Additional Support & Information
On this page you can find a number of helpful resources including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), high level summary of content, and asynchronous webinars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an interdisciplinary instructional design framework developed by CAST (Center for Applied Special Technologies) to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. It extends principles from physical Universal Design to the learning environment, focusing on designing inclusive and engaging learning experiences from the outset. UDL is proactive in addressing learning barriers by recognizing learner variability as the norm and designing universally inclusive experiences.
This approach differs significantly from traditional inclusive teaching or accessibility services, which often respond reactively to individual needs by providing accommodations like wheelchair-accessible desks or screen readers on a case-by-case basis after a barrier is identified. UDL aims to build a foundational level of support for a broad spectrum of learners from the start, while accessibility services address more individualized or complex needs, ultimately complementing each other in creating an inclusive environment.
UDL is deeply aligned with evidence-based teaching practices and learning sciences, being a framework explicitly “based on scientific insights into how humans learn”. Its foundation is rooted in neuroscience research that addresses learner variability at the forefront of instructional design. Since its first iteration in the 1990s, UDL has been extensively studied and applied in post-secondary environments, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving accessibility, student engagement, and student success.
As the framework has matured, it has continued to draw upon and integrate insights from additional disciplines such as behavioral science, human-centered design, social learning theory, and metacognition, making it a comprehensive and research-backed approach to designing flexible and engaging pedagogical supports.
The three core principles of Universal Design for Learning, which have remained consistent since UDL’s inception, are Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means of Representation, and Multiple Means of Action & Expression. These principles are linked to different brain networks—affective, recognition, and strategic networks respectively—and address the “WHY,” “WHAT,” and “HOW” of learning. Practically, Engagement involves strategies like offering choices to recruit interest, providing options for sustaining effort & persistence, and fostering self-regulation; for example, connecting learning outcomes to students’ professional journeys can enhance motivation. Representation translates to providing information in various formats to ensure accessibility for perception, language & symbols, and comprehension, such as offering course materials in both audio/video and text formats with explanations for key terms.
Finally, Action & Expression focuses on allowing students diverse ways to communicate and demonstrate their knowledge, encompassing physical action, expression & communication, and executive functions; a practical strategy is offering alternative assessment formats like audio recordings, videos, or infographics instead of only written reports. These core principles are further detailed into nine guidelines and thirty-one checkpoints that provide practical guidance for implementation.
Universal Design for Learning benefits all students by embracing learner variability as the norm, a concept encapsulated by “Jaggedness,” which acknowledges that every learner possesses a unique and varying profile of knowledge, skills, interests, and abilities, irrespective of whether they have a formally identified disability. By proactively designing learning environments to address this inherent diversity, UDL seeks to break down barriers to learning from the outset, making educational experiences accessible and beneficial for everyone.
The UDL approach of “Teaching to the Margins” highlights this broad benefit: by intentionally designing for students with less obvious or overlooked needs (e.g., varying information processing speeds or introversion), the strategies implemented, such as offering multiple assessment formats (presentations, written reports, or videos), ultimately enhance the overall learning experience for the entire class. This inclusive design not only supports students to meet their learning goals but also fosters the development of “expert learners” who are purposeful, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic, and goal-directed.
A key misconception is that UDL is solely for students with disabilities; however, UDL is explicitly defined as a framework to “improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people” by treating variation in learner needs as the norm. Another common misunderstanding is that UDL is the same as accessibility services; UDL is a proactive approach to design inclusivity from the outset, whereas accessibility services are typically reactive, providing individualized accommodations after a need has been identified.
Additionally, some may mistakenly believe that implementing UDL lowers academic standards or makes courses too easy; in contrast, UDL aims to reduce barriers in the curriculum and “integrate flexible and engaging pedagogical supports from the outset,” with the ultimate goal of developing “expert learners” who are strategic and resilient, thus maintaining high expectations for all students. Lastly, the idea that UDL is a “one-size-fits-all” solution is incorrect; UDL emphasizes providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression to specifically cater to diverse learning preferences and acknowledge student “Jaggedness,” encouraging instructors to “start small, but intentional” in its application rather than applying a rigid, singular approach.
To design a UDL-aligned syllabus without overwhelming students, the focus should be on clarity and simplicity, ensuring it effectively conveys salient information through multiple means of representation. Instructors can leverage innovative and alternative presentation formats beyond traditional text documents, such as graphic syllabi, infographic syllabi, or digital storytelling, which use visuals, interactivity, and narrative to make content more engaging and digestible. Implementing a layout that is predictable and user-friendly, with clear headings and consistent formatting, helps reduce cognitive load and aids navigation, enabling students to easily find important details. Instructors can “start small, but intentional” by visually representing text-heavy information, like course learning outcomes, through concept maps or flowcharts, transforming the syllabus into a dynamic and practical learning tool that sets a welcoming tone and encourages intentional use.
