| Peer-Reviewed

Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation

Received: 8 August 2020     Accepted: 15 October 2020     Published: 8 December 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has gained significant momentum in Higher Education (HE) over the last decade in North America. It offers considerable potential to achieve the inclusion of diverse students in the HE classroom. It is a unique approach, first because it shifts the instructor mindset away from medical model practices, and second because it allows the development of inclusive practices that address the needs of the full spectrum of diverse learners. As a result of this growing interest, there have been implementation efforts within a wide range of disciplines and settings in post-secondary education. The time has come, however, to identify the challenges that remain, to seek appropriate solutions, and to develop strategic direction to shape UDL adoption for the next decade. This paper draws on phenomenological data collected by the author on his own practice through a process of auto-ethnography. This data emerges from three dimensions of the author’s practice: his past role as manager of an accessibility unit, as well as his current role as UDL consultant within HE, and faculty member exploring UDL in his own teaching. The chapter identifies remaining challenges, explores solutions, and frames a vision for what UDL development might look like in HE over the next decade.

Published in Education Journal (Volume 9, Issue 6)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Teaching Practices for Addressing Diverse Students’ Needs for Academic Success in Universities

DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13
Page(s) 163-172
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Universal Design for Learning, Inclusion, Higher Education, Accessibility Services, Teaching and Learning, Diverse Learners

References
[1] La, H., Dyjur, P., & Bair, H. (2018) Universal design for learning in higher education. Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. Calgary: University of Calgary.
[2] Knarlag, K. and B. Walters, Universal Design for Learning – Licence to Learn (UDLL): a European perspective on UDL (2020), The AHEAD Journal, 11.
[3] Oliveira, A., M. Munster and A. Gonçalves. (2019) Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Education: a Systematic Review in the International Literature. RevistaBrasileira de Educação Especial, 25 (4): 675-690.
[4] Fovet, F. (2019) Not just about disability: Getting traction for UDL implementation with International Students. In: K. Novak & S. Bracken (Eds.) Transforming Higher Education through Universal Design for Learning: An International Perspective. London: Routledge.
[5] Fovet, F. (2020) Using Universal Design for Learning to Create Inclusive Provisions for Indigenous Students in Higher Education – Decolonizing Teaching Practices. In: L. Roberts (Ed.), Redesigning Learning, Leadership, and Indigenous Education in the 21st Century. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
[6] Ives, J., and M. Castillo-Montoya. (2020) First-Generation College Students as Academic Learners: A Systematic Review. Review of Educational Research, 90 (2): 139–178.
[7] Dalton, E. M., Lyner-Cleophas, M., Ferguson, B. T., & McKenzie, J. (2019). Inclusion, universal design and universal design for learning in higher education: South Africa and the United States. African Journal of Disability, 8, 519.
[8] Center for Universal Design (1997) The principles of universal design, version 21.0. North Carolina State University: Raleigh, NC.
[9] Oswald, S. K. (2019). Breaking the Exclusionary Boundary between User Experience and Access: Steps toward Making UX Inclusive Of Users with Disabilities. Proceedings of the 37th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication, 1–8.
[10] Aizpurua, A., Harper, S., & Vigo, M. (2016). Exploring the relationship between web accessibility and user experience. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 91, 13-23.
[11] Rao, K., &Meo, G. (2016). Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons. SAGE Open.
[12] Bacon, K. (2014) How a little idea called Universal Design for Learning has grown to become a big idea — elastic enough to fit every kid. Harvard Ed Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/14/01/all-along.
[13] Wilson, J. (2017) Reimagining Disability and Inclusive Education through Universal Design for Learning. Disability Studies Quarterly, 37 (2).
[14] CAST (2018). UDL and the learning brain. Wakefield, MA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/our-work/publications/2018/udl-learning-brain-neuroscience.html.
[15] Ok, M., Rao, K, Bryant, B., & McDougall, D. (2017) Universal Design for Learning in Pre-K to Grade 12 Classrooms: A Systematic Review of Research. Exceptionality, 25 (2), 116-138.
