Overview and Key Information

The widespread availability of online learning has been a way to reach an ever-expanding audience of learners. With such an expansive audience, instructional designers need to take learner variability into account when designing, to account for the great variety of learner needs that exist.

These needs can vary due to learning or cognitive disabilities, or even through technological considerations – the learner’s familiarity with technology, their equipment and/or network access, and also where they complete their learning (mobile, classroom, home).

UDL, or Universal Design for Learning, is a framework used when planning learning and its goal is to give learners options of how they engage with the material in all parts of the learning process:

1. Representation – how the material is shown to the student or how they access it
2. Action & Expression – how the student uses that material to learn and present evidence of their learning
3. Engagement – how well the student can absorb and stay focused on the material

Various scaffolds and supports can be built into each part of the learning process so that learners can choose how they are able to best absorb the information, as well as how they can present their work and complete assessments, allowing for differentiation according to the variability of the learners.

The advantage of online learning for UDL is that the digital format can readily support varied learner needs through a wide array of technology and tools that are constantly expanding. Just a few examples include: screen readers, text-to-speech, alt text, closed captioning on videos, and customizability within display or viewing. These options prove helpful for all learners by allowing them choices of how they best interact and learn, whether or not they have an official learning disability.

Other Resources for Further Learning

https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Updated just last summer, this is the official UDL Guidelines 3.0. This site offers detailed information and even downloadable pdfs of the considerations to think about when designing for multiple means of Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression.

https://www.boia.org/blog/universal-design-an-introduction-for-digital-content-creators

This article provides a general overview of universal design principles and how they apply to work beyond learning and design. This also lists many good examples of how universal design can assist many different learners or users – not just those with disabilities. Users in different situations can make use of the choices available so that they can best engage with the content.

Implications of Accessibility and UDL in Instructional Design

Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning needs to be an essential part of the process when planning any learning experience. Online learning reaches a huge and varied audience of learners, so it’s vital to build in choices for how the learner can engage with the material in the way that best suits their needs, and that can help give timely feedback and help while learners and teachers may be separated by time and distance. Even in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting, UDL can assist all levels of learners by offering options to those who may have language, cognitive, attention, or other differences, giving them a higher chance for success.

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Works Cited

Return to Instructional Design Models (LDTC 605)

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