Category: Universal Design for Learning

Applying UDL without knowing it

Seems you don’t have to know about UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in order to practice it. A study in the USA found that many instructors were applying UDL concepts without having actually heard of it. They call it serendipitous because it is accidentally beneficial.

Being able to take complex information and make it understandable is a key skill for instructors. The authors refer to this as sensemaking.

Image of a laptop computer in which an online learning lesson is taking place with a teacher standing in front of a chalkboard.

Instructors in higher education are often content matter experts but not trained in instructional design or inclusive practices. However, the researchers found that instructors were serendipitously implementing UDL without full knowledge of the framework.

The authors argue that this contradicts the belief that courses must be intentionally designed using UDL. They say this is explained with ‘sensemaking bridges’ of divergent viewpoints. This allows scholars to uphold both positions as well as supporting practitioners.

UDL and CAST

In the 1990s the nonprofit organisation CAST developed the UDL framework to account for learner diversity and variability. The three pillars are about multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement. The framework is one strategy that helps institutions carry out their commitment to accessibility.

To find out more about UDL, go to the Universal Design for Learning section of this website.

The title of the paper is, Signs of Serendipitous Universal Design for Learning in Online Courses.

From the abstract

Instructors in higher education are oftentimes content matter experts, but they may not have received training on instructional design or inclusive practices. However, instructors may serendipitously implement aspects of UDL without full knowledge of the framework.

This qualitative study used sensemaking theory to explore interview data from 33 online instructors with ten or more years of experience in online education.

First, analysis indicated that instructors used aspects of all three principles of UDL when designing and teaching their courses. Second, analysis found aspects of sensemaking—Noticing, Bracketing, Labeling, and Acting.

We suggest that sensemaking explains how instructors might incorporate parts of UDL into their course design without knowing about the framework. Further, we suggest that sensemaking could ease instructor transitions from serendipitously implementing strategies aligned with UDL to deliberately designing a course using a robust understanding of UDL as a framework.

Join the dots: universal design and UDL

Universal design, as a general concept across all aspects of design isn’t always connected to universal design for learning (UDL). The ‘average’ learner is a myth. Together, the learners previously labelled as in the minority are collectively the majority. That’s why we need to join the dots between universal design and UDL.

“Learners today are not a homogeneous group, instead they bring a variety of rich cultures, abilities, multiple and intersectional
identities, varied lived experiences, and educational backgrounds.”

A large and diverse group of small plastic cartoon characters placed around a dark greet star shape.

An opinion piece by Tracy Galvin discusses the role universal design and UDL in tertiary education. With financial pressures across the education sector globally, the answers aren’t simple. The focus is on profit making, the reduction in government funding and the shift toward competition, marketisation and privatisation of education. That means learners have become consumers.

Learners who cannot readily consume market model education services are more likely to be left out. However, inclusive education is a basic human right that aligns with the sustainable development goals. The updated CAST UDL Guidelines attempt to address critical barriers rooted in biases and systems of exclusion.

UDL Guidelines 3.0

Key themes in the CAST 2024 update are:

  • Making UDL part of other asset-based approaches to learning frameworks
  • Emphasising identity and intersectionality as part of diversity
  • Acknowledging individual and systemic biases as barriers to learning
  • Shifting from educator-centred to learner-centred language.
Graphic with wording essential updates and practical applications. Overarching changes.

This opinion piece aims to frame the changing nature of tertiary education by advocating a shared unified inclusive approach through a UD/UDL lens. Learning environments, staff development, structures, processes and technologies need an inclusive practice lens.

There will always be structural societal factors at play, but there’s an opportunity to move towards a shift to find a balance. The paradigms of capitalism and privatisation continue to dominate. A universal design approach can mitigate those extremes and bring them closer to a social model of education.

The title is, The two ends of the tertiary education spectrum: Can universal design and universal design for learning provide a unified enhancement approach across the sector?

From the abstract

Across institutions there are many inclusion allies, advocates, initiatives, strategies, policies and professional development supports. So why are so many learners leaving courses, not engaging, not attending and not seeing the value of education?

