2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The purpose of this work-in-progress research paper is to explore the usage of Universal Design for Learning in STEM Higher Education classrooms and how it impacts student learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a teaching framework that creates an inclusive learning environment for all students, but especially students with disabilities. Current research examines the framework in higher education, albeit to a much lesser extent in STEM education. STEM education is starting to shift towards improving accessibility and inclusivity for all. The UDL principles are designed to increase the accessibility of classrooms. This WIP Literature Review wants to identify the various ways STEM faculty have implemented UDL in their classrooms and understand how these implementations have impacted their students.
In this research, {first author} collected nine peer-reviewed empirical papers from three online databases because of their ample supply of UDL literature: ASEE Peer Directory, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Papers were included based on their description of UDL classroom implementations and its impact on students. Each paper was individually analyzed using a systematic coding sheet in Microsoft Excel. The coding sheet examines information about school and student demographics, research design, and the use of UDL in the classrooms.
This analysis of these papers showed few faculty members who have implemented UDL in their classrooms have employed strength-based approaches and have used prior knowledge to discuss new concepts. This literature reports that UDL implementations have greatly improved the learning experience for STEM students. The students primarily benefited from having content in different modalities. However, this literature further suggests that STEM faculty need more resources, like workshops, to understand UDL principles and to implement them in their classrooms. Future research should focus on developing these workshops for faculty and how students can benefit from other implementations of UDL.