PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS AND METHODOLOGY FOR TEACHING COMPUTER SCIENCE IN AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM BASED ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL): ACCESSIBLE PRACTICAL TASKS, DIFFERENTIATION, AND ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES

Abstract

The article examines the pedagogical conditions and methodology for teaching computer science in an inclusive classroom through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (Universal Design for Learning, UDL) as an evidence-based approach to ensuring equal access to content, learning activities, and assessment. The relevance of the study is driven by the growing diversity of learners’ educational needs, the necessity to remove barriers in learning computer science (high cognitive load, demands for abstract thinking, the pace of information processing, and the specific nature of practical work), and the need for standardized yet flexible methodological solutions for inclusive educational settings. The focus is placed on identifying and systematizing the pedagogical conditions for effective UDL implementation in computer science education: teachers’ readiness to design accessible tasks and learning resources; the organization of a supportive learning environment (physical, digital, and communicative accessibility); the application of differentiation by content, process, and product; ensuring multimodal presentation of learning information and alternative ways for students to demonstrate outcomes; fostering self-regulation, learner autonomy, and motivation; and partnership-based collaboration among the teacher, teaching assistant, support specialists, and parents within the student’s individual learning trajectory. The methodological dimension is considered through the design of computer science practical work (algorithmic thinking, programming, data handling, and digital safety) as accessible learning tasks that provide multiple entry points, a sequence of micro-steps, clear instructions, examples and scaffolds, and opportunities to choose tools and levels of difficulty. The study substantiates the appropriateness of using digital accessibility supports (templates, visual cues, screencasts, adaptive instruction formats, and alternative formats for presenting and completing tasks) in combination with pedagogical support strategies (cooperative learning, collaborative learning, peer tutoring, and guided practice).