UDL Research and Literature

Don Glass, Anne Meyer and David H. Rose, Universal Design for Learning and the Arts (2013)

In this article, Don Glass, Anne Meyer, and David H. Rose examine the intersection of arts education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to inform the design of better art, curricula, and UDL checkpoints.

Loretta I. Anyomi, A Qualitative Case Study Examining Art Instructors’ Perceptions on the Implementation of Personalized Learning in Secondary Studio Art Classes (2023)

In this article, the researcher investigated how Choice-Based Art Education (CBAE) approach, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Studio Habits of the Mind (SHoM), and Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) provided conceptual support for personalized art education.

Ellen C. Carillo, The Hidden Inequities in Labor-Based Contract Grading (2021)

This short book challenges some of the central tenets of labor-based grading. Rather than making courses more accessible, Carillo argues that many forms of labor-based contract grading disadvantage neurodiverse and multiply marginalized students.

Asao B. Inoue, Cripping Labor-Based Grading for More Equity in Literacy Courses (2023)

Writing in response to Carillo and others, one of the central figures in labor-based grading re-examines the practice in light of concerns raised by UDL and disability scholars.

Shane A. Wood, “Disability Studies,” Ch. 8 of Teachers Talking Writing: Perspectives on Places, Pedagogies, and Programs (2023)

In this collection, Wood synthesizes and reflects on his popular Pedagogue podcast to offer insights into the teaching of writing. Here, he discusses his interviews with four disability scholars to describe what it means to teach writing with UDL at the center.

Relevant Pedagogue episodes: Episode 26 (Tara Wood), Episode 29 (Christina V. Cedillo), Episode 37 (Jay Dolmage), and Episode 45 (Dev Bose)

Inclusive STEM: Transforming Disciplinary Writing Instruction for a Socially Just Future, ed. Heather M. Falconer and LaKeisha McClary (2024)

This collection presents instructional strategies and assignments for creating equitable, inclusive STEM classrooms with a focus on writing instruction. Featuring case studies from diverse contexts, the chapters highlight how instructors can amplify marginalized voices, foster belonging, and reflect critically on challenges and lessons learned in STEM teaching.

Jessie Borgman and Casey McArdle, Personal, Accessible, Responsive, Strategic: Resources and Strategies for Online Writing Instructors (2019)

This book introduces the PARS (Personal, Accessible, Responsive, Strategic) for online literacy course design. Drawing on user experience design, Borgman and McArdle provide numerous examples of how to create engaging, accessible content for online writing courses.

PARS in Practice: More Resources and Strategies for Online Writing Instructors, ed. Jessie Borgman and Casey McArdle (2021)

In this follow-up to the 2019 book, several contributors apply the PARS framework to their own online classes.

Tara Wood, “Cripping Time in the College Composition Classroom” (2017)

Wood shares findings from a qualitative study of disabled college students’ experiences in writing and writing-intensive courses, arguing that normative conceptions of time do not enable them to perform to their full potential. She offers “crip time,” a term borrowed from disability scholars to refer to a flexible approach to deadlines and timeframes, as a more inclusive alternative.

Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, “Expanding Access in Collaborative Writing Pedagogy” (2022)

Cecil-Lemkin considers disabled students’ experiences with collaborative writing and offers strategies to make group writing assignments (and other types of group assignments) more accessible.

Jay Dolmage, “Universal Design: Places to Start” (2015)

This essay provides an extensive collection of suggestions to start implementing UDL practices in your course delivery and materials. Instructors from all disciplines will find these suggestions useful. 

Lillian Nave, Universal Design for Learning: UDL in Online Environments: The WHAT of Learning (2021)

In this article, visual information can often be difficult to interpret, especially for novice learners in a field, and can often hold multiple levels of meaning and/or interpretation. To help students transfer their new knowledge into other contexts, instructors should provide supports for memory and generalization such as charts, graphs, organizational tables, and reminders.

