Launch of the Universal Design Learning (UDL) Toolkit

15th June 2020

Launch of the UDL Toolkit, Suzanne Stone & Karen Buckley.

It is well documented that the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) have enormous potential to positively impact on the learning experience of all students, not exclusively those with disabilities or diverse learning needs. Specifically, UDL promotes the use of multiple approaches to ensure that teaching, learning and assessment is accessible to all (Meyer, Rose and Gordon, 2014).

Dublin City University has committed to enhance the inclusivity of the learning experience for our students as outlined in our strategic vision; ‘Talent, Discovery and Transformation’ (2017-2022)’. To fulfil this commitment, we have drawn on expertise across DCU Faculties and beyond, to implement a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) pedagogic framework to underpin our institutional approach to teaching, learning and assessment.

This presentation will showcase how the Teaching Enhancement Unit has reimagined learning design for our virtual learning environment, through the development of a UDL toolkit for Moodle. Findings from the initial piloting of the toolkit will be disseminated and the presentation will link this work to the recent INDEx survey and the DigCompEdu framework through competence 5.1 ‘Accessibility and inclusion’.