To support diverse learners, a UDL-aligned syllabus should employ positive and strengths-based inclusive language that fosters a welcoming and supportive learning environment by recognizing student variability as the norm. Instead of rigid policies, the language should communicate flexibility and options. For instance, when addressing attendance and participation, instructors can state “offering alternative ways to participate or make up for missed classes can be beneficial”. Regarding late work policies, inclusive language would suggest “more flexible deadlines, or the option for students to request extensions based on their individual need”.
When describing assessment types, the syllabus can indicate that if a specific format is mandated, it will be “designed to allow for multiple means of representation, action, and expression,” giving examples like “oral, presentation, [or] project-based” alternatives. Additionally, for required materials, instructors can inquire, “Are there alternative options available… Can these materials be obtained in different formats…?”. Finally, it is beneficial to explicitly mention the instructor’s intention to provide universal supports and ensure accessibility, reinforcing a commitment to an inclusive learning environment for all.
To integrate student voice and choice into a UDL-aligned syllabus while maintaining academic rigor, instructors should strategically embed opportunities for student agency, leveraging their strengths and preferences. The syllabus can explicitly outline “opportunities for choice” within the course, aligning with the UDL principle of Multiple Means of Engagement. This can include allowing students to choose from a set of topics for certain assignments or offering alternative assessment formats, such as the option to submit a project as a written paper, presentation, or video. To maintain academic rigor, it is crucial to ensure that all assignment options align directly with the stated learning objectives and provide equivalent opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding comprehensively. This transparent approach empowers students by allowing them to “play to their strengths” and “take ownership of their learning,” thereby increasing motivation and engagement without compromising the essential academic standards or learning outcomes of the course.
Transparency plays a crucial and multifaceted role in a UDL-aligned syllabus, serving as a foundational element for fostering an inclusive and welcoming learning environment. By clearly articulating the course’s objectives, expectations, assessment methods, and grading criteria, the syllabus acts as both a comprehensive “reference guide” and a “form of agreement” between the instructor and students, reducing ambiguity and building confidence. This detailed guidance empowers students by providing a clear roadmap for success and enabling them to proactively manage their learning journey. Explicitly stating the purpose of assignments and providing evaluative tools like rubrics in advance ensures fairness and helps students “better plan and structure their work,” promoting self-assessment and deeper engagement with the material. Ultimately, transparency reduces uncertainties, enhances student motivation, and ensures all students feel valued and empowered to participate fully in their education.
To communicate flexibility in deadlines or participation policies clearly and fairly within a UDL-aligned syllabus, instructors should adopt language that acknowledges and respects learner variability and diverse circumstances, moving beyond traditional punitive approaches. This involves actively promoting inclusive practices that multiply ways students can engage and express their knowledge. For attendance and participation, the syllabus can explicitly state a UDL approach by “offering alternative ways to participate or make up for missed classes”. Regarding late work policies, it’s beneficial to communicate a willingness to accommodate by stating options such as “more flexible deadlines, or the option for students to request extensions based on their individual need”. Furthermore, when outlining interaction policies, emphasize promoting inclusion and being considerate of each other’s time and circumstances. Finally, empowering students to take charge of their learning involves clearly highlighting available university resources and supports in prominent areas of the syllabus, normalizing the process of seeking assistance when required.
Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) when selecting course materials involves seeking diverse sources from academic databases, professional organizations, and multimedia repositories to reflect a range of perspectives and modalities. It is important to explore Open Educational Resources (OERs), which are customizable and inclusive, and to collaborate with university librarians and instructional designers for insights and curated lists of UDL-aligned resources. Instructors should also leverage professional networks, colleagues, and department-based resources, and consider discipline-specific needs.
When evaluating materials, prioritize accessibility by checking compatibility with assistive technologies, ensuring captions or transcripts for videos, and using accessible formats. Materials should offer flexibility for use in various formats, be clear and simple in language, avoid jargon, and include diverse examples to ensure relevance and cultural representation. Finally, good UDL-aligned resources are engaging and interactive, offering elements like quizzes or discussions, and allow for formative assessment and adaptability based on student feedback.
For online or blended courses, offering multiple means of engagement means creating a learning environment that taps into student interests and motivations. Strategies for engagement include using interactive digital spaces such as polls, quizzes, and discussion forums to foster active participation. It’s beneficial to incorporate visual aids like diagrams and infographics, and to leverage virtual hands-on activities, simulations, or interactive modules to supplement theoretical concepts. Instructors can also connect course outcomes to program or career outcomes to optimize relevance, value, and authenticity for students. Fostering collaboration and community through group projects and structured peer feedback mechanisms can increase engagement. For blended courses, aim for balanced participation in both face-to-face and online components and ensure continuity between them by using consistent themes or projects across settings.
