A syllabus designed based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has the potential to provide additional access and participation in a postsecondary course. This type of syllabus provides a variety of options for how information will be presented for the course, how students will be assessed, and ways to participate in the course as well as explicit expectations and available supports. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) works most efficiently in the design stage of learning environments. The construction of a course syllabus is an ideal opportunity to support UDL design and delivery elements for all incoming learners, demonstrating that there are multiple paths for learning and achievement within the course. Instructors can use the syllabus, therefore, as a powerful way to communicate or model how they will implement UDL principles and guidelines in the classroom. At the most fundamental level, the syllabus document itself should be accessible.

Welcome to Episode 31 of the ThinkUDL podcast: Inclusive Syllabus Design with Kirsten Helmer. In this episode, we get the chance to discuss her presentation on inclusive syllabus design that is based on UDL principles. There are 6 parts to her presentation that we will discuss in detail and she has graciously provided her handout and presentation slides which are included in our resources section on the ThinkUDL.org web page. These resources have a plethora of information and many links to other fantastic sources which will help anyone who is interested in designing their own inclusive syllabus. In our conversation, Kirsten mentions that these ideas will be included in an upcoming book chapter, but as of the release date of this podcast, it is not yet published. As soon as the book is available, we will update our resources to add a link to the book and her chapter in it. This really informative conversation provides a chance for those who are not able to travel to a conference themselves to still be able to benefit from the ideas shared there. I am so excited to share the work of such dedicated scholars and impassioned educators through the Think UDL podcast!

Note: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Teaching & Learning offers a video series of Kirsten Helmer's six principles of an inclusive syllabus design.

This website is dedicated to helping instructors build a syllabus that plans for diverse student abilities and promotes an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable discussing their unique abilities. Countless instructors complain that students don’t read the syllabus. We believe students would use the document more effectively if it were designed more accessibly.

Topics relating to accessible image, text, rhetoric, and policy in the syllabus include:

Image

• Ideas for Using Images
• Alternative Text for Images (Alt Text)
• Color Universal Design

Text

• Flexible Text that Users can Manipulate
• Concise Text
• Interactive Text with Hyperlinks
• Reader-Friendly Text
• Hierarchical Document Design
• Digital Reader Supports

Rhetoric

• Emphasize Positive over Punishing Language
• Create Invitations over Commands
• Choose Cooperative over Paternalistic Rhetoric

Policy

• Examine Traditional Policies
• Begin with an Inclusive Learning Statement
• Expand Deadlines
• Build Flexibility into Grading Distributions

UDL urges teachers to consider that students learn in different ways and that multiple means of (1) engagement (by offering choices of content and tools that align with learners’ interest), (2) representation (by using a variety of methods to present information and a range of means to support learners), and (3) action and expression (by providing learners with alternative ways to act skillfully and demonstrate what they know) should be made available to them (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014).

Thus, a syllabus that reflects UDL principles allows students to see how you intend to create a flexible, supportive, engaging and motivating learning environment. It illustrates how you design the course with learner variability in mind by providing students with multiple paths for learning and success through options and choices.

The rubric in Table 2 includes several major elements of a syllabus and corresponding UDL considerations. In addition to the syllabus, you might consider including a separate learning guide for each week or unit that outlines the specific learning objectives for that week and how they relate to assignments, due dates, and the course calendar. Click on each of the elements listed to learn more.

Note: The rubric provided builds upon the UDL Syllabus Rubric (PDF) developed by EnACT~PTD (Ensuring Access through Collaboration & Technology ~ Partnerships, Technology & Dissemination).

A course syllabus serves multiple purposes. It is a document that communicates the design of a particular course: learning outcomes, a schedule of content covered, instructional activities, assessments (assignments, projects, exams, etc.), grading and feedback practices, and so forth. It communicates a particular mood or tone for a course, and for the instructor(s) leading it, through language choices, the course design, and explicit and implicit statements about the kinds of behaviours that are welcomed in the learning space. It is an informal contract between instructors and learners, a promise about a course's design that learners can rely upon and that will not change without their consent. And, most importantly, it helps students learn, both by articulating the course's design and the strategies and steps needed for success.

Yet a syllabus can also be authoritative, controlling, and serve to reinforce a dominant culture's norms and values. Consequently, many instructors are exploring ways to write a syllabus to make it more inclusive, anti-racist, decolonizing, humane, learner-centered, just. This resource collects many of these ideas into a single document.

It is important to remember that inclusion cannot be reduced to a checklist. It is helpful to have starting places, but building inclusion in teaching and learning, and elsewhere, is an ongoing process that takes continuous time and development.

This resource is divided into three sections based on how deeply you wish to "dive in" to creating a more inclusive syllabus at the present moment.

• Floating on the surface: quick and easy shifts
• Snorkeling the shallows: medium changes
• Diving the depths: deep commitments

Twelve strategies for making your syllabus more inclusive are listed below. You may find that 1 or 2 of these make sense for you immediately, and additional strategies may be more appropriate to build in over time. As you consider the strategies below, remember that the syllabus is interrelated with and communicates about your course policies and expectations, activities and assessments, classroom dynamics, and teaching philosophy. As such, updating your syllabus may result in updating these other classroom components, and vice versa.

12 Strategies for Making Your Syllabus More Inclusive

1. Use cooperative “we” and “our” language where possible.
2. Simplify the language you use to describe the course.
3. Format the syllabus for the web and mobile devices.
4. Replace some text with images and graphical organization.
5. Introduce yourself in an approachable way and invite communication.
6. Avoid deficit language.
7. Add disciplinary and course-specific context for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
8. Adopt and communicate flexible, fair course policies.
9. Share your responsibilities and commitments to students.
10. Support students in revision, reflection, and growth.
11. Provide access to the syllabus before the semester starts.
12. Solicit input, feedback, or reflection on the syllabus.