The AI-UDL Magic

Universal Design for Learning by CAST.ORG

The amazing cast.org has developed a wonderful framework for ensuring that all students have access to rigorous content through lesson and curricular design, as opposed to after-the-fact accommodations and reteaching. In 2017, I wrote a blog post that shares the quintessential explanatory images: from adding a ramp to designing the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim was constructed with access in mind!

The UDL Learning Guidelines

Take a look at this image . . . a screenshot of the cast.org website as of August 2025 (if you are reading this in the future, head to the website for any updates; this is not static information).

OK, I’m a little bit of a snob, I admit. I’m an innovator and I work hard to develop ideas and strategies that are out-of-the box. So I’m very hard on authors, designers, and innovators — I want the wow! I have to say, this is BRILLIANT. I remember when it was first released (2008). I looked to see how well-aligned it was with my work in designing Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classrooms, and it was spot on! And it continues to evolve with the times. So to me, this is a must-have reference on every teacher’s desk!

Enter AI

That being said, designing lessons can feel daunting to teachers. Enter artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots! There are so many: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, to name a few. They will help any teacher design a lesson or unit in minutes.

Here’s a sample conversation! (Remember, you ask Google a question; you have a conversation with an AI chatbot!) First, I downloaded a PDF of the UDL framework and uploaded that to ChatGPT; I also provided the URL for the website. The more ChatGPT knows in advance, the better. I’ve uploaded my books, led it to my blogs, etc., so as we chat, our conversation is aligned with my philosophy. OK, so here we go:

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Our conversation continued, and once we arrived at a lesson plan I liked, it offered to create a student worksheet for one of the activities. Sure! And, with a few tweaks from me, ta da! One of the tweaks was the addition examples, which Chat was trying to create in Word. So I simply asked if it would make them as images I could insert, and that’s where we landed!

The Easiest Lesson Planning You’ll Ever Do

This entire process took about five minutes.

The point is, if you’re trying to embrace the UDL framework in your curriculum or lessons, use an AI chatbot as a thought partner. It’s magic!

Review the framework and decide where you feel you want to improve. Just get your AI chatbot talking about that aspect, in light of your course content. Upload your curriculum, standards, lesson plan, or whatever else might help it understand. Treat it as if it’s a wonderful thought partner who arrived to help you work out some kinks.

Warning! Chatbots Can Make Mistakes

Here’s the challenge, though. AI chatbots make mistakes — don’t ask me why! So review everything to make sure it makes sense. If you are offered quotes or references, check them out. (I had it make up and attribute a wonderful quote — but the person never actually said that!) So check its work!

I even ask it to check its own work. The other day, it gave me a list of inventors and the high schools they attended. I then asked it to review the list and confirm accuracy. Oops! It couldn’t confirm two of the statements.

Still, It’s Magic!

So while AI can be an amazing planning partner that will save you hours and hours of planning time, it’s not infallible! But it is magic!

School leaders: Allocate time in a faculty meeting or on a PD day for teachers to use an AI chatbot to build more of the UDL framework into their lessons. Have them share some of the best questions and responses they offered to the chatbot to really get it aligned with what they needed. Everyone today needs to learn how to have a conversation with an AI chatbot!

Note: This blog post was written by a human being, much to the chagrin of my chatbot. ChatGPT appears as itself in the above conversation re-creation.