Balancing structure and flexibility in course design is central to UDL, which treats variation in learner needs as the norm. Providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression inherently builds in flexibility. Structurally, courses can benefit from a clear organization (e.g., Moodle’s weekly or topic sections) that provides a roadmap and aids time management. However, within this structure, flexibility can be introduced by allowing a flexible course breakdown where topics vary in complexity and interconnectedness, requiring different amounts of time. Instructors can also prioritize essential concepts and arrange topics in a logical, sequential learning path, while remaining prepared to adjust the schedule based on student understanding and progress. This balance is further achieved by incorporating a variety of learning activities to cater to different learning styles, providing regular feedback, and using inclusive language and accessible materials throughout the course.
To ensure accessible and intuitive course navigation and layout, prioritize clear structure and consistent design. For syllabi, use clear headings, sections, and links to additional resources for self-guided navigation, especially in asynchronous courses. Course content in platforms like Moodle should be organized logically (e.g., by week or topic). Moodle templates like “Onetopic” or “Collapsed Topics” can reduce cognitive load by presenting one topic at a time, but require clear navigation instructions or keyboard shortcuts. All course materials should be provided in multiple formats (text, video, audio) with corresponding transcripts, captions, and alternative text for visuals. Utilizing accessible document formats and ensuring compatibility with screen readers, text-to-speech software, and adjustable text size and color contrast are crucial for overall accessibility.
Several low-effort, high-impact changes can significantly align an existing course with UDL principles. Firstly, provide course materials in multiple formats, such as accompanying text documents with audio or video versions, and ensure all videos have captions and transcripts. Secondly, when introducing the course, instructors can make a brief video introduction or include a photo in the syllabus to personalize the initial contact and make students feel welcome. Thirdly, explicitly outlining learning outcomes in plain, accessible language can assist learners with linguistic or information processing difficulties. In terms of assignments, offering options for submission (e.g., a presentation, written report, or video) allows students to demonstrate creativity and engagement in ways that cater to varying information processing, reading speed, and social interaction preferences. Lastly, incorporating formative assessments with detailed rubrics provides more frequent, constructive feedback and allows students to self-assess their progress, supporting a growth mindset.
Designing assessments with multiple means of expression, aligned with UDL’s third principle, allows students to demonstrate learning in varied ways that leverage their strengths, without compromising learning outcomes. Instructors should offer choices in how students demonstrate their understanding, such as allowing submission in formats like multimedia presentations, ePortfolios, oral presentations, videos, or written reports, instead of relying solely on traditional methods like essays or multiple-choice quizzes. This approach ensures that the focus remains on student learning and achievement of the learning outcomes, rather than on the assessment method itself. To ensure learning outcomes are met, assessments must be clearly aligned with learning goals, and explicit criteria and rubrics should be provided to guide students and clarify expectations for all chosen formats.
UDL-aligned alternatives to traditional timed exams focus on providing flexible ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. These include alternative assessments such as multimedia presentations, ePortfolios, or demonstrations. Students could be given choices to submit deliverables in formats like audio, video, or visual means (e.g., infographics). Other options include project-based tasks, where students develop a product or solution over time. Instructors can also offer open-book assessments or allow the use of other tools and resources. To reduce pressure and allow for deeper engagement, assignments can be chunked into smaller, manageable pieces with staggered deadlines, or scaffolded with progressive support and multiple opportunities for feedback leading up to a final submission. Flexible deadlines and options for extensions can also accommodate diverse student needs and circumstances.
Ensuring fairness and academic integrity when offering flexible assessment options primarily involves transparent design and clear communication. A core strategy is constructive alignment, which ensures that all assessment tasks are directly aligned with the intended learning outcomes and the learning activities. This ensures that regardless of the format chosen, students are demonstrating the same core knowledge and skills. Instructors should provide clear and explicit criteria for success through comprehensive rubrics and detailed guidelines for all assessment options. This transparency allows students to understand expectations and self-assess their work, promoting equity in grading. Additionally, communicating the university’s policies on academic integrity, such as KPU’s Policy on Student Academic Integrity, in the syllabus sets clear expectations for student conduct.
Meaningful feedback that supports learner variability should be timely, specific, understandable, and actionable. Aligned with UDL, feedback should be provided in multiple formats, such as written comments, verbal explanations, peer feedback, or digital feedback, to cater to diverse student preferences and ensure comprehensibility. Instructors should focus feedback on specific actions and behaviors rather than judging character, which helps foster a growth mindset and encourages students to view challenges as opportunities for development. It’s crucial to acknowledge students’ emotions regarding feedback and to be collaborative in finding solutions for improvement. Encouraging intrinsic feedback – where students recognize outcomes from their own actions – promotes self-monitoring and assessment. Instructors should also regularly seek student input on feedback practices and adjust them to meet evolving student needs.
