A brief introduction and resources for understanding the Universal Design for Learning.
According to the website Universal Design in Higher Education, http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/udl_about#.WueT98gh2V4,
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone–not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs.”
For those of you designing new courses or new curricula, or if you are planning on revamping your course when the campus transitions from BlackBoard to Canvas, Universal Design for Learning is a great place to start. It provides a series of guidelines and strategies for organizing both instruction and assessment.
A great resource is the text entitled: Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices edited by Sheryl E. Burgstahler. This book uses evidence-based best practices to guide higher education instructors in effectively designing or redesigning courses.
The University of Washington’s Center for Teaching provides a PDF for this book at:
Interested? Let me know how I can assist you.
Jim O’Connor
Director