Universal Design for Learning in Tertiary Education: A Scoping Review and Recommendations for Implementation in Australia

This scoping review provides a systematic comparison of the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Australian and international tertiary education systems. The review identifies minimal evidence of the use of UDL in tertiary level education in Australia, though promising practice internationally suggests there is opportunity to explore the benefits of UDL in tertiary education more broadly. The comprehensive environmental scan catalogues international examples where UDL is applied in teaching curriculum, indicating effective implementation when there is a whole of faculty or institute approach, and where faculty members are educated in its application. The review also identifies limiting factors in the application of the UDL approach at tertiary level and provides practice and policy-based recommendations to increase tertiary educator practice and application of the UDL framework that is likely to generate evidence to inform a shift in tertiary education policy towards inclusive design that will better meet the needs of diverse learners. (January 2022)

(Dr. Noor Jwad and Assoc. Prof. Mary-Ann O’Donovan, Centre for Disability Studies, The University of Sydney; Dr. Erin Leif, Monash University; Dr. Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University; and Elicia Ford and Jessica Buhne, National Disability Coordination Officer Program, Centre for Disability Studies)