Conceptual Confusion: UDL vs Differentiation

One of the most significant challenges to UDL implementation in Ireland is the widespread conflation of UDL with differentiation, and the interchangeable use of 'Universal Design for Learning,' 'Universal Design,' and 'universal' in policy documents and professional discourse. This confusion is not merely semantic: it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what UDL is and how it differs from existing practice. The NCSE itself acknowledged this problem in its 2024 Policy Advice Paper, noting that corrections were made to an earlier version to address the incorrect use of UDL terminology.