This study investigated online faculty familiarity, course design use, and professional development interest regarding universal design for learning (UDL) guidelines. The researchers surveyed all 2017 to 2018 online faculty at a large university in the southeastern United States. Findings included 71.6% of faculty reporting familiarity with at least one UDL guideline, with most respondents indicating familiarity with guidelines relating to perception, expression, and communication. Faculty reported the highest implementation of UDL guidelines was for those suggesting options for comprehension as well as expression and communication; the lowest implementation was for those suggesting options for physical action as well as language and support. Survey results also indicated high to moderate interest in learning more about all UDL guidelines, with emphasis on comprehension, persistence, and expression. This study suggests that faculty members desire UDL training and offers possibilities for planning and implementing such professional development in areas targeted to best meet the needs of online faculty.

Familiarity, Current Use, and Interest in Universal Design for Learning Among Online University Instructors by Carl D. Westine, Ph.D., Beth Oyarzun, Ph.D., Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell, Ph.D., Amanda Casto, Cornelia Okraski, Gwitaek Park, Julie Person, and Lucy Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Eric offers some closing thoughts for the 2019 Digicon then cedes to Adria Battagalia. Adria was recruited to offer reflections on the UDLHE Digicon and share a little about what she’s seeing by way of trends here at the Digicon and in UDL in higher education in general. Her jovial nature and gift for synthesis made this a great way to end the conference. 

A new assistant professor with little formal pedagogical training will share their experiences regarding how they came to appreciate the value of universal design for learning (UDL). Strategies for infusing UDL that can be implemented with relatively little time or energy were identified and will be shared. 

Higher education has a unique landscape that influences the methods of implementing and scaling UDL. This resource was recorded to summarize a workshop session from the 2019 UDL-IRN Summit. The workshop presentation focuses on networking and collaboration with others in higher education who are working towards implementing UDL into their systems, practices, and thinking. From Eric Moore's research, he presents a five-level model of UDL implementation in higher ed from the preparation level to the university-structural support level. The presentation helps higher education professionals identify strategies for moving to the next level of implementation. It emphasizes the opportunity to network and create a community of practice to support one another in our common objectives moving forward.

Higher education has a unique landscape that influences the methods of implementing and scaling UDL. This resource was recorded to summarize a workshop session from the 2019 UDL-IRN Summit. The workshop presentation focuses on networking and collaboration with others in higher education who are working towards implementing UDL into their systems, practices, and thinking. From Eric Moore's research, he presents a five-level model of UDL implementation in higher ed from the preparation level to the university-structural support level. The presentation helps higher education professionals identify strategies for moving to the next level of implementation. It emphasizes the opportunity to network and create a community of practice to support one another in our common objectives moving forward.

ThinkUDL is a podcast developed and created by College STAR (Supporting Transition Access & Retention). The purpose of the podcast is to expose listenters to educational practitioners that are implementing UDL at all levels from novice to expert. ThinkUDL is hosted by Lillian Nave who is currently teaching at Appalachian State University. In hosting ThinkUDL, Lillian seeks to discover not just WHAT the guests she interviews are teaching, learning, guiding, and facilitating, but HOW they design and implement it, and WHY it even matters! Topics that have been discused on the show thus far include:

• Why Learn?
• How UDL Values Learners
• Making UDL Work For Everyone

This resource will highlight a previously published phenomenological study that explored the understanding, experience, and application of UDL methodology among teacher candidates enrolled in a special and elementary education dual licensure program. The emerging themes from the study demonstrated that teacher candidates’ understanding and application of UDL were promoted by the UDL training received through modeling and implementation in supervised clinical field experiences. This resource will focus on UDL tools that are ready to be demonstrated, modeled, and implemented in K-12 classrooms and higher education classrooms. 

Academic Resources at Chattanooga State Community College, in the past few years, has adopted Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into their course design process for developing successful and engaging online courses. In their research on accessibility and UDL, they have collaborated campuswide as well as with other colleges and universities across their state.

This paper summarizes the Course Design for Student Success in Higher Education session that  wasoffered at UDL-IRN 2018. It will provide Learning Management System (LMS) tools, software, and pedagogy currently used in their course design process that promotes UDL and how their process is tied to the UDL principles. They will also provide recent course examples. This will include recent examples of STEM, Nursing, General Education, and Tennessee Center of Advanced Technology courses. In addition, it will provide resources solutions to common problems that occur during course design/re-design, including common LMS tips and tricks.

Academic Resources at Chattanooga State Community College, in the past few years, has adopted Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into their course design process for developing successful and engaging online courses. In their research on accessibility and UDL, they have collaborated campuswide as well as with other colleges and universities across their state.

This paper summarizes the Course Design for Student Success in Higher Education session that  wasoffered at UDL-IRN 2018. It will provide Learning Management System (LMS) tools, software, and pedagogy currently used in their course design process that promotes UDL and how their process is tied to the UDL principles. They will also provide recent course examples. This will include recent examples of STEM, Nursing, General Education, and Tennessee Center of Advanced Technology courses. In addition, it will provide resources solutions to common problems that occur during course design/re-design, including common LMS tips and tricks.

The University of Vermont's Designing for Learning Program is a unique collaboration between the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Writing in the Disciplines Program, and the College of Arts and Sciences. A cohort model is used each semester as part of building the community of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) knowledge. In each semester cohort, up to 10 College of Arts and Sciences faculty work to redesign their courses, using UDL principles in concert with backwards course design. The intentional application of UDL and backwards design helps to reinforce “tight goals and loose means” of infusing UDL into Higher Education course work. Each faculty member in the program participates in a series of five workshops on Universal Design for Learning and backwards course design. In addition, each faculty member has a teaching observation by a CTL staff member who guides them through the existing UDL components of their teaching and identifies places for improvement.