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.”
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.
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.
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.