Is it the pendulum shift toward marketisation, commercialisation and privatisation? Learners are not seeing institutions as spaces and places of equity and justice any more. Do they see factories where money needs to cross hands? Where on this spectrum is the balance for enhancement? Could universal design and universal design for learning be at least the starting point?

The diversity of learners is due to international students, refugees, asylum seekers, neurodivergent learners, carers, and disabled learners. We know this variability exists with the increase in learners registered with the disability or wellbeing services.
While variability and diversity should be celebrated it requires adequate resources and funding.

University for all toolkit

Front cover of Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education. The concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been around for a long time. UDL is not a special type of teaching method for certain groups. The principles are applicable to teaching and learning across schools, universities and workplace training. A group in Ireland has devised a university-for-all toolkit to show how to do it.  The Toolkit is designed for university leaders, faculty members, and professional and administrative staff. By moving the focus away from deficits, universal design shifts the focus to proactive inclusive design. The aim of the guide is to show how Universal Design for Learning can transform institutions into inclusive learning places. Using examples of good practice from both national and international institutions, it brings together universal design expertise from around the world. The Toolkit includes self assessment activities and case studies. It covers institutional foundations such as leadership, approaches to access and inclusion and strategic planning. The four pillars of universal design for learning in higher education are explained in detail. Briefly they are:  Adults seated at tables in a classroom setting looking forward to the instructor at the front of the room. university for all.
  1. Learning, teaching and assessment, curriculum review.
  2. Student supports, services and social engagement, library services
  3. Physical campus and built environment, challenges and solutions
  4. Digital environment, websites, social media platforms
The title of the publication is, Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education.  Additional information about the online training program and how to make the training and the toolkit suited for other nations. The 2 minute video below provides an overview of the purpose of the Toolkit.   

Pillars of neurodiversity in learning

Claire O’Neill from the University College of Cork uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals to underpin her work on the ENGAGE Programme. SDG Goal 4 is about inclusive and equitable education to promote lifelong learning. She explains how she used it to design the Programme for neurodivergent adult learners.

Infographic showing the 4 pillars of neurodiversity. Neurodiversity occurs naturally. No neurotype is better than another. Neurodiversity operates like other dimensions of equality and diversity. There is a collective value and strength in diversity.

Image from the Engage Programme in the AHEAD journal.

The 4 Pillars of Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity occurs naturally. No neurotype is better than another. Neurodiversity operates like other dimensions of equality and diversity. There is a collective value and strength in diversity.

The Programme is influenced by the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Briefly, they are about providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. In essence, the why, what and how of learning that motivates learners and gives them access to knowledge.

The ENGAGE is an acronym for each workshop within the programme’s framework and builds on the UDL concepts. The programme was developed with autistic adults and the Thriving Autistic and Galway Autism Partnership. The aim is to be a safe, inclusive and equitable way for neurodivergent adults to learn.

Participants were highly satisfied with the programme because of the neurodiversity-affirmative approach and the spirit of collaboration. They also appreciated the online environment and spirit of co-operation.

The title of the article is, The ENGAGE Programme – Creating an Online Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environment for Neurodivergent Adults. It is published by the AHEAD journal.

Higher education: digital equity and autism

Beware the diagnosis – it leads to stereotypes and misplaced assumptions. This was one of the findings from a research project at Griffith University on digital equity. A common assumption is that people with autism find it difficult or stressful in social situations. For example, university discussion groups and making presentations. An assumption that follows is online learning would be their preferred learning method. Turns out this is not the case.

The research paper includes a literature review and a survey of students who identified as having autism. It has much useful information regarding the design of teaching and learning.

A view of Griffith University building which is new and about seven storeys high.

Difficulties with online content

All students had difficulty with online content for three key reasons:

  • Students had problems identifying which parts of the online content were most important.
  • They needed clarification of content by instructors to aid their online learning
  • Students found it helpful when the instructor communicated links between content across the weeks or modules. 

So, the diagnosis is not the person.  The major point of the research is that what’s good for students with autism is good for everyone.

The title of the study is, “Online learning for university students on the autism spectrum: A systematic review and questionnaire study”. It was published in the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology – special issue: Digital Equity. It’s open access.

