Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design

Universal design is a better concept than accessibility when designing courses.  The law requires that our courses are accessible. This means we have to build courses that are usable for people with disabilities. Universal design means that we design courses that are the most useful to the most different types of people. So, we consider disabilities but also primary language, learning preferences, and how students may be accessing our content. This framework will make our courses more user friendly to all students. 

In NCSU's Introduction to Universal Design Links to an external site., NCSU defines the term as "a design concept that recognizes, respects, values and attempts to accommodate the broadest possible spectrum of human ability in the design of all products, environments and information systems." They identify 7 components of Universal Design:

  1. Equitable - the design is equally useful to people with diverse abilities.
  2. Flexible - the design supports differing abilities.
  3. Simple - the design is intuitive. 
  4. Perceptible - the design offers material in multiple modalities.
  5. Tolerance for error - the design minimizes possibilities for predictable errors.
  6. Effortless - the design minimizes repetitive actions.
  7. Spacious - the design includes appropriate room for users. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Educators took the principles behind universal design and applied them to learning. There are three dimensions to UDL and they are all about giving students options: 

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Text for use with a screenreader Links to an external site.

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines graphic PDF Download Universal Design for Learning Guidelines graphic PDF

Graphic provided by UDL on Campus Links to an external site.

Optional ASCCC OERI Webinars

UDL 101: Links to an external site. What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? Join us for an overview of UDL principles and how UDL can positively impact teaching and learning.

UDL, SLO, OEP Links to an external site. – the alphabet soup of good course design.  How can we design courses that engage diverse students and provide mechanisms for students to accurately demonstrate their learning? .

Attributions

Curb Cuts and Universal Design, This work is a derivative of @ONE Creating Accessible Course Content by  @ONE (Online Network of Educators) Links to an external site. is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0  Links to an external site.license and is made possible through funding from the California Community College Chancellor's Office.

Universal Design for Learning, This work is a derivative of @ONE Creating Accessible Course Content by  @ONE (Online Network of Educators) Links to an external site. is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0  Links to an external site.license and is made possible through funding from the California Community College Chancellor's Office.