Using Universal Design for Learning as a Lens to Rethink Graduate Education Pedagogical Practices

Abstract

Universal design for learning has gained interest from the higher education sector over the last decade. It is a promising approach to inclusion that allows instructor to design for optimal flexibility so as to address the needs of all diverse learners. Most implementation efforts, however, have concentrated on undergraduate education. The presumption is that graduate students have developed the necessary skills to perform, by the time of their admission into the graduate sector. It is also assumed, somehow, that the graduate population is homogeneous, rather than diverse, even if the literature does not support such assertions. Inclusive pedagogy therefore does not seem currently to be a priority in graduate education. This chapter will debunk these myths and highlight the numerous challenges graduate education faces, as a sector, with regards to the inclusion of diverse learners. It will then showcase the many ways universal design for learning is pertinent and effective in tackling these challenges.

Supporting STEM graduate students with dis/abilities: Opportunities for Universal Design for Learning

“…Further, they note that many STEM faculty exhibit a "fixed ability mindset" [50]. Another commonly held assumption is that graduate students have "made it through a first round of post-secondary education and have, as a result, developed appropriate strategies for success" [51]. However, this is not necessarily true.…”

“…Similarly, while there are databases for UDL research (e.g., https://udl-irn.org/research-database/), there is little research into the application of UDL in the higher education classroom [53], [62]. Fovet [51] succinctly highlights the lack of UDL in graduate-level courses, and potential assumptions driving this shortcoming (i.e., that graduate education is selective and students will disclose their needs).…”