UDL, UDL 3.0 and Online Teaching
Written by Elizabeth M. Dalton, Ph.D.
UDL Consultant & Specialist, Rhode Island, U.S.A.
Posted December 2, 2025
Note: The content of this blog was first published in the newsletter of the Department of Special Education, SNDT Women’s Unversity, Mumbai, in Spring 2025.
INTRODUCTION OF UDL
The concept and framework of Universal Design for Learning was developed in the mid-1990s by professionals in the fields of rehabilitation and special education who worked at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in Massachusetts, a state in north-eastern U.S.A. These professionals worked with children who had a wide range of disabilities and challenges, with the goal to remediate and rehabilitate their difficulties with carrying out the tasks important to every-day living. As the staff worked with the children, they began to realize that some of the assumptions they had about how the children should be expected to learn or respond or change were not working and probably were not correct. CAST started to search for different approaches to use in their work, and identified Universal Design as one of the concepts that had promise to lead them along this new way of thinking. Universal Design (UD), originally developed by Professor Ronald Mace and colleagues at North Carolina State University, outlined specific principles for making physical spaces universally accessible for ALL, regardless of needs. CAST embraced these principles and went a step further… studying available neuroscientific research on how the brain learns… and blended this research on learning with the concept and principles of UD. What emerged was a new conceptual framework and set of principles focused specifically on supporting and improving the learning process for all students, recognizing that student variation is the norm, not student standardization. This was the birth of Universal Design for Learning, developed to guide educators to design curriculum, instruction, and learning environments that include the widest range of variation possible from the start – through the process of inclusive instructional design. The UDL principles, guidelines, and other UDL resources can be reviewed at https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Currently, UDL is being studied and applied in many countries around the world to assist in their efforts to develop more inclusive educational environments for ALL students.
UDL 3.0 AND ONLINE TEACHING
Universal Design for Learning has continued to evolve and develop as educators who use it offer feedback and recommendations to CAST and through published research and professional literature. The latest iteration is UDL 3.0, as described in the upcoming book, Online Teaching in K-12, 2nd Edition (Byrans-Bongey & Graziano, Eds.), emphasizes:
“To meet learner needs, UDL provides guidance to holistically address learner variability through the purposeful and proactive design of welcoming, accessible, and engaging learning environments. The latest update shifts the important educator-centric design of the past guidelines toward a shared learning experience, with increased learner voice, autonomy, and decision-making evident.” (p.166)
Myself and two colleagues, Kendra Grant and Luis Perez, wrote an updated version of our original chapter, “Universal Design for Learning and Online Learning” for this 2nd edition of the book, and in it we offer an in-depth exploration of the newly revised design principles and considerations for educators to use as they work to design their instruction in a universal way for broadest learner access, understanding, and engagement, particularly in an online environment. Emphasized in UDL 3.0 is the explicit valuing and honoring of diversity in the classroom, a focus on empowering the learner through the development of learner agency (feeling ownership and control over one’s own learning), and valuing and supporting linguistic and cultural differences.
In the chapter, we explore each principle and guideline of UDL 3.0 and offer numerous suggested strategies for how the UDL guidelines and considerations can be imbedded in the educator’s curriculum and instruction in a very practical way. Here is an example:
For Design Multiple Means of Engagement, Guideline 7: Design Options for Welcoming Interests and Identities, Consideration 7.3: Nurture joy and play:
“In this version of UDL, joy and play (Consideration 7.3) are included. Many learning management systems (LMSs) have built-in tools to gamify, reward, and engage learners. Dozens of apps do the same thing. These are helpful tools to include in your instruction. However, they are often teacher-led forms of engagement. UDL wants both educators and learners to experience joy and play within the classroom. In many ways, the design of our learning platforms—linear and sequential—emphasizes the seriousness of learning. Fearing we only have a short time before we lose the learners’ attention to get through the curriculum, we forget to make space for joy. Instead, consider ways to add joy and play into your learning environment: Build in time for games, movement, dance, art, and music with no goal other than enjoyment.” (p. 171)
With current interest in UDL and the newest version – UDL 3.0 – continuing to grow, we hope to provide clear and welcome guidance through this chapter for those who seek to expand their skills to reach the ultimate goal of designing their classrooms to be accessible, responsive, engaging, and successful for all learners in them.
Dr. Elizabeth Dalton
Information for the referenced book and chapter:
Perez, L., Grant, K. & Dalton. E. (2016). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Online Learning. In Online Teaching Methods: The Essential Handbook for K-12 Teacher. Bryans-Bongey, S. & Graziano, K., Eds. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.
The second edition, Online Teaching in K-12: Models, Methods, and Best Practices for Teachers and Administrators. Bryans-Bongey, S. & Graziano, K., Eds. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc. (2025) is now available at http://books.infotoday.com/books/Online-Teaching-in-K-12.shtml
An updated version of the chapter, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Online Learning, is included, with a strong focus on UDL 3.0.
