Researching Accidental UDL with Kirsten Behling

Welcome to Episode 60 of the Think UDL podcast: Researching Accidental UDL with Kirsten Behling. Kirsten Behling is the author, along with Tom Tobin, of Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education, which is the book I recommend most to anyone who is interested in UDL in higher ed. She is also the Associate Dean of StAAR which stands for Student Accessibility and Academic Resources at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. In today’s podcast, Kirsten and I discuss the research project she has undertaken since the pandemic began when university classes switched to a predominantly online format. Along with her co-researchers Kate Pillette, a School Psychologist and Learning Specialist at Tufts University, and Lisa Bibeau, the Assistant Dean for Disability Services at Salem State. Kirsten has been looking for and has found many examples of instructors implementing Universal Design for Learning principles in their rapid switch to online, and she has asked instructors to reflect on their teaching during this time. Through this, she has uncovered what she calls “Accidental UDL” when instructors have implemented strategies that have proved helpful, accessible, clear, and perhaps altogether revolutionary in the midst of this transition that, whether they knew it or not initially, incorporated or exemplified Universal Design for Learning principles. What a great idea to highlight the bright spots during a particularly trying time for college teaching! Kirsten has graciously provided a chart resource and her article “Finding a silver lining in the rapid movement to online learning: Considerations of access for all learners” if you’d like to know more or if you are interested in trying to do something like this on your campus. You’ll find both the chart and article on the ThinkUDL.org webpage under Episode 60’s resources. Thank you for joining me in this conversation today with Kirsten Behling on Accidental UDL!