From the abstract

Online course delivery must consider the equity of the learning experience for all students. Online delivery may reduce challenges and stressors present in face-to-face delivery and promote student learning for specific student groups including autism. However, the experience of learning online for autistic students is largely unknown.

Findings from two studies identified that the online environment provided both facilitators of and barriers to the learning experience for autistic students. The way design factors are employed in online delivery can create barriers to the learning experience.   

Inclusive practice in higher education

The 2016 Journal of Inclusive Practice in Further and Higher Education includes papers from the International Conference. All articles include the concept of universal design in learning with a focus on neurodiversity. It covers methods and research in higher education and transition to work.

Front cover of the Journal of Inclusive Practice in Further and Higher Education.

Contributions to this journal encourage emancipatory methods with neurodivergent people, particularly involving their personal experiences.  The Journal is published in Word format making it widely accessible.

The papers cover a diversity of topics such as academic access for diverse learners, thinking and practicing differently, experiences of staff, links between perceptual talent and dyslexia, and modification of exam papers.

Neurodivergence in teaching

Is your PhD supervisor neurodivergent? This question begins a blog discussion on how neurodivergent thinking is potentially embedded in teaching practices.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked barriers is that many supervisors are neurodivergent but don’t acknowledge what’s going on with them. “In fact, since starting this research, I’ve formed a private view that you almost can’t succeed in this profession without at least a little neurospicey.” Image from the Thesis Whisperer.

I big pile of paper documents representing a thesis.

The blog lists some ideas to consider about supervisor behaviour: The Hyperfocuser, The Process Pedant, The Talker, The Context-Switching Avoider, The Novelty-Chaser and the Theoretical Purist.

The Thesis Whisper blog from the Australian National University has much more information apart from this discussion.

“The problem is is not the neurodivergence or the supervisor – it’s how the unexamined neurodivergence becomes embedded in practice, underpinned by an expectation that their students should function exactly as they do, complete with the same struggles they’ve internalised as “normal.”

Study tips for neurodiverse students

The amount of study work required can be a bit of a shock for some students. So, it’s important to develop study habits and techniques that match their working styles. 40 Study Tips for Neurodiverse Students lists different techniques for students to try out. Studocu is an online resource for university and college students to help them with their study techniques. It provides free study notes for courses which are provided by the student community.

Accessibility Statements for schools

Accessibility statements are appearing in the tourism sector, so is it time to have accessibility statements for schools and universities? Well, why not ask staff and students? That’s just what two educational researchers did in the UK.

Teaching materials were checked for accessibility including digital media. Classroom delivered lectures came out best. The pandemic forced improvements for accessible online material.

Teacher and students are in black silhouette looking at a board with an mathematical equation for physics. Accessibility statement for schools.

The research on the accessibility statements was carried out at the University of Birmingham.

Captioning videos turned out to be a problem for staff because the microphones didn’t always work in the lecture rooms. This led to a lot of time being spent on re-doing captions. Some staff preferred to wait until they were asked for special interventions rather than do them automatically. However, the aim should be to remove barriers before someone finds them.

Students were given the opportunity to comment on the accessibility statements as they were being devised. However, no comments were received. Once published they were circulated by email and received positive comments. Many thought it was good for the school to provide these and that they were well thought out and clear. Some students felt the same as some staff – wait until someone needs the extra access features.

The researchers countered the reactive approach by saying that in the long run, making everything accessible saves time and prevents barriers and negative attitudes. As other research has shown, not everyone is keen to disclose a hidden disability. This is in line with the Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

From the conclusions

“Creating School-level statements allows a Department to demonstrate how accessibility is embedded in their teaching philosophy. Over time, this willingness to be demonstrably open and to proactively address differences among students can hopefully boost student recruitment.

“We found that misunderstandings still exist and they tend to weaken efforts to enhance accessibility in teaching and learning. For instance, some staff believe that accessibility only concerns individuals with specific learning needs. Or that student concerns should only
be acted upon when they request support or particular adjustments.

Next steps involve focusing on raising awareness of accessibility statements across the School communities and providing extra staff training.

An easy to read paper that highlights the need for accessibility statements as a given rather than an exception across all educational institutions. The title of the paper is, Example of practice: Accessibility statements for inclusive education.

