outside of school. Mary is autistic and struggles particularly with
verbal and non-verbal communication with her peers and changes in routine. When

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her routine is not consistent she may shut down and has occasionally had a tantrum
during class. She has a strong interest in music. The evident barriers for Mary are her
difficulties with peer communication during group activities and the change in rou-
tine by taking learning outside the classroom. The evident barriers for Tariq are the
potential for him to feel unsafe in the public park, and his lack of experience of play
spaces, particularly with peers.
Mr. Smith did some work with his class in a previous lesson on developing an
enquiry focus that was relevant and of interest to them (7.2), then this next lesson is
focussed on “how can our local park be improved to make it better for us?” Before
going outside, Mr. Smith shows a map on the interactive whiteboard of the route they
will take to the park (1.2) and orally describes how they will get there and back (1.3;
2.5). He uses the main cues for the lesson in a short rhyming song to engage Mary and
her classmates (3.4). He then shows a map of the park and highlights the area they
will be working in and where to sit when they get to the park (1.2; 7.3). He explains
the key features of the map, specifically the map key in everyday language (2.2; 2.4).
He explains that they will be walking in pairs with their “buddy” (7.3) and each pair
has a map with the key features they will be considering. Finally, he reminds them of
what the focus of the lesson is and supports recall of specific vocabulary from previ-
ous lessons (2.1; 3.3). On arrival Mr. Smith uses a picture exchange communication
(PECS) Board with Mary to show her the symbols for walking, playground, gardens,
and a bench (2.1). He then starts class by walking the children around the perimeter
of where they will be working (1.3; 7.3) and then gives them time to explore this area
which includes a small wooded area, some flower beds and a playground (7.1). Walk-
ing around the perimeter serves two purposes, both of which support safety: to set the
boundary and to further familiarise the children with the space they will be working
in. This also helps Mary understand the space in which she is expected to work and
minimises the threat of the public space for Tariq (7.3).
In addition to the above, for multiple means of representation, Mr. Smith explains
orally to the children that they have 20 min to investigate how the park could be made
better for them. He provides visual cue cards around the different themes with key
questions on them (1.2; 2.4; 3.2). He also has maps for the children of the space with
key features highlighted to aid their thinking (2.5).
In addition to the earlier ones identified, for multiple means of engagement, the
children choose who they work with and in what size group and through collabora-
tion choose their particular focus: litter or play spaces (7.1; 7.2; 8.3). Mr. Smith has
prepared some simple worksheets with key words with accompanying visuals on
them to guide the children’s investigations should they want them (8.2). Before they
embark on their investigation, he asks them to restate the purpose of the investigation
(8.1). The children are given independence and time to explore the area allowing for
child led learning (7.1; 8.3).
For multiple means of action and expression, he has provided clipboards and
colouring pencils, hand held video cameras and magnifying glasses to offer choice
in how the children engage and respond to the park environment (4.1; 5.1; 7.1). Mr.
Smith has several timers for children who would like to know how much time they
have left in their lesson (6.4). He allows them to answer his guiding questions in mul-
tiple ways such as drawings, videos, description, or verbal explanation.

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Tariq spends most of his time running around and exploring the space with two of
his classmates. He talks with them about the games he played in Karachi. Mary and
her buddy find some quiet space, and having collected some sticks and small stones
in the wooded area, Mary begins to explore the different sounds they make.
Mr. Smith finishes the lesson by inviting children to share, through visual, oral,
tactile or technological means, one thing they would like to see changed in their park
(5.1). Mary shares her picture of a big wooden xylophone. Tariq acts out playing
football and says that there is not enough space to play football! Mr. Smith then asks
the children to reflect on one thing they liked about the lesson and one thing they
found difficult, with choice in how they capture this (6.4; 9.3).
In the next lesson, children are given a choice of how to demonstrate their learning
from the previous lesson catering for multiple means of action and expression (5.1;
5.2) to highlight key issues in response to their enquiry (5.3).

Conclusions

This article has demonstrated the potential for an integrated, connected, and inclu-
sive curriculum through outdoor learning. Offering students the opportunity to learn
through authentic, local outdoor contexts supports experiential learning and effec-
tively develops curriculum learning. Furthermore, in the context of increasing diver-
sity in our schools, this article has uniquely demonstrated the application of UDL
principles for inclusion in outdoor learning. A strong case has been argued for the
use of UDL principles for inclusion when planning for outdoor learning to support all
learners to thrive and succeed.
This article concludes with a call to action for outdoor learning enthusiasts, educa-
tors and practitioners. There is a gap in the research and practice literature around the
use of UDL in outdoor learning contexts, indeed, more generally, research into UDL
as a practice is just beginning (University of California Berkeley, 2022). This is a
potentially rich theme which needs further research evidence and stories from prac-
tice to determine its real potential as a tool for inclusion for all learners. Barriers to
the implementation of UDL, as identified by Katz (2015), include the need for profes-
sional learning communities. A community of practice would add significantly to the
existing knowledge and understanding and could open up opportunities for profes-
sional learning for those working in outdoor learning and education settings as well
as for initial and continuing teacher professional development. The Self-Study of
Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) special interest group with the American Edu-
cational Research Association (AERA) offers a model from which such a community
of practice could learn. This approach to professional learning has been successful
across a wide range of disciplines and interest areas, including a self-study project
focused on Meaningful Physical Education (MPE) which offers a useful insight into
this process (Ní Chróinín, Beni, Fletcher, Griffin and Price, 2019).
Inclusion is an ever-present and evolving principle, as our societies and cultures
go through rapid change. UDL might be one approach to ensure that all learners in
schools can benefit from and enjoy full participation in outdoor learning to meet cur-
riculum goals.

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13 (2022) 25:75–89 Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 87

Funding  Open Access funding provided by the IReL Consortium

Conflict of interest  On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of
interest.

Open Access  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,
which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long
as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative
Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this
article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use
is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission
directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/.

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15 (2022) 25:75–89 Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 89

Publisher’s Note  Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps
and institutional affiliations.

Orla Kelly  Associate Professor Orla Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Social, Environmental and Scientific
Education in the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies at Dublin City University
Institute of Education, Room C401, St Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra.

Authors and Affiliations

Orla  Kelly1 · Karen  Buckley2 · Lauren J.  Lieberman3 · Katrina  Arndt4

Orla Kelly
orla.kelly@dcu.ie

1
School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, Institute of Education, Dublin
City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
2
School of Inclusive and Special Education, Institute of Education, Dublin City University,
Dublin 9, Ireland
3
Department of Kinesiology, Sports Studies, & Physical Education, The College at
Brockport, State University of New York, New York, United States
4
Inclusive Education, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, United States

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