Join us as we discuss universal design principles and strategies for meeting the needs of all online learners. Event Sponsored by: The University of Memphis Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

1. Contact Us:
um3d@memphis.edu
memphis.edu/instructionalimpact
901.678.2783

2. About UM3D
We support faculty and departments in
the design, development, and delivery of
online courses and programs.

3. Framing the Conversation
What is Universal Design?
Who benefits from UDL?
In what ways are learners variable?
Defining variability, diversity, and disability

4. A Brief History on UDL
Architecture & Product
Development
Learning Environments &
Instructional Design

5. What is UDL?
“Universal Design for Learning is a framework for
the design of materials and instructional methods
that are usable by a wide range of students. One aim
of UDL is to provide full access to students with
special needs, but it offers significant affordances for
all students, allowing them to benefit from learning
presented through multiple sensory avenues and a
variety of conceptual frameworks.”
--Educause.edu

6. Who benefits?
All students.

7. Learning Online: Challenges
success
rates
F2F
online

8. Learning Online: Benefits
Image source: open4us.org
Accessible.
Open.
Flexible.
Anytime,
anywhere.

9. Applying UDL in Online Courses

10. UDL Guidelines: Provide multiple means of...
Engagement >> purposeful, motivated learners
Representation >> resourceful, knowledgeable learners
Action & Expression >> strategic, goal-directed learners

11. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> engaging the individual interests of students
Provide options for:
● Self-regulation
● Sustaining effort and persistence
● Recruiting interest

12. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> SELF-REGULATION
This principle focuses on providing ways to build
intrinsic motivations for learners by providing
sufficient alternatives. The alternatives provided
allows learners to effectively manage their own
levels of engagement and success in the course.

13. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> SELF-REGULATION
Promote Positive Course
Expectations
Develop Self- Assessment
Curriculum
● Prepare reminders, guides and
checklists for each assignment
● Create peer coaches or mentors using
the current class roster
● Provide self reflection assignment
opportunities
● Design pre/post test assessments
● Create non graded assignments
● Prepare assignments that provide
immediate feedback

14. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> SUSTAINING EFFORT AND PERSISTENCE
When considering this
technique, faculty should
consider what motivates
students to learn, their capacity
to learn new concepts and their
ability to prosper in complex
learning environments.

15. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> SUSTAINING EFFORT AND PERSISTENCE
Provide Clear
Course Goals and
Objectives
Encourage
Collaboration and
Communication Increase Feedback
● Divide long-term
course goals into
short-term objectives
● Require learners to
draft a course goal
statement
● Schedule periodic
reminders of stated
course goals
● Create learning
communities with
clear goals, roles and
responsibilities
● Encourage peer
interactions
● Create standards and
expectations for group
work
Provide feedback that is:
● Frequent, timely and
specific
● Substantive and
informative
● Focused on
development and self-
awareness

16. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> RECRUITING INTEREST
Every student has their own learning goals,
interests, backgrounds and are most likely
motivated by different things. How can we provide
options for keeping students interested and
engaged in all course content?

17. UDL Guideline: Engagement
>> RECRUITING INTEREST
Offer Alternatives for
Learning
Increase Course
Relevance and Value Minimize Distractions
Allow learners to choose:
● Level of perceived
challenge
● Type of rewards or
recognition
● Sequence and/or timing
for completion of tasks
Course content should vary to
include:
● Contextualized and
realistic topics of
interest
● Communicate to real
audiences
● Allow for active
participation and
exploration
● Invite personal
response and self
reflection
Instructors should seek to:
● Create an accepting
and supporting climate
● Vary the level of risk
● Provide learner support
and protection
● Involve all learners in
course activities

18. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> resourceful, knowledgeable learners
Provide options for:
● Comprehension
● Language, Expressions, and Symbols
● Perception

19. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> COMPREHENSION
Learners differ in the ways they retain and
comprehend information and may all require
different ways of approaching content. This
principle focuses on constructing usable,
transferable knowledge that will assist learners in
future decision making.

20. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> COMPREHENSION
Supply Background Knowledge
and Information
Guide Information Processing
and Visualization
● Link activities and assessments to real
world examples
● Provide preparatory resources for
concepts through demonstrations
● Provide multiple entry points to a
lesson
● Create optional pathways through
content
● Chunk large concepts into smaller
elements
● Progressively release content

21. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> LANGUAGE, EXPRESSIONS, AND SYMBOLS
Vocabulary, graphics and charts can be interpreted
differently by all learners. This principle identifies
the strategies needed to ensure alternatives are
provided for content is accessible and
comprehended by all learners.

22. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> LANGUAGE, EXPRESSIONS, AND SYMBOLS
Clarify Common
Language and
Symbols Used in the
Subject
Reduce Barriers for
Understanding
Content
Display Concepts
Through Multiple
Media
● Provide a glossary of
common and
uncommon terms
used
● Provide alt text
descriptions for
graphics
● Allow use of Speech
to Text for complex
concepts
● Provide multiple
representations of
content
● Offer clarification of
key terms in glossary
● Provide multiple forms
of a specific concept
● Use varying forms of
display for the same
concept

23. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> PERCEPTION
Learners differ in the ways they perceive and
comprehend information and may all require
different ways of approaching content. Providing
options for content representation is essential in
making learning accessible to all learners.

24. UDL Guideline: Representation
>> PERCEPTION
Provide Alternatives for Auditory
Content
Provide Alternatives for Visual
Content
● Use captions or speech to text
functions
● Provide written transcripts
● Provide visuals for all audio included
in course
● Provide descriptions for all images
and graphics
● Provide auditory cues for key
concepts and/or transitions
● Use relevant graphics for key
concepts

25. UDL Guideline: Action & Expression
>> strategic, goal-directed learners
Provide options for:
● Executive functions
● Expression and Communication
● Physical action

26. UDL Guideline: Action & Expression
>> EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
Guide appropriate goal setting. Support planning and strategy
development.
Provide students with:
● Goals/Objectives and schedules in
a prominent location
● Prompts to set goals (i.e. learning
contracts, weekly reminders, etc.)
● Guides and checklists for meeting
course goals
● Support for pacing/timing of the
course (released content, self-
monitoring)
Provide students with:
● Appropriate “breaks” in the course
for reflection and planning
● Opportunities to show and explain
progress in the course (i.e.
portfolios)
● Provide templates for sequencing,
scheduling of activities/projects
● Model thought processes and goal-
setting (via audio, video, images)

27. UDL Guideline: Action & Expression
>> EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
Facilitate managing
information and resources
Increase capacity for
monitoring progress.
Courses should make use of:
● Concept mapping tools and
graphic organizer tools
● Tools for categorizing and
organizing information (such as
cloud-based document services,
bookmarking tools, etc.)
● Guides to assist note-taking (i.e.
outlines to accompany
presentations, tools that allow
students to share
ideas/thoughts/notes)
To provide clear feedback on progress:
● Encourage self-regulation and
monitoring through question
prompts
● Provide representations of
progress (i.e. graphs/charts,
portfolios)
● Incorporate templates that guide
self-reflection on
quality/completeness of work
● Provide models for self-
assessment (via video
reviews, peer feedback)

28. UDL Guideline: Action & Expression
>> EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION
Use multiple media
for communication.
Use multiple tools
for construction and
composition.
Build fluencies with
graduated levels of
support for practice
and performance.
Students should
communicate using:
● Multiple media such
as text, drawings,
illustrations, videos,
audio content
● Social media and
interactive tools such
as blogs, discussion
forums, annotation
tools, and
collaborative tools
Students should utilize a
variety of tools such as:
● Text-to-speech tools
● Concept mapping
tools
● Outlining,
storyboarding tools
● Web 2.0 applications
(wikis, presentations,
animations, etc.)
Students should be
provided:
● Variety of mentors and
course support
● Scaffolds
● Accessible feedback
● Multiple examples to
solutions

29. UDL Guideline: Action & Expression
>> PHYSICAL ACTION
Vary methods for response and
navigation.
Optimize access to tools and
assistive technologies.
Provide students multiple options to:
● Navigate between modules and
materials
● Stop, playback, and review video and
audio-based content
● Control the pace and timing of course
participation
Course developers should:
● Ensure tools utilized are accessible to
students with disabilities
● Work with vendors to ensure tools and
resources are in an accessible format

30. Upcoming Events for
UofM Online Coordinators
Emerging Technologies in Online Learning Symposium
April 22-24
WCAG Compliance Training for Accessibility
April 24

31. UDL: Q & A