[16] CAST (2019) Post-secondary Institutions with UDL Initiatives. UDL on Campus. Retrieved from: http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/udl_institutions.
[17] Houghton, M. &Fovet, F. (2012) Reframing Disability, reshaping the provision of services. Communiqué, 13 (1), 16-19.
[18] McGrath, C., Roxå, T., &Laksov, K. (2019) Change in a culture of collegiality and consensus-seeking: a double-edged sword. Higher Education Research & Development, 38 (5), 1001-1014.
[19] Cassell, M., &Halaseh, O. (2014) The Impact of Unionization on University Performance. Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, 6, Article 3.
[20] Fovet, F. (in print) Developing an Ecological Approach to Strategic UDL Implementation in Higher Education. Journal of Education and Teaching.
[21] Hromalik, C., Myhill, W., & Carr, N. (2019). “ALL Faculty Should Take this”: a Universal Design for Learning Training for Community College Faculty. TechTrends, 64, 1-14.
[22] Schreffler, J., Vasquez III, E., Chini, J., & James, W. (2019) Universal Design for Learning in postsecondary STEM education for students with disabilities: a systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 6, 8.
[23] Tobin, T. J. (2019). Reaching all learners through their phones and universal design for learning. Journal of Adult Learning, Knowledge and Innovation JALKI, 1-11.
[24] Bock, G., Gesser, M., &Nuernberg, A. (2018). Universal Design for Learning: Scientific Production in the Period from 2011 to 2016. RevistaBrasileira de Educação Especial, 24 (1), 143-160.
[25] Song, Y. (2016) To what extent is Universal Design for Learning “universal”? A case study in township special needs schools in South Africa. Disability and the Global South, 3 (1), 910-929.
[26] Fovet, F. (2017) Access, Universal Design and Sustainability of Teaching Practices: a Powerful Synchronicity of Concepts at a Crucial Conjuncture for Higher Education. Indonesian Journal of Disability Studies (IJDS), 4 (2), 118-129.
[27] Dall’Alba, G. (2009). Phenomenology and education: An introduction. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 41 (1), 7-9.
[28] Lynch, S., & Kuntz, A. (2019) ‘A critical autoethnography of a doctoral students’ research journey: learning to take risks in the academy’. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 10 (2), 156-171.
[29] Kennette, L., & Wilson, A. (2019) Universal Design for Learning (UDL): What is it and how do I implement it?Transformative Dialogues: Teaching & Learning Journal, 12 (1).
[30] Berggren, U. J., Rowan, D., Bergbäck, E., & Blomberg, B. (2016). Disabled students’ experiences of higher education in Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the United States – a comparative institutional analysis. Disability & Society, 31, 1-18.
[31] Svensson, I., Nordström, T., Lindeblad, E., Gustafson, S., Björn, M., Sand, C., Almgren/Bäck, G., & Nilsson, S. (2019) Effects of assistive technology for students with reading and writing disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology.
[32] Ismail, A., &Kuppusamy, K. S. (2019) Web accessibility investigation and identification of major issues of higher education websites with statistical measures: A case study of college websites. Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences.
[33] Washington, G. Y. (2019). The Learning Management System Matters in Face-to-Face Higher Education Courses. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 48 (2), 255–275.
[34] Fovet, F. (2018) Making do with what we have: using the built in functions of a Learning Management System to implement UDL. The AHEAD Journal, 7, 1-17.
[35] Hollingshead, A., & Carr-Chellman, D. (2019, February) Engaging Learners in Online Environments Utilizing Universal Design for Learning Principles. E-Learn Magazine. Retrieved from: https://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=3310383.
[36] O’Neil, G. (2017). It’s not fair! Students and staff views on the equity of the procedures and outcomes of students’ choice of assessment methods. Irish Educational Studies, 36 (2), 221–236.
[37] Morris, C., Milton, E., & Goldstone, R. (2019) Case study: suggesting choice: inclusive assessment processes. Higher Education Pedagogies, 4 (1), 435-447.
[38] Spante, M., Hashemi, S., Lundin, M., &Algers, A. (2018) Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: Systematic review of concept use. Cogent Education, 5 (1).
