Universal Design for Learning at UCC: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

As long-standing UDL enthusiasts, we at UCC have a rich history of promoting UDL and utilising it as a frame for our professional development opportunities for staff. The opportunity to roll out the Digital Badge in UDL (AHEAD, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning) in 2018 was an opportunity for us to further expand our professional development offerings, and we have continued to facilitate the Digital Badge since. The experience of delivering the Digital Badge has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have seen first-hand the shifts that have occurred in the mind-set and practices of participants. We are seeing an ever-increasing appetite for the course, attracting participants who work in different ways across the university to support student learning. The Covid-19 induced shift to online and blended learning brings a particular opportunity for us to reflect on the ways in which UDL may support both teachers and students in successfully navigating this pivot. To date, our participants have been open in sharing their experiences, successes, and challenges in beginning to understand and implement UDL in their day-to-day work. We hope to share these insights, and to highlight the value of such endeavours for our colleagues in the HE and FET sectors. Our experience as facilitators of this course have been critical to a current initiative we are undertaking, where we are creating a comprehensive bank of UDL and UD resources for staff across the university. This work supports a whole-institution approach to inclusion, and contributes towards our long-term goal of making inclusion everyone’s business.