A Foundation in Variability

UDL begins with the understanding that learner variability is not the exception but the norm. It recognizes the wide range of ways students engage with content, process information, and demonstrate learning. Traditionally, students at the “margins” were seen as needing accommodations. UDL reframes this entirely: by designing with variability in mind from the outset, instructors support all students more effectively.

The Three-Network Model

UDL draws on a neuroscience-based model that describes three core networks involved in learning:

• Engagement (the why of learning): Multiple ways to spark interest and sustain effort

• Representation (the what of learning): Flexible formats for presenting information

• Action and Expression (the how of learning): Varied methods for demonstrating understanding

Together, these three principles support a more accessible and responsive learning environment.

Guidelines for Application

The UDL Guidelines, developed from an extensive body of research, serve as benchmarks for minimizing barriers in curriculum design. Rather than a fixed checklist or formula, UDL provides principles that are flexible and contextual. These guidelines encourage educators to consider students’ developmental stages, cultural contexts, and their own teaching preferences, creating environments that are responsive and dynamic.

UDL as a Translational Framework

The UDL Guidelines offer research-informed strategies for reducing barriers and supporting diverse learners. These guidelines are not rigid checklists but adaptable principles that respond to classroom context, student development, and teaching goals. Educators are encouraged to use them flexibly, selecting tools and strategies that align with their learners’ needs and the learning environment.

The Role of Students

A key aspect of UDL is involving students as active participants in their learning journey. Empowering students to become “experts” in their own learning means fostering self-awareness, persistence, and the ability to articulate their preferences and needs. This collaboration helps create a classroom culture where learning environments are co-designed to enhance access and engagement.

Technology and UDL

While digital technologies can amplify the application of UDL by enabling real-time customization and scaffolded supports, they are not the only solution. Effective UDL implementation blends high-tech and low-tech strategies, leveraging tools and methods that fit the needs of both the learners and the learning context.

Transforming Learning

At its core, UDL is about rethinking how we teach to prioritize access and meaningful participation. Rather than modifying instruction after barriers arise, UDL helps instructors design proactively with flexibility, clarity, and student variability in mind.

UDL Guidelines 3.0: Expanding Access and Equity

The UDL Guidelines 3.0, released in 2024, build on earlier versions with a deeper focus on inclusion and responsiveness to learners’ full range of experiences. Developed through global collaboration and feedback, these updates reflect ongoing efforts to ensure curriculum design evolves alongside our understanding of student needs.

Key Expansions in UDL Guidelines 3.0

1. Expanding Asset-Based Design
   UDL 3.0 reinforces the value of designing for strengths and lived experience. This approach encourages educators to recognize and draw from the diverse knowledge, practices, and perspectives students bring into the classroom.

2. Recognizing the “Who” of Learning
   In addition to focusing on the why, what, and how of learning, UDL 3.0 includes the who: the unique learner in context. The framework encourages reflection on how students’ identities, perspectives, and experiences influence their learning—and how educators can design environments that acknowledge and support this diversity.

3. Confronting Barriers
   The updated guidelines highlight the importance of identifying and reducing barriers—whether embedded in course materials, institutional structures, or instructional routines—that may limit participation or success.

4. Emphasizing Connection and Collaboration
   UDL 3.0 also affirms the value of learning in community. It supports teaching strategies that foster interdependence, shared inquiry, and mutual growth—reminding us that learning is not only individual, but also relational.

5. Adopting Shared Language
   The updated framework encourages language that reflects shared responsibility in learning. Instead of defining instruction solely by what educators do to students, the new guidelines highlight co-creation and student agency.

Enhanced Themes Within UDL Principles

• Engagement

  • Fostering belonging and emotional connection to learning

  • Encouraging joy, curiosity, and persistence

  • Supporting motivation through choice and meaningful goals

• Representation

  • Including a range of perspectives and ways of knowing

  • Ensuring information is accessible in multiple formats

  • Addressing content gaps or over-simplification that may limit understanding

• Action and Expression

  • Offering varied options for demonstrating learning

  • Supporting student choice and creativity

  • Designing assessments that reflect real-world complexity and relevance

Connecting UDL 3.0 to Broader Access and Equity Efforts

The UDL 3.0 updates align closely with broader themes in this guide: access, flexibility, clarity, and the importance of supporting learner variability. By moving from reactive accommodations to proactive design, UDL invites educators to rethink systems and strategies in ways that support all learners.

Adopting UDL principles encourages a shift in mindset—from assuming sameness to planning for difference. From this vantage point, we see that inclusive teaching is not just about compliance or modification, but about creating learning spaces where everyone has the opportunity to engage, grow, and succeed.