UDL Stories

UDL Fellows Kelleen Wiseman, director of the Master of Food and Resource Economics (FRE) program and lectures in the FRE undergraduate program, and Janelle Tan, Graduating Projects Manager for the Masters in FRE, discuss how they designed accessible syllabi and marketing materials for the new Bachelors of Food and Resource Economics Program.

UDL Fellows Laurie Ford, Associate Professor in Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, and Gabrielle Coombs, learning designer in the Faculty of Education’s Learning Design and Digital Innovation Unit, collaborate with the ECED 406/407 teaching team, including instructor Koichi Haseyama and GAA’s Fatemeh (Emma) Arian and Abby Dalmacio to make their courses more accessible.

Surita Jhangiani, Interim Associate Dean, Equity in the Faculty of Education and Associate Professor of Teaching in Human Development, Learning and Culture, discusses how she used UDL to redesign EPSE 308 through a redesigned course syllabus, diverse ways to access materials, assignment variety, and more.

Louise Longridge, lecturer in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS), and Sarah Bean Sherman, Senior Science Education Specialist in EOAS and Skylight, discuss their ambitious project of adding alternative text and extended captions for over 800 figures in EOSC 116.

Paulo Tchen, lecturer and coordinator in the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Lyon Tsang, Manager, Systems Administration and Support in the Office of Educational Technology and Learning Designs (OETLD) discuss how they designed a new elective course, PHRM 300F, and redesigned PHRM 471 to include multiple means of representation.

Michael Sider, producer at UBC Studios, discusses how UDL principles can be used in media and shares tools that media creators and educators can use to make their content more accessible.

Isaac Holloway, a Sauder School of Business professor in the Strategy and Business Economics Division, worked closely with Sunah Cho, Sauder’s CTLT Faculty Liaison, as part of the 2023 UDL Fellows Program. They discuss the strategies they used to break down learning barriers associated with complex economic concepts.

Rayna Friar is a 4th year undergraduate student and working as a UDL Student Facilitator. They share the ways that flexibility and UDL are important in the classroom and how they can help improve the university experiences of students with physical disabilities.

Robert Pammett, Associate Professor Partner in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Jocelyn Micallef, Manager, Educational Development, talk about incorporating UDL practices in PHRM 441. They share their experience making online asynchronous learning more engaging and accessible.

Antoine Coulombe, Assistant Professor of Teaching at the School of Social work, along with CTLT Learning Design Consultant Bosung Kim, discuss the changes they made to their practice as well as the compatibility of UDL with social work.

Robert Russo is a faculty member at the Allard School of Law and participated in the 2023 UDL Fellows Program. He shares the ways that he incorporated the UDL principles into his practice, breaking down barriers in traditional law education.

From the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Patricia Hingston, an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Food, Nutrition and Health, shares all of the ways she incorporated UDL into her practice and how many of her students have responded positively to the changes.

Xiaoying Zhang is a UDL Student Facilitator who works closely with the UDL Fellows Program, sharing her perspective as a student. She discusses many of the learning challenges that arise at larger academic institutions and how UDL can be an important step in alleviating them.

Amir Shiva, Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Anthropology, participated in the 2023 UDL Fellows program. Here, he discusses how he has incorporated UDL into his practice and what makes UDL critical not just to the field of Anthropology, but to learning as a whole.

Together, Lee Salmon and Frederick Qi participated in the 2023 UDL Fellows Program with the goal of using education to make higher-level Forestry jobs more accessible. Through exploring virtual fieldwork in FRST 239, Lee and Frederick push the limits of how Forestry can be taught.

From Vantage College, Academic English Instructor Weaver Shaw and Curriculum Manager Brian Wilson discuss the importance of a robust accessibility statement as well as the ways that UDL can improve the ease of course delivery.

Duncan McHugh is a digital and instructional media producer at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. As a co-instructor of LFS 400, Duncan discusses his experience with UDL, the challenges and rewards, and the importance of student feedback.

Polina Spakovsky was the Communications Assistant for the UDL Fellows Program. In her proximity to the program, she gained a greater insight into universal course design at UBC. She shares her thoughts about how UDL is changing the way we view accessibility, the importance of reciprocity, and the impact that a student perspective can make.