Adult Literacy Education Winter 2024 - Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Self-Paced Professional Development Modules for Adult Education Instructors

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào

Adult education instructors are diverse in background, training, licenses, and teaching modalities, making it difficult to plan professional development that is meaningful and effective. This article applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a CAST research-based framework, to design self-paced learning modules accessible through the LINCS website. It argues that two UDL design concepts—accessibility and relevance—can strengthen professional development for adult educators who struggle to apply UDL in adult learning contexts, supporting better teaching and learning outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Universal Design for Learning

UDL principles

Designing PD for Adult Education Instructors Using UDL

Needs assessment and context

Learning activities and data collection

ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION WINTER 2024 [http://doi.org/10.35847/ABastoni.LPerez.CSell.6.1.17](http://doi.org/10.35847/ABastoni.LPerez.CSell.6.1.17) Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Self-Paced Professional Development Modules for Adult Education Instructors Amanda Bastoni, Luis Pérez, and Cassandra Sell, CAST Acknowledgement: This article was developed under contract with the MDB, Inc. with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, under Contract No. 91990020C0095 . The content and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education should be inferred. Abstract Adult education instructors are as diverse as the students they teach. Their professional backgrounds, training, licenses, and modalities of teaching (online, in person, open vs. closed enrollment, etc.) vary widely, which can make the planning of meaningful, effective professional development challenging. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based educational framework developed almost 30 years ago by CAST, a non-profit education research and design organization. Using the UDL framework, CAST has developed self-paced professional learning modules that can be accessed freely through the Literacy Information and Communication System website ( [https://lincs.ed.gov/](https://lincs.ed.gov/)). The goal of this article is to argue that two key UDL-based design concepts-accessibility and relevance-can be used to increase the effectiveness of professional development for adult educators. Keywords: universal design for learning, professional development, adult education instructors Adult educators vary widely in terms of demographics and experience. Many have a background teaching children. Some have never taught before. The reasons adult education instructors are engaging in professional development (PD) also vary. Some instructors may be completing required training to meet local PD requirements, while others may be trying to increase skills or knowledge in a particular subject area. As we consider how to develop effective PD for adult education instructors, we should begin by asking: Has the PD been designed with the same care we expect adult educators to use when teaching their own adult students? We believe Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based framework to guide the design of inclusive and engaging learning environments, is the place to start. However, through our research we found that while a majority of adult educators feel positively about UDL and understand the importance of supporting all of the learners in their classroom, they struggle with applying the framework in the adult learning context. This is significant since teacher preparedness has a critical impact on student learning (Cook & Rao, 2018; Murphy, 2021) . To understand how to prepare adult educators to use UDL we need to understand what adult educators want to know about teaching and learning and how they want or need to learn the information. Through this 2-year collaboration between CAST and the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, which funded the project, we found that the best way to improve the learning environment for the adult education students was to model a UDL professional development learning environment by focusing on relevance and accessibility. Correspondence: [abastoni@cast.org](abastoni@cast.org) 17 Universal Design for Learning UDL is an evidence-based framework developed at CAST, a nonprofit education research and design group founded in 1984. Echoing the concept of universal design in architecture, which aims to make spacesand information more accessible to individuals with disabilities (Mace et al., 2000), UDL is intended to expand learning opportunities for the widest range of learners. UDL offers concrete suggestion

FAQs

How did CAST and partner stakeholders prepare the UDL-based PD design?

They conducted a needs assessment covering learning process needs and content knowledge. The work included reviewing literature, analyzing online learning strategies for adults, and gathering data via interviews, surveys, and online focus groups.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào