Universal Design for Instruction in Postsecondary Education

Welcome to Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) at the University of Connecticut. Our current project, UDI Online, is a unique collaboration between the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability in the Neag School of Education and the Center for Students with Disabilities in Student Affairs. Prior work in UDI is expanded through this project by applying the nine Principles of UDI© to online and technology blended learning environments at the postsecondary level.

The UDI Online project focuses on the concept of "faculty as designer" and targets electronic teaching "e-Tools" that faculty can implement in their courses without requiring the support of an instructional or web design team. For this project, e-Tools are defined as digitally presented materials, instructional techniques, and/or strategies that can be used or manipulated by a course instructor to proactively create a learning environment that benefits a broad range of learners. E-Tools selected for inclusion in the e-Toolbox were vetted by the UDI Online project team and met criteria for accessibility, usability, effectiveness, and the application of one or more of the Principles of UDI. The e-Tools were then used and reviewed by faculty at five higher education institutions, including:

• Keene State College (New Hampshire)
• Middlesex County College (New Jersey)
• Mitchell College (Connecticut)
• Southern Connecticut State University
• University of Connecticut

The e-Tools can be used by faculty in course planning, content delivery, and assessment of student learning in online and technology blended courses to address the different learning styles of students, including students with cognitive disabilities. These low cost/no cost e-Tools are housed in the e-Toolbox and range in complexity, offering a variety of features to address faculty and student needs specific to the digital learning environment.

The activities of the UDI Online project are ongoing, including research, data collection and analysis, along with e-Tool selection and review. Thus, information presented on this web site is continually being reviewed, refined, and expanded upon. Please check back often as we are regularly updating this site with project outcomes and e-Tools.