Universal Design for Learning in Practice

About the Universal Design for Learning in Practice Cohort

Each semester, Academic Technology Services Teaching and Learning Technologies offers a four-week training program on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The Universal Design for Learning in Practice cohort program is designed to give Emory faculty and graduate teaching assistants the information and skills to begin implementing UDL into their Canvas learning environment and overall course design. The objective is to prepare for designing a new course or redesigning an old course using UDL.

Join Our Fall 2024 Cohort!

Dates: Oct. 2, 9, 23, & 30 (no meeting Oct. 16)

Applications for the Fall 2024 cohort are now open! If you are interested in joining us for the Fall 2024 cohort, please fill out the application form by Friday, September 13. Email  with any questions.

More About UDL

UDL is a framework for inclusive pedagogy that addresses the needs of students of varying abilities, backgrounds, and identities. Implementing UDL strategies into your Canvas course, assessments, syllabus, and overall teaching can help simplify your design process and improve outcomes for all students, especially from an accessibility standpoint. You can read more about UDL in higher education on the CAST website.

Program Details

The program consists of four weeks of learning content and intentional activities that instructors can use to practice applying their skills to existing or in-progress Canvas courses. After the four weeks, they can continue to interact with the cohort, ask questions, and share progress in the Discussion forum for the cohort Canvas site.

Week 1: Understanding UDL

  • Lesson: Introduction to the UDL principles, with examples; accessibility issues in Canvas
  • Discussion: How UDL fits into the higher education paradigm
  • Application: Use the Accessibility Checker in Canvas; create personal goals for the program

Week 2: Strategies for Course Organization and Content

  • Lesson: Strategies for implementing UDL in Canvas; example course site and connection to in-person teaching
  • Discussion: Challenges and opportunities of UDL
  • Application: Planning exercise for incorporating UDL into a course

Week 3: Designing Assessments

  • Lesson: Examples of UDL-style assessments and how to build them in Canvas
  • Discussion: Responding to different learner needs through assessments
  • Application: Planning exercise for designing an assessment with UDL

Week 4: Syllabus Workshop

  • Lesson: Strategies for applying UDL to your syllabus
  • Workshop: Step-by-step walkthrough and examples
  • Application: Syllabus design exercise