[39] Ciesielkiewicz, M. (2019) The use of e-portfolios in higher education: From the students' perspective. Issues in Educational Research, 29 (3), 649
[40] Sewagegn, A., &Diale, B. (2019). Empowering Learners Using Active Learning in Higher Education Institutions. In: S. Brito (Ed.) Active Learning - Beyond the Future. Intech Open. Retrieved from: https://www.intechopen.com/books/active-learning-beyond-the-future/empowering-learners-using-active-learning-in-higher-education-institutions.
[41] Bovill, C., & Woolmer, C. (2019) How conceptualisations of curriculum in higher education influence student-staff co-creation in and of the curriculum. Higher Education, 78, 407–422.
[42] Dollinger, M., & Lodge, J. (2019) Student-staff co-creation in higher education: an evidence-informed model to support future design and implementation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.
[43] Clack, J. (2019) Can we fix education? Living emancipatory pedagogy in Higher Education. Teaching in Higher Education.
[44] Tight, M. (2019) The neoliberal turn in Higher Education. Higher Education Quarterly, 73, 273–284.
[45] Solomonides, I. (2013). A relational and multidimensional model of student engagement. In: E. Dunne, & D. Owen (Eds.) The student engagement handbook: Practice in higher E Education, (1st ed., pp. 43–58). Bingley: Emerald.
[46] Wekullo, C. S. (2019). International undergraduate student engagement: Implications for higher education administrators. Journal of International Students, 9 (1), 320–337.
[47] Zepke, N. (2018). Student engagement in neo-liberal times: What is missing? Higher Education Research and Development, 37 (2), 433–446.
[48] Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., &Kerres, M. (2020) Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a systematic evidence map. International Journal of Educational Technology Higher Education, 17, 2.
[49] Bedrossian, L. (2018), Understand and promote use of Universal Design for Learning in higher education. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, 23, 7-7.
[50] Leslie, H. J. (2019) Trifecta of Student Engagement: A framework for an online teaching professional development course for faculty in higher education. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning.
[51] Serrano, M. M., O’Brien, M., Roberts, K., & Whyte, D. (2018). Critical Pedagogy and assessment in higher education: The ideal of ‘authenticity’ in learning. Active Learning in Higher Education, 19 (1), 9–21.
[52] Sanger C. S. (2020) Inclusive Pedagogy and Universal Design Approaches for Diverse Learning Environments. In: Sanger C., Gleason N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
[53] Seok, S., DaCosta, B., & Hodges, R. (2018). A Systematic Review of Empirically Based Universal Design for Learning: Implementation and Effectiveness of Universal Design in Education for Students with and without Disabilities at the Postsecondary Level. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 6, 171-189.
[54] Capp, M. (2017) The effectiveness of universal design for learning: a meta-analysis of literature between 2013 and 2016. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21 (8), 791-807.
[55] Fovet, F. (2020) Using Universal Design for Learning to optimize flexibility in assessment and class activities while maximizing alignment with course objectives. In: Y. Inoue-Smith & T. McVey (Eds.) Optimizing Higher Education Learning Through Activities and Assessments. IGI Global: Hershey, PA.
[56] Kumar, K., &Wideman, M. (2014) Accessible by design: Applying UDL principles in a first year undergraduate course. Canadian Journal of Higher Education/Revue canadienned’enseignementsupérieur, 44 (1), 125-147.
[57] Miller, D., & Lang, P. (2016) Using the Universal Design for Learning Approach in Science Laboratories To Minimize Student Stress. Journal of Chemical Education, 93 (11), 1823-1828.
[58] Thurber, A., & Bandy, J. (2018) Creating Accessible Learning Environments. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/creating-accessible-learning-environments/.
[59] Coleman, S., & Smith, C. (2019) Evaluating the benefits of virtual training for bioscience students. Higher Education Pedagogies, 4 (1), 287-299.
[60] Bonaccio, S., Connelly, C. E., Gellatly, I. R., Jetha, A., &Ginis, K. (2019) The Participation of People with Disabilities in the Workplace Across the Employment Cycle: Employer Concerns and Research Evidence. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35, 135–158.