Lillian Nave, Universal Design for Learning: UDL in Online Environments: The HOW of Learning (2021)

In order to demonstrate what they know, learners must plan, organize, and then demonstrate in written, oral, or physical form what they know. Since learners vary, there is not one means of expression that works best for every person; therefore, choices should be offered in how learners demonstrate their knowledge.

Lillian Nave, Universal Design for Learning: UDL in Online Environments: The WHY of Learning (2021)

This article examines tasks and activities that allow students to bring their whole selves (by drawing on multiple aspects of individual students' interests and goals) and authenticity to the learning environment. 

Rachel Lambert, Rethinking Disability and Mathematics: A UDL Math Classroom Guide for Grades 4-8 (2024)

Lambert introduces Universal Design for Learning for Math (UDL Math), a way to design math classrooms that empowers disabled and neurodiverse students to engage in mathematics in ways that lead to meaningful and joyful math learning.

Ahhyun Lee & Cynthia Griffin, Exploring Online Teaching Modules and Teaching Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Preservice Teachers' Lesson Plan Development and Implementation (2021)

The purpose of the study was to enhance the skills and knowledge for developing and implementing lesson plans based on UDL principles among teacher candidates enrolled in a dual certification degree program (i.e., general and special education). After completion of the modules, the candidates significantly enhanced their ability to design lesson plans based on UDL principles and reliably implement the lessons during their student teaching placements in both high- and low- technology settings.

Alisa Lowrey, Audra Classen, and Peter Paprzycki, Results of One-Day Seminar on Preservice Teachers' Incorporation of the UDL Framework in Lesson Design (2023)

This study examined the impact of a 6-hour professional development seminar on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to determine if preservice general and special education teachers’ overall performance in lesson design to reduce barriers, identified through increased attention to student variability, improved. Results indicated that the seminar resulted in higher scores for the participants’ post measures controlling for the premeasure effects, as well as unique findings based on subject matter.

Margaret King-Sears & Todd Johnson, Universal Design for Learning Chemistry Instruction for Students with and without Learning Disabilities (2020)

Students with and without learning disabilities in high school chemistry classes, either co-taught or self-contained, received instruction on calculating molar conversions using universal design for learning (UDL) or business-as-usual techniques. Students in the UDL treatment scored significantly higher on posttests than comparison group peers in Study 1. 

Ralia Thoma, Nektarios Farassopoulos, and Christina Lousta, Teaching STEAM through universal design for learning in early years of primary education: Plugged-in and unplugged activities with emphasis on connectivism learning theory (2023)

This paper presents four teachers’ design and implementation of an international eTwinning project within the Universal Design Learning (UDL) framework and the pedagogical theory of connectivism, aiming to provide meaningful access to STEAM education for pupils with diverse learning needs by introducing them to key competences for lifelong learning. The results of the qualitative content analysis reveal the advantages of this effort, including the improvement of the learning process, learners' active participation, and self-reflection through student-based assessment, teachers' professional development, but also considerations regarding planning and specifying activities, class schedules, course load, and the creation of self- or peer-assessment rubrics.

Clarissa Bunch Wade, Murat Koc, Andreia Searcy, Christan Coogle, and Heather Walter, STEAM Activities in the Inclusive Classroom: Intentional Planning and Practice (2023)

The promotion of equity and access for all children to learn science is critical in early childhood settings. Considering the benefits of teaching science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), it is important that educators embed this pedagogy across early childhood settings. This article provides a four-step approach to using an intentional framework, universal design for learning (UDL), to plan for and implement STEAM pedagogy in the inclusive classroom.  

Jeanette Landin and Paulette Schirmer, Teaching At-Risk Students Using UDL: Cure or Curse? (2020)

At-risk students exist in every college classroom. The common theme among these students is that they are perceived as somehow separate from or less able to succeed than their classmates. Students in this diverse group often express the feeling of being an outsider. Engaging learners through inclusive teaching practices foster a positive emotional environment in the classroom (Cavanaugh, 2016). The use of UDL fosters collegial success through multi-modal instruction, diverse assessment approaches, and unique learning opportunities.

