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The impact of Universal Design for Learning in higher education. Experiences of university teachers two or three years after attending a workshop series on UDL

The purpose with this study is to problematize implementation of the concept of universal design for learning (UDL), (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014) in higher education. The study focuses on what university teachers express regarding their experiences of the concept of UDL two or three years after having taken part of a series of workshops to learn UDL. The analysis was done using content analysis (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011) and the theoretical framework of Designs for Learning (DFL) was used in order to highlight the results (Marie Leijon & Lindstrand, 2012; Selander, 2008; Selander & Kress, 2010). The results cannot be generalized but imply that UDL, without any particular adaptation for a Swedish context, is a concept for widening participation. After participating in a workshop series on UDL the concept has had a lasting impact with the respondents. The respondents use all three of the main principles of UDL; provide multiple means for engagement provide multiple means for representation and provide multiple means for action and expression. UDL is indicated to be a concept towards student centered learning and teaching, towards improving student’s possibilities of learning to learn and as a concept for manifesting a mindset for widening participation. UDL is by the respondents in this study also seen as a concept to develop widening participation. They see UDL as a concept for management to strategically implement widening participation. which is missing and asked for by the respondents. The possible drawbacks with the concept is just that, that few use UDL, few know about it and there is no recommendation from management to use UDL. Another drawback is that it takes time implementing UDL, though some respondents point out that it saves time in the end.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-27318
Date January 2020
CreatorsHäggblom, Pia
PublisherMalmö universitet, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle (LS), Malmö universitet/Lärande och samhälle
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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