Description

Designing accessible course materials that proactively meet students' needs helps reduce confusion, fosters a sense of belonging, and enhances communication. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an evidence-based framework that allows instructors to effectively communicate expectations, course content, and student resources, ensuring that all learners can fully engage and succeed.

This 6-week, fully online, asynchronous short course focuses on the practical application of UDL principles. You'll reflect on your current teaching practices, assess the needs of your students, and explore how UDL can align both. Collaborating with colleagues, you will address challenges and successes in your courses, creating a plan to revise or develop curriculum that meets the diverse needs of all learners.

This course is ideal if you're revising an existing course, planning a new one, working to improve student engagement, or looking to build a stronger sense of community in your teaching. Upon completion, you will be able to:

• Define course accessibility requirements
• Apply UDL principles to enhance engagement, representation, and action and expression in your course design
• Synthesize UDL strategies for practical use in curriculum development

Details

Faculty members (tenure-track, professional track, and adjunct) and graduate students (teaching assistants/graduate assistants) who are instructors of record at the Columbia campus, Palmetto College campuses, or the Schools of Medicine are eligible to apply. The expected time commitment is 4 to 6 hours per week over the 6 weeks. Participants must complete all course activities and assignments on schedule to receive a certificate for completing the course.

Participants who achieve a “met” rating for all activities and assessments in the course are eligible to receive $100 Amazon gift card.

Additionally, full-time faculty (tenured, tenure track, and professional track) on the Columbia or School of Medicine campuses teaching as instructors of record in the 2025-2026 academic year will become eligible to apply for the UDL Curriculum Development Grant. This grant, worth $2,500, supports faculty in revising or developing curriculum that reflects UDL principles, with up to five awards available.

Key Dates

Application Dates: Applications are currently being accepted for this short course through February 13, 2025.

Course Dates: The UDL in Practice short course runs from Monday, March 17 to Monday, April 28. All assignments and activities must be completed on schedule to receive a certificate for completing the course and the $100 Amazon gift card.

For questions, contact Mitchell Dallas Herring at 777-2798 or MDH11@mailbox.sc.edu.

About the Facilitator

Mitchell Dallas Herring is an instructional designer at the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of South Carolina. He has previous experience as an English instructor, curriculum coordinator, and instructional designer in the South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS). His interests include team-based professional development, holistic student support, gateway courses, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and assessment. Herring holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Practice and Innovation: Curriculum Studies from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in English: Composition and Pedagogy from the University of Maine, and a Bachelor of Arts in English: Creative Writing from Anderson University.