Strategies for Incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the Online Classroom

This session examines strategies for incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the online classroom. UDL seeks to create an inclusive learning environment built around three principles: (1) multiple means of representation, (2) multiple means of expression, and (3) multiple means of engagement (Kelly, 2014). Incorporating UDL in the online classroom meets student needs by providing materials and assessments in multiple formats. As online courses become more diverse and pressures to retain students continue to increase, faculty and curriculum designers need to move beyond a “one size fits all approach” to online curriculum design and adopt new approaches that are designed to help students with diverse skill levels and learning styles to be successful in the online classroom. This session will examine how Universal Design for Learning can be used to design next generation online courses.