Using UDL principles

I was tasked with the responsibility of developing a new post-graduate unit in the Faculty of Education in Applied Behaviour Analysis. One of the key foci for this unit was to build the capabilities of the workforce to better support people with disabilities and thus to experience greater inclusion. Therefore I felt it important to not only teach this, but to model it in my own practice. This led me to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework. Since the original design of the unit, Brad Bloomfield and Russell Fox have joined the teaching team and have been integral in the process of continual unit review and refinement using this approach.

I used the UDL Framework to design the unit. Every element of the unit design was considered through the lens of the the three-part Framework that includes multiple means of:

1. Engagement
2. Representation
3. Action and expression

From these principles, Brad, Russell and I have developed a seven-step process for inclusive online learning design:

	Create a clear, consistent, and intuitive unit structure.
	Ensure students are welcomed into the unit and are provided with an induction.
	Set up each week the same way.
	Align learning objectives to weekly learning activities.
	Create active student learning activities, using the principles of UDL.
	Engage with your students in multiple ways
	Design with accessibility in mind from the start.

SETU results are consistently “meeting and exceeding expectations” - students really love the course. These results show that UDL doesn’t just improve the experience for students with disabilities, it improves the experience for all students.

I am proud to say that I have received many awards and accolades for my work in this course including the Monash Graduate Association Lecturer of the Year Award and both the Dean and Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.

One of the main outcomes has been a clear and consistent Moodle structure, not only in this unit, but it has also been replicated in other units. This enhanced useability therefore results in a smaller number of student emails during the semester regarding difficulties navigating Moodle and locating information. The effect of this has been to free up time during the semester to spend with students to deep dive into asynchronous materials, answer questions, discuss and debate topics and materials.

The process of curriculum development or renewal using the UDL Framework requires a lot of time upfront in the planning process.  We need to be mindful that we can’t just record a lecture and put it online and think that will result in a high quality experience for students. Think differently, use a different set of skills. The following is a graphic representation of the key questions and considerations that drove our unit design:

Source: 6 stages of UDL thinking, Chrissie Butler, CORE education.

Therefore, my top tips for adopting this approach include:

• Allow extra time upfront for the unit design including resource development.
• Enlist assistance if you can eg. a learning technologist if you don’t have the skills necessary.
• Access funding if possible - Erin accessed $5000 of Faculty Teaching Innovation Funding to employ a casual Research Assistant to assist her with the Moodle design and set up.
• Use the Plus One Approach if you are really pressed for time and/or feel overwhelmed at the prospect of full curriculum renewal,:
  • Think about one area in your teaching that you struggle with and focus on how you could make it more accessible/useable/active/student-focused and change that one thing
  • Build on your Plus One’s over time

Top tip: have a video overview of your Moodle site that you show students at the start of the semester that details how to navigate and find things on the Moodle site.