When considering whether and how you could offer choice around modality, start with a few key questions:

Am I relying predominantly on one modality and what is it?

Often, the modality we rely upon for learning content is reading: reading textbooks, articles, instructions from the learning management system, notes from the instructor, and the syllabus. Instructors will often design in the modality that they prefer to work in and since reading is historically the dominant modality for learning content, it is a powerful default. In fact, it can be uncomfortable to start designing for content acquisition in alternate modalities. Where we are accustomed to collecting books and readings to assign, we have to start to move to collecting videos, activities, and experiences.

What would the second modality be?

For anything that students are reading, a good second choice could be the ability to listen. This can be achieved through text-to-speech software, often built into the LMS and online versions of textbooks. An alternative is to directly record yourself giving instructions, reading passages aloud, or making commentary. If you are ready to push your UDL practice further you can design for works of art, portfolios, simulations, or interviews. As you stretch your design, be sure to find other UDL innovators who can help advance learning through alternate modalities.

Can I pair one modality with another for both learning the content and expressing knowledge of the content?

A classic pairing, like wine and cheese, is reading to acquire information and writing to express learning. If you approach design like wine and cheese, you could add constructing an infographic, creating a video reflection, or developing novel video demonstrations of content. Multi-modal learning has been shown to be effective (CAST, 2018b) so the more you can pair modalities, the richer the outcomes.