CETL: Neurodiversity and UDL in Course Design

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a learning framework for curriculum and course development rooted in three areas: multiple means of representation of information, multiple means of student action and expression, and multiple means of student engagement. The CAST organization shares in-depth resources and strategies for creating an inclusive classroom and learning environment that may have profound impacts on learning for all of your students.

Universal Design for Learning: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression. CAST, 2018


UDL Strategies to Support Neurodivergent Learners 

Although UDL strategies will benefit all your students, some areas may help Neurodivergent learners in a greater way to build success in your course. Neurodivergent learners showcase diverse minds that process information in many ways. Our classroom benefits from having students who display a wide variety of strengths and perspectives in their learning. It also means we want to create an environment that supports the learning needs of all. Not all students may disclose being neurodivergent with you, as their instructor, or with the SSD office on campus, which makes proactive design crucial.

Tufts University shares how to develop a “plus-one” approach to integrating UDL into your courses. Instead of thinking of the many ways you want to make changes and feeling stuck being overwhelmed with the numerous changes you may consider, try to add just one new approach to something you are already doing to give you more options for communicating and engaging with your content.  For example: Do you share in your syllabus how points are broken down or how grades are weighted in the course? Instead of only typing the numbers, consider adding a graphic or chart that shows how each area of assessment in your course comes together to make up their final grades. By adding one additional strategy, you’ve already doubled how students can understand and engage with important information they need for the course.

Below are some considerations on how to support neurodiverse learners in your course. 


Wondering more about UDL or what course design changes you may want to consider? Contact CETL (cetl@uwec.edu) to talk about strategies in your course.

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