Instructional Design Models

Accessibility/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) creates flexible and inclusive learning environments by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression to accommodate diverse learner needs and preferences (Brightspace, 2025). As a high school teacher, we had to plan lessons to be accessible to all learners. We also benefitted from a robust learning management system (LMS) whose features included text-to-speech, natural reader, audio/video input expressions, and even translation services in over 80 languages. The translation service alone was valuable as a content delivery support for my English learners. As a graphic designer in a government town, I became familiar with designing documents for 508-Compliance—a reference to federal policy that describes the requirements regarding fonts, color contrasts, and the use of tagged text for assistive reading devices. I had previous knowledge and digital tools that passed/failed documents against accessibility standards outlined in WCAG and others (Bhaduri, 2023). Through a combination of these experiences, I understood the accessibility mandate in UDL, but my key learning from this week’s reading was discovering the framework for UDL.

Until this week, I considered UDL a checklist of 508-compliant tasks. It was mindblowing to learn that it encompasses a much broader theory including three principles, nine guidelines, and 36 checkpoints (CAST, 2024) targeted to student learning goals. The implications of incorporating UDL principles in instructional design are paramount—if the course content isn’t accessible to all, the effort invested in creating the course is wasted. Learners who enroll in a course expect to learn and master course objectives. If the course is inaccessible, the course can’t meet the learner’s expectations or close the learner’s knowledge gap. Accessibility of a course goes beyond ensuring the content serves the needs of those with audio and visual impairments or language barriers—there is a cognitive aspect of accessibility that has to be addressed in instructional design and evidenced for instructional design to be effective. Cognitive barometers for content delivery are described in three principles of UDL: providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression.

Key Learnings:

1. The framework for UDL is intended to ensure all learners become experts by developing agency and self-awareness to meet learning goals (Rao, 2021). It considers the needs of beginner and advanced learners and designs a curriculum that serves all learners as a baseline.
2. The UDL Design Cycle puts learners’ needs and preferences at the forefront of curriculum design—as opposed to designing the curriculum first and modifying it to meet the learners’ various needs, strengths, and preferences (Rao, 2021).
3. UDL has implications in online course development related to the technical accessibility of course content including internet reliability, device independence, ease of navigating, and LMS features (Bhaduri, 2023). UDL implications for effective content delivery include the balance of synchronous and asynchronous engagements, clear learning outcomes, chunking content specific to learning objectives, and multimodal learner support (Allyson, 2022).

Additional Reading:

CAST Universal Design Learning Framework
This resource provides a deeper dive into the three principles and nine guidelines of UDL. It also provides a job aid for instructional designers that model UDL implementation. 

A Simple Online Learning Design for Your Course or Program
This resource outlines five considerations for online course design and guidance to help instructional designers balance the cognitive load of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities.  

The Easy 4-Step Learning Experience Design Playbook
This resource reiterates principles of andragogy in learning experiences—simplifying complex ideas, ensuring learning activities are specific to learners’ needs, and prioritizing accessibility and navigable course content. 

 

---

References:

Allyson, J. (2022, May 20). A Simple Online Learning Design for Your Course or Program (with a 5-Step Worksheet). Jay Allyson Strategic Marketing for Business Growth. https://jayallyson.com/online-learning-design-in-five-steps/

Bhaduri, S. (2023, May 31). Accessibility in learning design: Delivering inclusive learning for your workforce. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/accessibility-in-learning-design-delivering-inclusive-learning-for-your-workforce

CAST (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Rao, K. (2021). Inclusive Instructional Design: Applying UDL to Online Learning. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.59668/223.3753

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2024). Accessibility in instructional design. Brightspace.

For Unit 2: ADDIE Model, we were tasked to:

• Provide an overview of the ADDIE Model, including a brief description of each phase in your own words. 
• Discuss the implications of the ADDIE Model for instructional (learning) design. 
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the ADDIE Model as it applies to your minicourse idea. How might this model support or challenge the design of your specific learning experience? Provide examples from your minicourse idea to illustrate your points.

View Assignment

For Unit 3: Dick & Carey Model, we were tasked to:

• Provide an overview of the Dick and Carey Model, including a brief description of each step in your own words. 
• Discuss the implications of the Dick and Carey Model for instructional (learning) design. 
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the Dick and Carey Model as it applies to your minicourse idea. How might this model support or challenge the design of your specific learning experience? Provide examples from your minicourse idea to illustrate your points.

View Assignment

Unit 4 covered Understanding by Design (UbD). The reflection includes the following:

• An overview of the UbD Model, including a brief description of each step in your own words.
• The implications of the UbD Model for instructional (learning) design.
• Strengths and limitations of the UbD Model as it applies to your minicourse idea. How might this model support or challenge the design of your specific learning experience? Provide examples from your minicourse idea to illustrate your points.

View Assignment

Unit 5 covered Rapid Instructional Design (RID). The reflection includes the following: 

• An overview of the RID approach, including a brief description of the typical stages in your own words. 
• Implications of the RID approach for instructional (learning) design. 
• Strengths and limitations of the RID approach as it applies to your minicourse idea. How might this model support or challenge the design of your specific learning experience? Provide examples from your minicourse idea to illustrate your points.

View Assignment

Unit 6 covered the Successive Approximation Model (SAM). The reflection includes the following: 

• An overview of SAM including a brief description of the typical stages in your own words. 
• Implications of SAM for instructional (learning) design. 
• Strengths and limitations of SAM as it applies to your minicourse idea. How might this model support or challenge the design of your specific learning experience? Provide examples from your minicourse idea to illustrate your points.

View Assignment

Unit 7 covered the Learning Objective and Bloom’s Taxonomy. The reflection includes the following: 

• An overview of the differences between course learning outcomes and learning objectives, including a brief description of each in your own words. Provide two examples of each to demonstrate your understanding.  
• Provide an overview of Bloom’s Taxonomy, briefly describing each level in your own words

View Assignment

Unit 8 Discussion

• Revise (if needed) and restate the two to eight learning objectives for at least one of the modules/weeks/lessons/units in your minicourse that you created in Unit 7. Each objective should be in the sequence you plan to present it in the course. Align each learning objective to a course learning outcome.  
• Revise (if needed) and restate two to eight possible learning activities for the module/week/lesson/unit you drafted in Unit 5. Sequence each activity in order and align each activity with at least one learning objective. 
• List two to eight possible assessment strategies for the module/week/lesson/unit. Sequence the assessment strategies and align each strategy to at least one learning activity, which should then align to at least one learning objective. 

View Assignment