CAST eBooks

Just finished checking out the universally designed CAST ebooks...very cool! The first “UDL feature” I noticed as I began to explore the CAST book selection was the “Select a Level” box that pops up on the right side of your screen as soon as you select a book. The choices range from Maximum Support (‘Stop and Think’ prompts are given in multiple choice format, critical features are highlighted, models and hints are available, immediate feedback is given for responses) to Minimal Support (‘Stop and Think’ prompts in given in open response format, students are guided to highlight key elements in the text themselves). This page also offers a brief description of the book you have chosen and then offers readers the option of accessing further information (in multimedia formats) on various topics (such as more about the author) through embedded links that can be followed by clicking the buttons to the right of the description that look like plus signs.
Once you have clicked on the “Start Reading” button at the bottom of the page, the first section of text appears. At the top right of the screen is a toolbar that allows you to highlight text, translate words into Spanish, or highlight sections of the text and then perform a Google search on them. You can also have the text read aloud by clicking on the text-to-speech option. At the top of the page the user can click on buttons offering Strategy Support (i.e. predicting, summarizing), a button called Author’s Craft which helps explain the use of literary devices, a Glossary button, a Resource button, and a general Help button that offers help navigating the CAST website and using its features.
Within the actual text, certain words are underlined and allow the reader to click on them to view a definition of the word. There is also a symbol of pencil and paper that follows certain sentences that contain literary devices; the reader can click on this symbol to see an explanation of the literary device. To the right of the text, there are symbols that look like thought bubbles and symbols that look like plus signs. The thought bubble icons are the ‘Stop and Think’ questions. The reader can click on them and attempt to answer the question which is presented in different formats depending on the level of support you have selected. The questions are designed to help the reader stop and check for their understanding of what they have read. The user can click on the “Show” button at the bottom of the question to reveal what sections of the text will lead them to the correct answer (sections become highlighted in orange). Clicking on the plus sign icons again provides links to further information on certain topics. If the page contains an image, the reader can also click on what looks like a blue lower-case “d” to read a description or explanation of the image. At the end of the selected book, the user is presented with several enrichment activity options that require the reader to think about what they have read in different ways; this page can be printed out and could be used as a worksheet or homework assignment.
Overall I think the CAST books seem like a great example of UDL. They are easy to use and offer flexible options in terms of level of support and mode of presentation (i.e. the text-to-speech option). They provide an alternative means of completing schoolwork and participating in classroom activities and can be used to explore individual interests and practice using the internet to access information. They also provide opportunities to practice basic academic skills (such as reading fluency) in addition to critical thinking and problem solving through the ‘Stop and Think’ questions and enrichment activities.