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Moving from Accessible to Inclusive: Universal Design for Learning Teaching Strategies

What’s the difference between accessible and inclusive? For so many students, it’s the difference between simply having access to post-secondary education, and feeling a sense of belonging. To help your students feel a sense of belonging and ownership in their educational journey, think about the messaging you’re sending in your course design. Not mentioning accommodations, not using captions with videos, fixed due dates or even the price of textbooks communicates to your students who you expect to be in the class, who you welcome in the class, and who can succeed in the class. Consider the following teaching tips to go beyond access and create a more inclusive learning environment for all of your students:

  • Use the syllabus to create an inviting tone. See best practices and instructor examples on the Faculty Innovation Center’s website.
  • Ask “how,” not “if.” Engage students by asking how they can best learn and participate in your class. See how Moody College of Communication Professor Josh Barbour encourages all students to communicate with him how they learn best.
  • Share your notes. Whether you assign students to be official note-takers , post a copy of your notes on Canvas, or provide students with advance organizers , sharing your notes ahead of class time can reduce anxiety, help students actively participate in class, and reduce the need for some accommodation requests around notes.
  • Caption your media. UT’s Captioning and Transcription Services will caption your media for free, provided it is for class use. Captions are legally required, and benefit students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Captions also benefit English language learners, learners with ADD, and anyone who finds their mind wondering every once and a while (so, all of us).
  • Focus on your outcomes, and be flexible with process. The only thing we can rely on for sure in education is learner variability. The more you diversify how you present content, and the ways in which students have to demonstrate what they know, the more you allow diverse learners to connect into your course content and outcomes. Watch this video , in which Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing/Dell Medical School, Dr. Nico Osier, models this idea by providing their students with flexibility in how they demonstrate knowledge beyond a standard quiz format.

For more ideas and information about ways to move from accessible to inclusive in your teaching practices, contact Dr. Adria Battaglia (Faculty Innovation Center) and Emily Shryock (Services for Students with Disabilities) for a consult or customized workshop.