Universal design for learning (UDL) is about designing products, environments, practices, and digital content to allow access and use by all people, to the greatest possible extent, without the need for individual adaptation.
IDEA collaborates with the UV Faculty to identify core UDL areas for support and to design resources and training that helps teachers achieve universal design of their physical and digital learning materials and environments.
The requirements for UDL at UiO can be found through the following links:
- Universal Design of IT Services at UiO (Norwegian link)
- Universal Design of digital content and teaching material (Norwegian link)
What does universal design mean to you as a teacher?
All teaching material, including PowerPoint lecture slides, material uploaded to Canvas and other digital services at UiO, must be universally designed in accordance with the regulation on the universal design of ICT solutions (Legal data).
This means, among other things, that teaching materials must include the correct use of headings, colors and contrast ratios, and that images, video and audio must have a text option.
Teaching practice should also apply the principles of universal design and make use of available technology in HES seminar rooms to provide equal access for students with disabilities during lectures.
IDEA and UV UU working group
IDEA is a project partner with the Universal Design working group at the UV faculty. Through the autumn of 2023, the working group will work on the following tasks:
- Mapping priority areas of support to help UV teachers with universal design for learning.
- Collaboration across the UV institutes to support universal design and best practice in teaching and digital material.
- Design and development of resources and training materials for UV teachers.
- Collaborate with UV students to map student needs, tools and strategies for access to education.
Resources on universal design
IDEA collects and develops resources to improve the universal design of teaching materials for UV teachers. The following resources can help you improve the universal design of teaching materials and practices.
Video tutorial on universal design
Video guidance is available on:
- Universal design of Word, PowerPoint and PDF files
- Create accessible PowerPoint presentations
- Learn to use teaching equipment in Helga Eng's house (see Training video Loudspeakers, microphone and teleloop)
Universal design of Canvas
The teaching material in your Canvas classroom must also be universally designed. Canvas has an integrated accessibility checker called Ally, which makes it much easier for you to improve the universal design of your Canvas classrooms:
- Learn about Canvas Ally from the UiO For employees page
- Get started with Ally - Course for students and employees
- Five quick tips for more universally designed content in Canvas
- Check when USiT organizes workshops, cures and events about Canvas for employees
- Help for Ally for Educator Learning Platforms
Universal design of content and teaching materials at UiO
The page "UiO For employees" offers tips on universal design of:
Visual interpretation of video
Visual elements and videos provide important visual information to students, but how can we ensure that students with visual impairments also have access to this information?
Visual interpretation of video is an important part of universal design.
- Learn more by visiting the Uutilsynet's website about visual interpretation of video
- Learn how to add visual interpretation to your educational videos with Panopto
Immersive Reader functions
Both canvas and Microsoft Office offer Immersive Reader functions. The IDEA StudentTeam has produced this guidance video on how to use Immersive Reader as a student to support reading.