From the abstract

This paper provides an example of practice that outlines the benefits and challenges of creating School or Department level accessibility statements. Like all methods of improving accessibility, there is no one-size-fits-all statement. Through demonstrating one possibility, we show how to create an accessibility statement.

The discussion is informed by the results of a staff and student evaluation of accessibility statements issued by two Schools at the University of Birmingham. These Schools issued accessibility statements to show their commitment to accessibility. They created open dialogue around students’ varying requirements, and explained the accessibility features/limitations of their teaching and learning resources.

Architectural education and gender equality

The Rethinking the Future blog site has an article on architectural education and gender equality. First, it asks if architecture is gender driven both as a profession and in academia. Second, it asks if the diverse experience of students is really fostering and representing diversity. The third point is, how can a more inclusive learning environment be created. The article concludes with a plea for change.

“Analysing the traditional architectural education system, one can observe the persistence of a masculine Paradigm.”

Three men in hard hats stand on a building site looking at architectural design plans.

The word “architect” conjures up an image of a man so that if a woman is an architect she is referred to as a female architect, not just “architect”. However, moves to address this gender imbalance is being addressed as more women are accepted into architectural institutions. But how many female star architects are there?

Fostering student diversity

Analysing enrolment data for gender ratios helps identify any significant disparities amongst different countries. The visibility and experience of LGBTIQ students in architecture schools can be carried out through surveys or interviews. Social, political and psychological aspects can be revealed by identifying unique challenges students with multiple marginalised identities face. These can be race, ethnicity, religion, and gender diversity.

Faculty and curriculum

Faculty members should move beyond traditional teaching methods by adopting methods to cater for diverse learning styles. Creating an equitable education experience will bring more diversity within learner enrollments and future teaching staff. With a diversity of ideas and mentors there is a better chance of including the LGBTI community and women.

The title of the blog article is Architectural education and gender equality: A comparative study.

UDL at The University of Sydney

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a well established concept, but implementation remains at the edges of teaching. A large body of literature researching how to do it is useful but many education systems still treat it as “special” learning especially in schools. But there is some movement on UDL at The University of Sydney.

UDL follows the same concept of universal design found in other disciplines. It is about creating inclusive learning environments, tools, and activities. And in the same way that universal design benefits everyone, UDL does the same.

Two pairs of women sit at a table with paper and pens. One of the pair looks to be explaining something to the other.

There seems to be a little more progress for UDL in higher education where students are adults rather than children. The right to an education becomes more evident at this level and UDL is a good way to create inclusive leaning for everyone. But it does require a change in mindset.

The Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) is a good resource for the tertiary education sector. Their one hour webinar on implementing UDL at The University of Sydney tells an interesting story.

Presenter, Sarah Humphreys, introduces the significance of UDL and how she established a pilot project in 2021 at the University of Sydney. The pilot, “Designing for Diversity” focused on one academic and one unit of study. Part of the process was developing relationships with stakeholders to find a common language to support a shift in mindset.

Sarah Humphries provides examples of the evaluation processes to illustrate how the iterative process worked and generated resources. The UDL is still in its early phase because the focus is not to prescribe or standardise how UDL is used. It is more about a cultural change over time.

The title of the ADCET webinar is, Implementing Universal Design for Learning at the University of Sydney – Lessons Learned and Scaling Strategies. It is available on the ADCET website or on YouTube below.

Research in clear language

The Plain Language Movement is supported by information makers and providers who want more people to read their content. Dense academic language meant for other academics is frustrating for others wanting to learn more. So, it is time for clear language now that more universities are producing open access articles.

“… the plain language movement is rooted in the ideal of an inclusive society… ” Language is not for those with social privilege.

An empty page in a notebook with a pencil and sharpener. Doing plain language is a process

Plain language summaries are a good start and sometimes a requirement of research funding. These summaries are often shown as four or five short bullet points before the academic abstract. And now we have a new acronym: Knowledge Mobilization (KMb). The requirement for plain language summaries has given rise to yet another area of research.

Sasha Gaylie at the University of British Columbia explains more about this in her article Clear Language Description. There is a little confusion whether plain language and clear language are the same things. Consequently, there is a move to create an international standard.

The International Plain Language Federation defines plain language as “wording, structure, and design are so clear that readers can easily find what they need”. Easy Read, Easy English or Easy Language, which is for a specific group of readers, is not the same thing. It’s good to see universal design in language as a relatively new frontier in inclusive practice.

Five focus areas for plain language

Gaylie lists five focus areas for that offer a structure for grouping individual recommendations briefly listed here:

  • Audience: The benchmark is 8th grade reading level*.
  • Structure: The most important information should appear first.
  • Design: White space and headers to break up text, and also helps screen readers.
  • Expression: Use an active voice and avoid jargon.
  • Evaluation: Peer review by a non-expert for best feedback.
A blank page of a spiral notebook and and fountain pen.

*Note that Easy English aims for an average of 2nd grade, and Easy Read aims for around 5th grade.

Inclusive descriptions

This is a growing area of language. Words can hurt and harm. We already see how language has changed when we look at old texts. For example the use of “man” and “he” when meaning all humans.

“A term need not be intentionally harmful to cause harm; the act of description is not neutral, and even when using the “plainest” of language, inherent bias affects output.”

A mosaic of many different faces and nationalities

Sasha Gaylie’s article concludes with a practical guide based on the five focus pointed mentioned earlier.

From the Editor: Writing in plain language is a skill-set that challenges a writer to think really carefully about what they want the reader to know. It is not about what the writer wants to say. Doing plain language is a process. Writing complex ideas in a straightforward way takes time and effort. And it also makes me think about my relationship to the topic.

Plain language summaries – good for everyone

What are Plain Language Summaries? These are an invaluable adjunct to abstracts in academic papers. They help more readers understand the content of the article, especially if the topic is unfamiliar. Beth Myers and Teukie Martin provide a good example when explaining why they use these summaries:

What are Plain Language Summaries?

  • Plain language summaries are short summaries of research articles.
  • They communicate the main ideas of the article and are easy to understand.
  • They are also used by the government, doctors, and places like banks and utility companies.
A blank page of a spiral notebook and and fountain pen.

Why are they important?

  • Research articles can be hard to read and understand.
  • They make research accessible to more people.
  • Everyone should have access to information that impacts their lives.

Plain language writing is clear, succinct, and jargon-free, and is organized in a way that helps understanding. It is a reader-centered way of writing so that readers can access, comprehend, and utilise information. Plain language writing benefits all readers while ensuring crucial access for some. It’s universal design – good for everyone.

The title of the article is, Why Plain Language? Linguistic Accessibility in Inclusive Higher Education. The journal is clearly living the message of inclusion in writing up research. As such, this is a short document with all the key information without jargon. 

Example of a plain language summary

Plain Language Summaries are not quite the same as Easy Read or Easy English documents which use simplified language. The wording and pictures in these documents are carefully placed on the page as well. 

Governments often fund research, so we should all have access to this new knowledge. But if you want to rise in the ranks of academia you need to follow the “rules” for publishing. You also need to show that you know the language and jargon. There is no need to change this. What we need are additional plain language summaries.

The picture below shows an example: Co-designing the Cabriotraining: A training for transdisciplinary teams. It begins with an “Accessible Summary” followed by the regular abstract. 

The front page of the academic article showing how the Accessible Summary is presented.

Academic papers begin with an abstract – an outline of what the paper or article is about. It usually says what the problem is, what they researched and what they found. A plain language summary of the abstract gives the same information but in less words.

Accessible summary – an example

The image above reads as follows:

  • The research was conducted by a team of researchers. Some of the researchers have experience of living with a disability.
    • The researchers created training for other research teams that include experts by experience.
    • The training has six parts. To decide what happened in the training, the researchers read articles and asked the research teams they trained about what problems they had and what they wanted to know about.
    • The article tells why and how the training was made. It also says what training is needed for researchers with and without disabilities to learn and work together in a way that feels safe and useful.
    • In developing and providing the training, it was very crucial to search for a safe and welcome space for all people involved (Figure 8). As we don’t know what is “safe” for the other, this means we have to search together, in respect and with enough time to get to know each other.

