Increasing Universal Design for Learning knowledge and application at a community college: the Universal Design for Learning Academy

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework has been shown to support instructors in the design of inclusive instructional learning environments. However, few studies have examined the effects of UDL professional development programmes for community college faculty and staff. The present study examined the effects of a four-day Universal Design for Learning (UDL) training on community college faculty and staff. Three paired samples t tests were run on the pretest and posttest scores of participants. The results indicated that, after the training, faculty and staff had a statistically significantly greater knowledge of UDL and were better able to provide examples of how to apply it to their work on campus. The results provide support for training community college faculty and staff to apply the UDL framework to their instruction.