One size does not fit all.
Most Cegeps are designed to suit a so-called “average” student. They don’t take into account the diversity of learning styles and learning skills of their students.
At Centennial, it’s quite the opposite. We shape our school to fit the diverse needs of all of our students.
We are early adopters of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a scientifically-driven educational framework that addresses the main barrier to learning: an inflexible, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. UDL is becoming the norm in many universities and schools across North America, including Montreal’s very own McGill University.
UDL ensures that all types of learners can learn and puts every student on a level playing field. How? By removing obstacles that might get in the way of learning. UDL recognizes that people absorb information in different ways, express information in different ways, and are engaged and challenged in different ways. Therefore, to optimize learning, UDL requires the use of multiple means of:
- Representation: teachers present course material in many different ways (audio, visual, etc.);
- Expression: students may express and their knowledge in different formats (written, oral, etc.);
- Engagement: teachers use different techniques to engage, interest and challenge students.
In other words, through UDL, we help you discover how you learn best, how you work best, and how you study best – so you can create your own pathway to academic success.