Abstract

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an education design framework that emphasizes accessibility and learner agency. It has been receiving increasing attention in higher education from both teaching faculty and centers for improving teaching. Our mixed-methods study aimed to collect a rich dataset describing instructors’ perspectives on UDL while simultaneously analyzing artifacts that represent learners’ experiences in the instructors’ courses. We collected survey data and recent syllabi from 35 instructors from multiple countries. Our findings revealed significant interconnections among the domains of the UDL framework that many instructors expressed in a “humanizing pedagogy.” We drew from exemplar syllabi to illustrate how successful applications of UDL in syllabus design often resulted in the embracing and foregrounding of the humanity of both learners and instructors. Our research can provide a path for further study and potential applications for instructional practice by suggesting an essential, personal element present for many instructors who have successfully integrated UDL into their course design.

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