Co-creating assessment criteria or rubrics with students aligns with UDL by promoting engagement and empowering students in their learning. The source highlights that “student-designed rubrics” can be a Universal Design for Learning solution. Furthermore, it suggests that by involving students in defining assessment criteria, instructors can promote relevance and engagement. While the source does not detail specific methods for co-creation, it emphasizes that students should be encouraged to use preset criteria to evaluate their own progress and that involving learners in the assessment of their own progress is a cornerstone of UDL for fostering self-reflection and metacognition. This participatory approach ensures that students understand the expectations and standards for different levels of achievement, contributing to a more equitable and student-centered learning environment.
In large lecture settings, you can implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action & expression. For instance, to support representation, use visual aids like diagrams, charts, or infographics during lectures, and provide real-time captioning or transcripts for auditory information. To enhance engagement, incorporate interactive elements such as polls or in-class quizzes that provide immediate feedback. You can also facilitate breakout sessions, even in a large class, to provide a more comfortable setting for participation. For action and expression, ensure materials allow for flexible content delivery, such as providing recorded lectures for students to review at their own pace. Additionally, always use inclusive language to foster a welcoming learning environment for all.
Technology can significantly support UDL by offering diverse means of representation, engagement, and action & expression. For representation, you can use digital tools and platforms like Moodle, Pressbooks, or H5P to present course content in multiple formats such as text, audio, video, and interactive simulations. To boost engagement, integrate interactive activities like H5P activities, quizzes, or collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom for real-time collaboration and discussions. For action & expression, technology enables students to demonstrate their learning through varied formats, such as submitting digital portfolios (e.g., PebblePad), multimedia presentations (e.g., Kaltura), or participating in online discussions (e.g., Hypothesis). Tools like lightboard studios, recording studios, and podcast studios also allow instructors to create engaging, multimodal content that enhances learning experiences.
If students are not engaging with the multiple options you provide, it’s crucial to first collect constant data on their performance to monitor progress. Formative assessments, such as just-in-time teaching strategies that adjust content based on end-of-session feedback or peer assessment techniques like reciprocal teaching, can help identify engagement issues in real-time. You should also ensure that your feedback is specific, reliable, and provides actionable insights on how students can improve, as this helps them reflect on their learning and identify knowledge gaps. Consider whether the options truly connect to students’ interests and motivations. You might also need to explicitly teach students that learning is an ongoing process and that challenges and failures are opportunities for growth, fostering a growth mindset.
To integrate real-time flexibility while maintaining control, consider strategies that enable immediate feedback and responsiveness. In synchronous settings, you can use Moodle’s quiz function for real-time polls or quizzes during live sessions to quickly gauge student understanding and adjust your pace or explanations as needed. Utilizing breakout sessions in large classes allows for more focused, interactive discussions without disrupting the main lecture flow. The “Just-In-Time Teaching” (JiTT) technique can be used to gather student feedback at the end of a session to inform adjustments for the next class, allowing for informed, proactive flexibility. By having clear learning objectives and a structured framework like BOPPPS or 4MAT, you can flexibly adapt activities or content delivery while staying aligned with your overall lesson goals.
Fostering a sense of belonging and community through UDL-informed instruction involves intentionally designing for connection and inclusion. This aligns with the UDL principle of Engagement, specifically by fostering collaboration and community. Strategies include incorporating group projects and structured peer feedback mechanisms to encourage interaction among learners. You can also use interactive online discussions via Moodle forums to facilitate conversations outside of class, allowing students to connect and build on each other’s ideas. Adopting a compassionate care approach to feedback, focusing on actions and behaviors, acknowledging emotions, and collaborating on solutions, also contributes to a supportive and empathetic learning environment where students feel valued. Additionally, ensuring culturally responsive teaching and including diverse examples and case studies helps all students feel represented and welcomed.
UDL Your Pathway Courses
The UDL Your Pathway Courses resource provides strategies and guidelines for instructors to design inclusive and accessible pathway courses, ensuring that all students can engage and succeed in their learning. This four-page guide specifically supports instructors teaching Pathway courses by offering practical UDL strategies to enhance student progression and learning success through course and assessment design.
On Demand Workshops on UDL
If you are interested in the Commons to deliver a workshop on UDL, please click below to visit the TDx page to submit a ticket.
Support for UDLing Syllabus, Course, Assessment, & Instructional Design
Teaching and Learning strategists are available for 1:1 consultations with instructors (and/or departments!) seeking support for syllabus, course, assessment, and instructional design. Please click the button below to visit the TDx page to submit a ticket.
Stay Tuned! — Exciting Workshops Coming Soon!
Please click the button below to visit the Humanitix events page for upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Teaching & Learning Commons.