Editor’s note: Great to see an academic paper translated into key points that many more people can understand. From my experience, writing succinctly and plainly is a rare skill in academia. I was delighted to see this example. It’s universal design!

Law schools and universal design

Aerial view of a large public library with long desks around a central console. Law schools teach law and introduce the values that students take into the legal profession. Unless law schools embrace universal design, they will continue to be inequitable and pose barriers to people who might be good lawyers. This is the basis of an article by Matthew Timko where he says the place to introduce universal design is through law libraries.

Timko says the law library is the ideal testing ground for changes that assist student comprehension and testing. Beginning with the library services, the value of universal design will gradually become apparent to all stakeholders. From there it will enter the legal academy, legal education process and legal profession.

Timko uses the 7 Principles of Universal design as the framework for his proposition. This shows how flexibly the principles can be applied. He then discusses the role of disability legislation in the United States and the supports available. 

Photo of the sign on the grey stone building of The Royal Courts of Justice. Ethical and professional standards provide another opportunity to support individuals. Timko argues that most accommodations pose menial burdens on institutions but provide great benefit to individuals. However, they need to be provided as a general rule, not just when they are asked for. This is the underlying tenet of universal design for learning. 

The article goes into more detail about the role of legislation and how it should apply to law schools. In the conclusion, Timko states:

“Universal design offers the key to not only increased access to legal education and legal knowledge but also a more fundamental shift in the perceptions and thinking that have plagued disability laws and design habits over the last 30 years.”

The types of universal design features discussed can be introduced into the law library gradually and in cost-effective ways. 

The title of the article is, Applying Universal Design in the Legal Academy. 

From the editor

I was invited to participate in a question and answer interview for the Law Society Journal with Features Editor, Avril Janks. I was encouraged to find that universal design has entered the realms of the legal profession and happy to participate. 

We discussed universal design broadly and then how it might be implemented in legal workplaces. Universal design can be applied to the office design, office systems, and employment practice. So plenty of scope for the profession to be more inclusive. If you want to read the article published in the March 2023 edition, contact journal@lawsociety.com.au 

Jane Bringolf

Time for the majority to step up for inclusion

Promoting the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging often falls to members of minority groups – people who are not included. But it’s actually up to members of the majority to step up for inclusion and get involved in DEIB.

A mosaic of many different faces and nationalities

Cody J Smith’s article lists 10 actions people in the majority can do to improve DEIB. He writes in the context of the sciences, but these actions apply anywhere. His ten actions are briefly listed below. It’s interesting that Smith has added “belonging” to today’s standard “DEI”. Belonging is how you feel when DEI is happening.

10 actions for inclusion

1. Listen to people’s experiences. Read the growing literature by people from underrepresented groups. If you are in the majority, what can you do to improve matters.
2. Check your implicit biases. Implicit bias is rampant in awards, publications, promotions and speaker selection.
3. Stop interrupting. Take time to watch the dynamics of meeting. If you identify someone overly interrupting, invite the person who was speaking to finish their point.
4. As you take a lead to impact DEIB, you will make mistakes. As in science, learn from them and adapt until you find a solution.
5. People from minority groups are often asked to take on additional responsibilities to represent their minority group. This extra work should be compensated rather than asking them to sign up for “the greater good”.
6. Those in the majority can wait for change, but that is not the case for those in the minority. Start working on solutions for immediate change.
7. Get in the room. Make an effort to attend DEIB events and encourage others in the majority to attend. Be careful to schedule non DEIB events so they don’t conflict with DEIB events.
8. Train others to advocate – start discussions and share literature.
9. Include DEIB in the classroom/staff meetings – is your work inclusive?
10. Find a DEIB champion. Smith explains the impact of Ben Barres who was the first openly transgender member of the National Academy of Sciences. Barres shares experiences of being both a woman and a man, and the impact of sexual harassment.

Learn from discomfort

The ten points are in the context of a science lecturer and researcher but the points are clear. Smith encourages people to “lean into any discomfort” you might experience – it will be how you learn – if you listen. For more detail see Smith’s article.

The main point though is that without the majority taking a lead, the minority cannot do it alone. After all, it is the majority who decide whether “others” will be included, feel validated and like they belong.

The title of the short article is, Members of the majority need to actively promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.