Areas of Focus

Aligned to the Center for Applied Special Technology’s (CAST) three main principles of UDL, the HUDL initiative has designed a framework that includes course design and facilitation under the overarching umbrella of inclusive pedagogy* and accessibility, both of which are an inherent part of UDL.

Infographic showing how Inclusive Pedagogy relates to Course Design, Facilitation, and Accessibility

*Inclusive pedagogy is an approach to teaching that creates a learning environment that is beneficial to students of all backgrounds. Content and activities consider the varied perspectives of students and engages them in intentional ways to overcome barriers to learning. In other words, inclusive pedagogy is an approach that aims to make learning accessible to all students.

Within this framework, HUDL has defined four areas of focus that faculty can begin to implement immediately in both the course design and facilitation processes:

  1. Include course and module learning objectives aligned to assessments
  2. Represent content in a variety of formats
  3. Provide diverse assessment strategies including both formative and summative assessments
  4. Incorporate active learning strategies

Focus Area 1:

Learning Objectives Aligned to Assessments (Video Transcript – PDF)

If the video player is not available, please access the Learning Objectives Aligned to Assessments video here.

Focus Area 2:

Representing Content in a Variety of Formats (Video Transcript – PDF)

If the video player is not available, please access the Representing Content in a Variety of Formats video here.

Focus Area 3:

Diverse Assessment Strategies (Video Transcript – PDF)

If the video player is not available, please access the Diverse Assessment Strategies video here.

Focus Area 4:

Incorporating Active Learning Strategies (Video Transcript – PDF)

If the video player is not available, please access the Incorporating Active Learning Strategies video here.

HUDL Rubric

The HUDL ambassadors developed a HUDL Rubric [PDF file], which is a tiered approach to implementing UDL in courses with an emphasis on the four areas of focus. The rubric includes specific criteria for each area to help evaluate current courses, as well as revise existing courses or develop new courses.

Now that you have explored the Areas of Focus, take a look at how you can get started implementing UDL into your course.