Universal Design for Learning
Greensboro College has committed to become a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) institution. UDL is a comprehensive educational framework that removes barriers to student learning and academic success. The principles of UDL recognize that variance in learning ability and style among individuals is the norm and not the exception. Therefore, curriculum should be adaptable to individual learning differences rather than the other way around.
You probably have questions! That’s OK. We have answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does how you learn matter?
Yes! Everyone has a unique learning style. It’s as unique as your fingerprint.
Do teaching methods matter?
Yes! Our new teaching framework enables students to be self-sufficient. The college is responsible for imparting knowledge and facilitating the learning process for all learners.
How is Greensboro College unique in addressing student learning needs?
Greensboro College is among a relatively small (but growing!) number of colleges and universities using UDL as a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.
How does this work in the classroom?
Universal Design for Learning does not remove academic challenges. UDL removes barriers to accessing course materials. UDL guides the design of instruction by customizing and adjusting teaching methods to meet individual learning needs. UDL is simply good teaching based on research on how humans learn.
How does this new framework assist all college students?
Universal Design for Learning:
- Empowers students to have a voice and makes them feel like they are important and responsible for a bright future.
- Connects to real life. There is life after school, and students need to see the links between what they learn at college and life outside.
- Focuses on the process, not just the outcome: Learning today isn’t just about the answer, but also how you get there.
- Builds in time to reflect and grow, ensuring that students and teachers alike have time to consider appropriate tools and approaches.
- Leverages technology in meaningful ways, ensuring that technology is a platform to enhance learning rather than overshadowing it.
- Engages learners on multiple levels, accommodating many types of learners in a single classroom who thrive in different ways.
- Supports faculty to try new things. Innovation in the classroom can happen only if educators feel supported rather than just evaluated.
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) UDL Video
Here’s a short video about UDL from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST):
Acknowledgements of Greensboro College’s adherence to best practices in teaching by employing Universal Design for Learning:
- Listed on the “UDL on Campus” page on the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) site as an institution with a UDL initiative.
- Member of the UDL Implementation and Research Network (UDL-IRN).
- Ms. Georgieann Bogdan, Greensboro College’s director of academic accessibility, was invited to make a presentation, “Greensboro College: A Model of UDL in the Curriculum,” at the Universal Design in Higher Education & Transformation Congress in October 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.