John C. Chick, Laura Morello, Jeffrey Vance, Universal Design for Learning as an Equity Framework: Addressing Educational Barriers and Enablers for Diverse Non-Traditional Learners (2025)

Non-traditional learners comprise approximately 73% of undergraduate enrollment, representing diverse populations including first-generation college students, adult learners, veterans, multilingual learners, and students with family responsibilities. Despite their numerical dominance, these students face systemic barriers that traditional pedagogical approaches often fail to address. This mixed-methods study examined how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles impact non-traditional learners’ educational experiences in higher education. This study demonstrates both the promise and limitations of UDL for diverse populations, suggesting institutions need comprehensive approaches with differentiated support strategies.

Sara Finley, Oliva Burg, and Anqi Wang, Perception of choice is associated with internal locus of control: implications for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (2025)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is becoming increasingly popular at the university level as a means to bolster student success and achievement. Previous research has suggested that UDL, which highlights student choice, has many positive benefits for students. In particular, UDL may increase internal locus of control, the belief in one's ability to influence outcomes in one's life. Our results suggest that while implementation of UDL was associated with both a larger perception of choice and higher internal locus of control, students with high internal locus of control generally perceived more choices, regardless of UDL implementation. Implications for college-level instructors are discussed. 

Mary Dane F Leonardo and Jeongho Cha, Filipino Science Teachers' Evaluation on Webinars' Alignments to Universal Design for Learning and Their Relation to Self-Efficacy amidst the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)

The COVID-19 pandemic has led teachers in the Philippines to rely on technology to provide and support continued education for K-12 students. However, it is not only technology, but also the interactive online learning environments crafted by teachers that impact student science learning. To support teachers to cope with pandemic teaching, the government provided professional development in the form of teacher-training webinars. This study evaluated the webinars using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to understand the impact these professional development sessions had on science teachers’ self-efficacy for delivering science instruction during the pandemic.

Júlia Griful-Freixenet, Katrien Struyven, and Wendelien Vantieghem, Toward More Inclusive Education: An Empirical Test of the Universal Design for Learning Conceptual Model Among Preservice Teachers (2021)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) holds considerable promise to create inclusive educational environments. Nevertheless, the most recent theoretical UDL model, which includes both teachers' philosophy and praxis of teaching, has never been tested empirically. Therefore, this study aims to validate the UDL model as a "whole" among preservice teachers. Results show that the three philosophical constructs of UDL predict the performance of preservice teachers' practices associated with UDL. These constructs are growth mindset about learning, self-efficacy to implement inclusion, and self-regulation and motivation for teaching.

Ingrid Sala-Bars, Cristina Mumbardó-Adam, and Ana Luisa Adam-Alcocer, Moving towards preservice teachers' implementation of universal design for learning: the central role of self-efficacy (2025)

As Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has emerged as a reference model to facilitate inclusive education, recent policies have stated the need to strengthen its use in schools and to train preservice teachers in UDL implementation. Growth mindset about learning, self-efficacy towards inclusion, and self-regulation and motivation for teaching are key constructs of UDL implementation for preservice teachers. The present study analyzes the relationship of these three constructs in the implementation of UDL by Spanish preservice teachers and explores the role that internships and specialization play in such implementation.

Jennifer Katz, Implementing the Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning: effects on teachers' self-efficacy, stress, and job satisfaction in inclusive classrooms K-12 (2015)

Fifty-eight teachers of grades 1–12 in 10 schools located in two rural and three urban school divisions in Manitoba were involved in a study implementing the Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning and exploring its outcomes for teachers and students. This article reports teachers' perceptions related to the outcomes of the implementation of the model for both students and themselves and gives voice to teachers working in challenging, diverse classrooms regarding the barriers they face to inclusive practice and what supports are needed.