Faculty & Instructor Resources
Teaching at Bowling Green State University
The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) is deeply committed to enhancing the teaching practices of all educators with a vast offering of resources and supplemental materials.
We encourage the BGSU teaching community to learn about the fundamental frameworks that helps shape what we know about student learning and educational success.
The Faculty & Instructor Resources section will introduce you to key concepts and best practices related to teaching. This homepage offers insightful information on pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that will start you on the best foot forward!
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the theory and practice of teaching and it involves how instructors and students work together with course content.
Some things to consider when developing pedagogy include:
- Student needs: Present the curriculum in a way that's relevant to student needs
- Student differences: Acknowledge student differences, including group differences
- Student participation: Ask students when and how they learn, and what barriers they face
- Growth mindset: Develop a teaching pedagogy that helps students develop growth-mindset beliefs
Pedagogy bridges the gap by ensuring that professors not only possess knowledge but also know how to convey it effectively. This dual focus prepares students not just to memorize information but to think critically and apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that aims to remove barriers to learning that exist inside the learning environment or curriculum; creating an equitable learning experience to meet student variability.
What is Universal Design for Learning?
UDL is based on research by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, that guides the development of flexible learning environments and learning spaces that can accommodate individual learning differences. Rather than modify your course in reaction to individual student accommodations, UDL is a proactive approach to course design. By utilizing UDL in your course design, you can minimize the need for individual student accommodations by creating an accessible environment for ALL students. Through UDL, instructors can eliminate common barriers and increase the chance that all of your students will complete your course successfully.
The goal of UDL is to create expert learners who are purposeful & motivated, resourceful & knowledgeable, and strategic & goal directed. Explore the interactive UDL Guidelines framework on CAST's website. The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning.
Universal Design for Learning Principles and Guidelines
Universal Design for Learning operates on three basic principles of course design that allow students to have a choice and voice in how they engage with the course content and express what they have learned. The three principles state that instructors should provide students with multiple means of...
UDL Teaching Strategies
Expand each section using the plus (+) icon to learn more about applying the UDL principles in your classroom.
Students vary in the ways they are engaged and motivated to learn. Some student enjoy individual assignments, while others come alive in group work. Below are a few options to incorporate into your course design to engage the variety of your learners. Remember, it is important to allow your students a choice and voice in the way they choose to engage with your course.
Students differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them. Some students grasp information quicker or more efficiently through visual or auditory means, while others prefer to read and annotate printed text. Learning, and transfer of learning, occurs when multiple representations are used, because they allow students to make connections within, as well as between, concepts. In short, there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for all learners; providing options for representation in your course materials is essential. 5 Below are a few options for incorporating multiple means of representation into your course.
Students differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning experience and express what they know. In reality, there is not one means of action and expression that will be optimal for all learners; providing options for action and expression is essential. It is important to provide a number of ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge so that you can evaluate if they have fully attained course learning outcomes and achieved their learning goals.
References:
- About universal design for learning. CAST. (2022, February 8). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
- Action & Expression. UDL. (2018, January 12). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression
- CAST. (2022, September 1). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.cast.org/
- Engagement. UDL. (2018, January 12). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement
- Representation. UDL. (2018, January 12). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation
- The UDL guidelines. UDL. (2022, September 2). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Resources:
- CAST – About Universal Design for Learning
- Universal Design For Learning In Higher Education
- What is UDL?
- Mowhawk College - Universal Design for Learning
- AHEAD (Ireland) - Universal Design for Learning
- AHEAD (Ireland) - UDL Framework Explained
- The Goodwin Institute for Learning Innovation - UDL Video Series
- Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation – Universal Design for Learning
- Georgetown University – Universal Design for Learning
- CNDLS, Georgetown University. Inclusive Pedagogy Toolkit.
- Technologies in Learning and Teaching – Syllabus Accessibility Statements
- University of Oregon – Universal Design for Learning
- Iowa State University – Universal Design for Learning
- Accessibility and UDL [Video]
- Innovation at the Margins [Video]
- UDL and Assessment [Video]
- UDL in Higher Education [Video]
- UDL and the Brain: Teacher Vlog [Video]
- UDL and Retention [Video]
- Neuroscience and UDL [Video]
- Think UDL [Podcast]
- UDL in 15 Minutes [Podcast]
- Goodwin Teaches: Universal Design for Learning Stories in Higher Education [Podcast]
Updated: 08/14/2025 05:36PM