[61] St Esprit, M. (2019, March 6) The Stigma of Choosing Trade School Over College. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/03/choosing-trade-school-over-college/584275/.
[62] Bartlett, M., & Ehrlich, S. (2020) How a Universal Design Mindset Can Support Learning in the Workplace. The AHEAD Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.ahead.ie/journal/How-a-Universal-Design-Mindset-Can-Support-Learning-in-the-Workplace.
[63] Chorazy, M., &Klinedinst, K. (2019) Learn by Doing: A Model for Incorporating High-Impact Experiential Learning Into an Undergraduate Public Health Curriculum. Frontiers in Public Health, 7.
[64] Niagara College (2019) Determining Instructional Strategies for EL. Experiential Learning Toolkit. Retrieved from: https://www.eltoolkit.ca/delivering-experiential-learning-opportunities/determining-instructional-strategies-for-el/.
[65] Glass, D., Meyer, A., & Rose, D. (2013). Universal Design for Learning and the Arts. Harvard Educational Review, 83, 98-119.
[66] Malley, S. (2014). Students with disabilities and the core art standards: Guiding principles for teachers. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
[67] Fountain, H. (2014). Differentiated instruction in art. Worchester, MA: Davis.
[68] Barrett, T. (2000). Studio Critiques of Student Art: As They Are, as They Could Be with Mentoring. Theory Into Practice, 39 (1), 29-35.
[69] Scagnetti, G. (2017) A dialogical model for studio critiques in Design Education. The Design Journal, 20 (1), S781-S791.
[70] Geschwind, L. (2019) Legitimizing Change in Higher Education: Exploring the Rationales Behind Major Organizational Restructuring. Higher Education Policy, 32, 381–395.
[71] Stensaker, B. (2015) Organizational identity as a concept for understanding university dynamics. Higher Education 69 (1), 103–115.
[72] Kezar, A. (2013) Understanding sensemaking/sensegiving in transformational change processes from the bottom up. Higher Education, 65 (6), 761–780.
[73] Mathews, K. (2018) Growing Our Own: Cultivating Faculty Leadership. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 50 (3-4), 88-92.
[74] Gorham, J., & Roberts, B. (2014, August 6) You need to know about universal design for learning. University Affairs. Retrieved from: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/you-need-to-know-about-universal-design-for-learning/.
[75] Surtees, V. (2019). Challenging Deficit Constructions of the International Student Category in Canadian Higher Education. TESL Canada Journal, 36 (1), 48-70.
[76] Kieran, L., & Anderson, C. (2019). Connecting Universal Design for Learning with Culturally Responsive Teaching. Education and Urban Society, 51 (9), 1202–1216.
[77] Evans, T., Bira, L., Gastelum, J., Weiss, T., &Vanderford, N. (2018) Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36, 282–284.
[78] Terras, K., & Phillips, A. (2015) Disability Accommodations in Online Courses: The Graduate Student Experience. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 28 (3), 329-340 329.
[79] Johnstone, C., & Edwards, P. (2020). Accommodations, Accessibility, and Culture: Increasing Access to Study Abroad for Students With Disabilities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 24 (4), 424–439.
[80] Smith, S. J., Rao, K., Lowrey, K. A., Gardner, J. E., Moore, E., Coy, K.,… Wojcik, B. (2019). Recommendations for a National Research Agenda in UDL: Outcomes From the UDL-IRN Preconference on Research. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 30 (3), 174–185.
[81] Geerlings L., & Lundberg, A. (2018) Global discourses and power/knowledge: theoretical reflections on futures of higher education during the rise of Asia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 38 (2), 229-240.
[82] Nieminen, J., &Pesonen, H. (2020) Taking Universal Design Back to Its Roots: Perspectives on Accessibility and Identity in Undergraduate Mathematics. Education Sciences, 10 (1), 12.
[83] Gray, E., Hogan, L., & Benton, D. (2019) A practical approach to UDL. Paper presented at the Chiefs of Ontario Sharing Forum. Toronto, April.
[84] SIHO (2020) New inclusive mobility project. Retrieved from: https://www.siho.be/en/new-inclusive-mobility-project.
[85] Fovet, F. (2014) Navigating the delicate emerging synchronicity between inclusion and access. LEARNing Landscapes, 7 (2), 17-24.
[86] Third Pan-Canadian Conference on UDL (2019) Connecting the Dots – Sharing Promising Practices across Country. http://www.udlcanada.ca/index.html.
[87] Lightfoot M. (2016) The Emergence of Digital Social Capital in Education. In: Haslam I. R., Khine M. S. (Eds) Leveraging Social Capital in Systemic Education Reform. Contemporary Approaches to Research in learning Innovations. SensePublishers, Rotterdam.
[88] CAST (2020) #udlchat. Retrieved from: https://twitter.com/hashtag/udlchat?lang=en.
[89] Flood, M. (2020) #UDLchatIE. Retrieved from: https://twitter.com/hashtag/UDLchatIE?src=hashtag_click.
[90] Greenhow, C., Campbell, D., Galvin, S. & Askari, E. (2018). Social Media in Teacher Professional Development: A Literature Review. In E. Langran& J. Borup (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 2256-2264). Washington, D. C., United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
[91] Bruguera, C., Guitert, M., & Romeu, T. (2019). Social media and professional development: a systematic review. Research in Learning Technology, 27.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Frederic Fovet. (2020). Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation. Education Journal, 9(6), 163-172. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Frederic Fovet. Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation. Educ. J. 2020, 9(6), 163-172. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Frederic Fovet. Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation. Educ J. 2020;9(6):163-172. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13,
      author = {Frederic Fovet},
      title = {Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {9},
      number = {6},
      pages = {163-172},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20200906.13},
      abstract = {Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has gained significant momentum in Higher Education (HE) over the last decade in North America. It offers considerable potential to achieve the inclusion of diverse students in the HE classroom. It is a unique approach, first because it shifts the instructor mindset away from medical model practices, and second because it allows the development of inclusive practices that address the needs of the full spectrum of diverse learners. As a result of this growing interest, there have been implementation efforts within a wide range of disciplines and settings in post-secondary education. The time has come, however, to identify the challenges that remain, to seek appropriate solutions, and to develop strategic direction to shape UDL adoption for the next decade. This paper draws on phenomenological data collected by the author on his own practice through a process of auto-ethnography. This data emerges from three dimensions of the author’s practice: his past role as manager of an accessibility unit, as well as his current role as UDL consultant within HE, and faculty member exploring UDL in his own teaching. The chapter identifies remaining challenges, explores solutions, and frames a vision for what UDL development might look like in HE over the next decade.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Universal Design for Learning as a Tool for Inclusion in the Higher Education Classroom: Tips for the Next Decade of Implementation
    AU  - Frederic Fovet
    Y1  - 2020/12/08
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13
    T2  - Education Journal
    JF  - Education Journal
    JO  - Education Journal
    SP  - 163
    EP  - 172
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2619
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200906.13
    AB  - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has gained significant momentum in Higher Education (HE) over the last decade in North America. It offers considerable potential to achieve the inclusion of diverse students in the HE classroom. It is a unique approach, first because it shifts the instructor mindset away from medical model practices, and second because it allows the development of inclusive practices that address the needs of the full spectrum of diverse learners. As a result of this growing interest, there have been implementation efforts within a wide range of disciplines and settings in post-secondary education. The time has come, however, to identify the challenges that remain, to seek appropriate solutions, and to develop strategic direction to shape UDL adoption for the next decade. This paper draws on phenomenological data collected by the author on his own practice through a process of auto-ethnography. This data emerges from three dimensions of the author’s practice: his past role as manager of an accessibility unit, as well as his current role as UDL consultant within HE, and faculty member exploring UDL in his own teaching. The chapter identifies remaining challenges, explores solutions, and frames a vision for what UDL development might look like in HE over the next decade.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • School of Education and Technology, Royal Roads University, Victoria, Canada

  • Sections