Inclusive Online Nursing Education - Learner Perceptions of Universal Design for Learning Approaches - Article 2

Oct 15, 2026

Diversity in age, background, circumstances, and abilities among post-secondary learners has become increasingly common in online nursing education. Educators need an inclusive, responsive learning environment to optimize achievement, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a theoretical framework for designing inclusive curricula that reduce learning barriers. A convergent mixed-methods descriptive case study examined learners in a first-year undergraduate nursing course redesigned using UDL principles, using survey and focus group data collected in 2020.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

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Inclusive Online Nursing Education: Learner Perceptions of Universal Design for Learning Approaches

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The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 15 | Issue 3 | Article 2 | | --- | --- | | Winter 12-31-2024
Inclusive Online Nursing Education: Learner Perceptions of Universal Design for Learning Approaches
Ann Celestini
Trent University, [annmarycelestini@trentu.ca](annmarycelestini@trentu.ca)[ ](annmarycelestini@trentu.ca)Agnieszka (Aga) Palalas
Athabasca University, agapalalas@athabascau.ca
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.16911](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.16911) | | Recommended Citation Celestini, A., & Palalas, A. (2024) . Inclusive online nursing education: Learner perceptions of Universal Design for Learning approaches. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(3) . [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.16911](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.16911) Inclusive Online Nursing Education: Learner Perceptions of Universal Design for Learning Approaches Abstract Diversity in age, background, circumstances, and abilities among post-secondary learners has become increasingly common in online nursing education. Thus, there is a need for educators to build an inclusive environment that is responsive to this variety, to optimize learner achievement. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers educators a theoretical framework to proactively design an inclusive online course curriculum that is responsive to varied learner populations and minimizes learning barriers encountered. A convergent mixed-methods descriptive case study was conducted of learners enrolled in a large first-year undergraduate nursing course in Canada, which was redesigned using UDL principles. The purpose of this case study was to answer the research question: How do learners’rate and describe the effectiveness of instructional strategies used in supporting inclusivity of diverse learning preferences and needs in an online environment. Data was collected in 2020, from a cohort of 230 learners using a survey questionnaire (n=40) and focus group (n=7) by a hired research assistant, for the convergent mixed-methods analysis and resulting discussion. Survey respondents rated accessible course material, inclusive lecture strategies, accommodations, inclusive assessment, and classroom constructs of the survey tool, as being most inclusive of diverse needs. Focus group participants described assessment methods, instructor presence, and UDL based course design elements, as the preferred instructional strategies used in the curriculum, with group work and navigation issues being most problematic. A purposeful selection of synchronous and asynchronous UDL based instructional strategies by educators, which integrate multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression, offered an inclusive online environment for diverse learning needs. La diversité des âges, des origines, des situations et des capacités des apprenants et des apprenantes de l'enseignement post-secondaire est de plus en plus fréquente dans la formation en ligne aux soins infirmiers. Il est donc nécessaire que les éducateurs et les éducatrices créent un environnement inclusif qui tienne compte de cette diversité, afin d'optimiser les résultats des apprenants et desapprenantes. La conception universelle de l'apprentissage offre aux éducateurs et aux éducatrices un cadre théorique pour concevoir de manière proactive un programme de cours en ligne inclusif quirépond aux diverses populations d'apprenants et d’apprenantes et minimise les obstacles à l'apprentissage rencontrés. Une étude de cas descriptive convergente à méthodes mixtes a été menéeauprès d'apprenants et d’apprenantes inscrits à un grand cours de soins infirmiers de première annéeau Canada, qui a été remanié selon les principes de la conception universelle de l’apprentissage. L'objectif de cette étu

FAQs

What problem does the paper address in online nursing education?

It addresses the growing diversity of post-secondary learners and the need for educator-designed inclusivity that responds to varied abilities and circumstances while optimizing learning outcomes.

How was the study conducted?

It used a convergent mixed-methods descriptive case study of learners enrolled in a large first-year undergraduate nursing course redesigned with UDL principles, with data collected in 2020 via a survey and a focus group.

Which instructional strategies were reported as most preferred or effective?

Survey and focus group findings highlighted accessible course materials, inclusive lecture strategies, accommodations, inclusive assessment, instructor presence, and UDL-based course design elements as preferred and most inclusive.

Oct 15, 2026

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