Miriam Edwards

This article introduces the notion of synergies between employability skills embedded within the university curriculum and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. It draws on a previous study which examined the disjuncture between espoused and that of actual teaching and assessment practice of employability skills within the business curriculum. While that study produced a typology to aid in the development of these skills, this paper now considers how a UDL perspective might make the teaching more relevant to individual students and in doing so more inclusive. We argue that employability skills applied through a UDL lens is particularly appropriate since they have a common goal – to create expert learners. As defined by the UDL guidelines (CAST, 2018) such learners are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, as well as being strategic and goal-directed. While this is one example of UDL underpinning effective teaching and assessment practice, it also reflects a growing awareness around the potential of UDL within higher education curriculum design.

This paper reports on a faculty-wide investigation into the experiences of students requiring academic accommodations due to disability. Underpinned by the social model of disability and acceptance that universal design benefits the entire community, this study was conducted at a leading Australian university. A mixed methods approach was used to examine each of the three standard accommodations available: assignment extension, special consideration, and academic adjustment plans. Students living with disability were able to self-identify and to share their experiences relating to these procedures. As a result, data from 493 student survey responses and 9 subsequent follow-on interviews were analysed. At the same time, 10 disability support staff were asked about barriers and enablers faced by students. It was found that most students requiring assistance due to disability, identified as having a ‘hidden’ disability (learning, cognition or psychiatric conditions). It was also found that accommodations most often related to assessment. While students were most satisfied with academic adjustment plans developed with the support staff, self-perceived notions of stigma associated with disability negatively impacted upon interactions with peers and teaching staff. This study contributes to an emerging body of literature which considers the potential impact universal design might have on the student experience. It is argued that findings are particularly relevant as educators re-imagine university learning and teaching for a post-COVID world.

The aim of this review is to provoke discussion around the ways in which disability is addressed in Australian university learning and teaching. Focusing on online delivery, it presents three separate, but related thematic sections based on higher education policy, the student voice, and universal design for instruction (UDI). The themes are constructed to align with institutional practice, how those practices may play out in a student’s life, and an alternative design methodology. In doing so, both online pedagogy and educational technologies are described as creating potential barriers or enablers for students with disability. While this review acknowledges the effectiveness of UDI upon student learning is an emerging field of study, it also offers it as a plausible design framework moving forward. The concluding discussion supports the notion that action is required by various stakeholders including policy makers, educational leaders and curriculum designers.