Abstract
UDL principles are not consistently applied in the tertiary sector in Australia and appear infrequently in government policies. There is limited research about UDL in Australia and few studies that describe the challenges in implementing UDL across a whole tertiary institution. In this chapter the authors present an approach taken at the University of Sydney, focusing on supporting academics to understand UDL, identify areas in their own teaching that already use UDL principles, and select one or two new strategies to add to their courses each year. This approach starts with an acknowledgement that change is challenging, and that change can be incremental rather than requiring a whole course review to embed UDL principles. The authors identified institution-specific levels to support academics to choose strategies that would be relatively easy to implement. To date, teaching staff who have used these resources have found them valuable.
TopBackground
UDL in Higher Education
The Universal Design for Learning framework and Guidelines were developed by the Centre for Applied Special Technology, now named, and recognized globally as CAST (CAST, 2018). CAST was initially founded in 1984 to explore ways of using new technologies to enable students with disabilities access to better educational experiences (CAST, 2022). Over time, as CAST researchers tested and refined their principles, priorities, and vision, they came to a new understanding of how to improve education for all learners using flexible methods and materials, through the approach of Universal Design for Learning. This includes the current 9 guidelines and 31 checkpoints which can be used to improve teaching and learning for all people, and which is based on scientific insights into how humans learns (CAST, 2018) Whilst variations in the definition of UDL exists, it is clear. In higher education, UDL is used to create inclusive learning environments that support the success of all students, regardless of their background, learning style, or ability (Black et al., 2014; Cumming & Rose, 2022; Jwad et al., 2022).
Internationally, Universal Design for Learning has been specified in public policies, such as the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which was the first federal legislation to define and endorse UDL in the USA (Cast, 2018). Other examples of UDL in Higher Education includes the framework published by the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at Calgary University Canada (Jwad et al., 2022).
Fovet (2020a) observed that in the last decade of UDL in higher education across North America, institutions tended to work in an insular fashion. He described how institutions were intent on ‘reinventing the wheel’ and demonstrated secrecy and lack of openness to share good UDL practices. It is uncertain as to whether this may be a similar practice in Australia, and hence also contributing to why only few examples of UDL practice at an institute level are published. To open cross institutional learning, Fovet (2020a) recommended the need for rich and wide networks to remedy the hindrance to the overall development of UDL at national and international levels.
Although UDL is valuable to plan inclusive teaching, there will always be students who need individual adjustments for example students with hearing loss may need sign language interpreters. The modifications to include captions during lectures may not be sufficient for a student with a hearing loss to participate in live activities or presentations. UDL will bridge that gap to some extent but individual adjustments will still be required by some.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Tertiary: Formal post-secondary education, including public and private universities, colleges, technical training institutes, and vocational schools.
Academic Plan: A document that specifies the adjustments needed for a student with a disability for each course they take.
Elective Course: Elective courses are courses students can choose, allowing them to study topics of interest. Electives, when added to the core courses, make up the total number of units needed to complete the degree.
Learning Management System (LMS): A Learning Management System is software that helps teachers create, manage, organize, and deliver online learning materials to learners. It is also known as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Inclusion and Disability Services (IDS): IDS provides support to students who have a disability to ensure that they can gain access to the adjustments and services they need to succeed in their studies. They meet with the student, review medical documentation, and create an academic plan.
Cycle of Planning: This refers to the concept of planning taking place either year by year or semester by semester. Teachers plan content with reference to various policies and learning objectives. They then reflect on the success of the semester and modify the content for the next time the course is taught.
Course Coordinator: The course coordinator is responsible for all aspects of a specific course (unit of study). They will often teach in the course but also set up the LMS, coordinate external lecturers, tutors, and markers. They will arrange for modification in the academic plan to be implemented and ensure that all students can access the learning material.