Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to course design that proactively reduces learning barriers and welcomes learner variability. Rather than expecting all students to learn in the same way, UDL encourages instructors to consider how their teaching decisions can create more accessible, inclusive, and usable learning experiences.
At the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), we approach UDL through three interconnected pillars: accessibility, inclusion, and usability. Together, these considerations help instructors examine how students access course materials, participate in learning activities, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
UDL does not require redesigning an entire course or providing unlimited choices. Instructors can begin by identifying a barrier in their teaching and considering one manageable change that may improve the learning experience.
For UDL programming, practical strategies, resources, and consultations, explore CTSI’s Teaching and Universal Design for Learning at U of T microsite.
Three Approaches to UDL
CTSI offers three complementary approaches to help instructors explore and apply UDL. Each provides a different way to consider learning barriers and identify opportunities for course design.
Designing Dimensions: Methods, Materials, and Environments
Every course involves decisions about how learning happens, what students interact with, and where and when learning takes place. These three dimensions provide a starting point for examining how course design may create or reduce barriers.
- Methods: How students engage in learning activities, practice skills, participate, and demonstrate their learning.
- Materials: What students use to learn, including readings, presentations, videos, technologies, and assessment resources.
- Environments: Where and when learning takes place, including physical, digital, and social learning environments.
For example, an instructor might consider whether providing an outline before a lecture would help students prepare, follow the material, and organize their notes. This small adjustment involves both the methods and materials used to support learning.
Designing Scaffolds: Access, Support, and Executive Function
Scaffolds are intentional supports that help students enter learning activities, engage with course content, and develop the skills needed to work more independently.
- Access: Reduce barriers that may prevent students from entering or participating in a learning experience.
- Support: Provide structures, resources, and opportunities that help students engage with learning and develop understanding.
- Executive Function: Support students in planning, organizing, monitoring progress, and managing complex learning tasks.
For example, an instructor might divide a major assignment into stages with clear milestones and opportunities for feedback. This can help students plan their work, monitor progress, and develop strategies for completing complex tasks.
UDL Guidelines 3.0 as a Design Menu
Developed by CAST, the UDL Guidelines 3.0 provide a framework for reducing barriers and supporting learner agency. The Guidelines are organized around three principles:
- Engagement: Designing opportunities that support students’ interests, motivation, persistence, and participation.
- Representation: Presenting information and supporting understanding through accessible and meaningful approaches.
- Action and Expression: Providing opportunities for students to interact with learning, develop strategies, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
The three principles encompass nine guidelines and 36 considerations. Rather than treating these as a checklist, instructors can use the Guidelines as a flexible design menu, selecting considerations relevant to their learning outcomes, teaching context, and students.
Explore CAST’s UDL Guidelines 3.0 for the complete framework.
Starting Small: The Plus-One/Minus-One Approach
Applying UDL does not have to involve major course changes. The Plus-One/Minus-One approach encourages instructors to identify a pinch point—a moment when learning is not going as anticipated—and consider a manageable adjustment.
- Plus-One: Add one option, support, or pathway that may reduce a learning barrier. For example, provide a lecture outline alongside a live presentation to help students follow and organize key ideas.
- Minus-One: Remove unnecessary complexity, clutter, or requirements that may create barriers. For example, simplify assignment instructions by highlighting essential requirements and organizing them into clear steps.
Consider the following questions:
- Where might students encounter barriers in my course?
- What is one thing I could add to support learning?
- What is one thing I could remove or simplify to reduce unnecessary barriers?
The goal is not to add more options to every activity. It is to make intentional design decisions that address meaningful barriers while supporting the intended learning outcomes.
For additional opportunities to develop your UDL practice, explore CTSI’s Universal Design for Learning Foundations (UDLF) self-paced learning program.
UDL and Academic Accommodations
UDL and academic accommodations complement one another. Proactive UDL design can reduce common learning barriers and create more accessible, inclusive, and usable learning experiences. However, UDL does not eliminate the need for individualized academic accommodations for students with disabilities.
Students may require approved accommodations to access course materials, participate in learning activities, or complete assessments. These accommodations are coordinated through the University’s campus Accessibility Services offices.
For information about academic accommodations, connect with:
For additional strategies related to accessibility in course design, consult CTSI’s Accessibility Guidelines for Teaching and Learning resource.