Easing Academic Stress with Elizabeth Hitches

Welcome to Episode 131 of the Think UDL podcast: Easing Academic Stress with Elizabeth Hitches. Elizabeth Hitches teaches across various universities in Australia in inclusive education and research methods, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. Her current research is exploring students' academic stress through the lens of UDL and considering how stressors in the higher education environment might differ between students with and without accessibility requirements or disability. Her broader research explores inclusive education both nationally and internationally, drawing on students' voices and lived experiences. All of her research is available on google scholar. Elizabeth also works to support professional development to empower higher education staff to take accessible and inclusive approaches. She is grateful to be a member of CAST's national faculty, and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In today’s conversation, we talk about Elizabeth’s research on academic stress and what it looks like in the higher education environment, what it does to students, and how UDL can alleviate some of its effects. You might find a new way to consider your approach to your teaching and reconsider the learning environment we create.