1.7 Applying UDL Principles to Course Design
Challenge
Now that you have learned all about the three principles of UDL, try the following short quiz to review these concepts.
At the end of this first chapter, you should now be familiar with the 3 parts of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and should be ready to start deliberately applying it to course design, recognizing the variability of student needs. This will help you create equitable, inclusive, and accessible learning environments that accommodate a diverse range of abilities and backgrounds, promoting engagement and participation for all students. Integrating UDL elements from the outset in curriculum, program, and/or course design (or redesign) is ideal because it allows you to consider the needs of your learners and yourself while prioritizing inclusion, equity, diversity, and access.
As you get ready to integrate the three principles of UDL with your course design, it’s important to remember that UDL means putting student needs at the centre and recognizing that these needs will differ between students and even within students in predictable ways. Explained by CAST‘s co-founder David Rose, applying the UDL principles to course design is like packing for a trip and considering the different types of weather and activities you’re likely to encounter. If you know you’re in for a few rainy days, best to throw in a jacket and some pants, along with the swimsuit and sunscreen. UDL just provides a system for approaching these predictable scenarios by “packing” the course with three kinds of options before you embark.
Remember also not to feel overwhelmed; choose approaches that work best for you and your learners, recognizing that even small adjustments can have a meaningful impact. If you have limited time to devote to preparation and implementation of UDL, you could look for strategies that require a lower time investment. Other times, you could invest more time in strategies with the potential for a huge benefit for all learners. Keep in mind the general philosophical approach of this book – that even taking “1 small step” towards incorporating UDL principles into your course will improve the learning experience and have a positive impact upon your students, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Connecting UDL Principles and EDI Principles
The connection between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in higher education has become significant, given the 2024 updates by CAST:
- Equity-Focused Updates: emphasis on addressing systemic barriers to equitable learning opportunities
- Inclusive Practices: consideration of the identities and strengths of all learners with expansion of guidelines to emphasize belonging, joy, and play in learning environments
- Community-Driven Process: feedback from educators, researchers, and community members indicated guidelines need to reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences
- Practical Application in Higher Education: UDL principles integrated into higher education potentially create more inclusive curricula and assessment methods to accommodate diverse needs of students, promoting more equitable learning environments
The integration of UDL principles with EDI principles aims to create learning environments that honour and value every learner to make education more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
🔎 USask Lens: The EDI Flower
At the University of Saskatchewan, the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL) created a resource, the EDI Flower, designed to enrich educators’ understanding and application of EDI principles. The flower suggests strategies for incorporating EDI principles into instruction and assessment which align with UDL principles by their very nature.
Use of the flower as a thinking tool can help educators choose an area of focus and then use a suggested pedagogical approach and specific strategy to implement a change.
- Figure 1-4: The EDI Flower. [Click to access a downloadable PDF]
The inner petals of the EDI Flower represent the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (CUTL) teaching competencies at USask. Surrounding them are the outer petals, embodying the foundational EDI principles and emphasizing respect for the diverse identities in classrooms.The green leaves symbolize six broad knowledge areas essential for educators embarking on their EDI journey:
- Positionality – Invites educators to consider their personal position in the classroom and the impact it has on educator-learner relationship, including power dynamics, hierarchical structures, learning choices, and intercultural competency.
- Relational Environment – Reflection on purposeful use of inclusive strategies supports an environment of belonging and authentic relationships. Educators can also consider the use of inclusive language that builds relationships.
- Dialogue – Striving for an ethical space, respectful of diverse worldviews, provides an opportunity for the free exchange of ideas and perspectives between and among students. An educator-learner relationship founded in reciprocity, allows for co-construction of learning.
- Designed to be Equitable – Inclusion and crediting Indigenous worldview by educators, models valuing different perspectives. Recognition of the dual history experienced by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and sharing this history across curriculum from multiple perspectives, addresses racism and prejudice. The learning and unlearning that accompanies anti-racist/anti-oppressive education confronts contemporary injustices.
- Success-oriented Assessment – Strength-based assessment enriches learning based on clearly communicated criteria and timely, constructive, feedback. Learners can be part of the assessment cycle and will grow when engaging in self and peer assessment. The deeper understanding of the assessment process supports learners and increases transparency.
- Inclusive Content (Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation (IDR) and EDI) – Learner diversity presents opportunity for educators to employ a range of instructional strategies designed to meet learning needs. Clear outcomes are reached through instructional strategies like chunking, sequencing, and scaffolding. A holistic approach to learning will work to maintain balance and meet the needs of diverse learners.
EDI Flower description adapted from Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Classroom, with permission from Darryl Isbister.
Case Studies in Applying UDL Principles
The purpose of this Case Study activity is for you to practice application of the concepts presented in this book. Select one of the following case studies for your reflection and recommendations. As you are analyzing the case, look for opportunities to incorporate UDL into the design and delivery of the learning. Offer your suggestions and recommendations on barriers you identify, based on what you have learned about UDL.
If you prefer to analyze a different course (like one of your own), choose this template instead:
When reviewing your case study, you may want to keep these questions in mind (taken from Meyer et al., 2014, pg. 112):
- Think about how learners will engage with the lesson:
- Does the lesson provide options that can help all learners regulate their own learning?
- Does the lesson provide options that help all learners sustain effort and motivation?
- Does the lesson provide options that engage and interest all learners?
- Think about how information is presented to learners:
- Does the information provide options that help all learners reach higher levels of comprehension and understanding?
- Does the information provide options that help all learners understand the symbols and expressions?
- Does the information provide options that help all learners perceive what needs to be learned?
- Think about how learners are expected to act strategically and express themselves:
- Does the activity provide options that help all students act strategically?
- Does the activity provide options that help all learners express themselves fluently?
- Does the activity provide options that help all learners physically respond?
Feedback from peers is a powerful development tool in the application of UDL strategies. You may want to share this activity with a colleague, co-worker, or other person from your professional network. Perhaps there are other members of your institution who would like to join with you in a UDL Learning Community?
Web Resources
As you are looking for additional ways to apply UDL principles in your course design, refer to the following resources for additional strategies and ideas that cater to diverse learning contexts and needs:
- UDL Guidelines from CAST. The interactive graphic organizer on this page links to additional information for each of the three Principles, with Guidelines underneath each Principle, and then is further broken down into Checkpoints for each of those Guidelines.
- ADLA (AI Learning Design Assistant). ALDA is a suite of course design applications, powered by GPT-4 API, that can assist educators in the creation of various course components. In particular, the “Course EDIA Activity Redesign Assistant” can aid in making learning experiences more equitable by identifying potential barriers in an existing learning activity, and making recommendations based on UDL principles and strategies for inclusive and accessible engagement. (Please note: ADLA is only available for USask educators with NSID login credentials).
Reflection: One Small Step
✅ Look back to your initial How Do I Teach? Checklist and ask yourself the following questions:
- What is one change I can make create a learning environment where a greater diversity of learners are challenged, excited and motivated about what they are learning?
- What is one change I can make to create a learning environment in which material and content are presented in ways that work for a greater diversity of learners?
- What is one change I can make create a learning environment in which a greater diversity of learners can express their comprehension in multiple ways?
A framework that guides the design of courses and learning environments to appeal to the largest number of learners.
Principles that inform accessible pedagogy and establish a framework for course planning and learning experiences. They are: 1. Design multiple means of engagement, 2. Design multiple means of representation, 3. Design multiple means of action and expression.
