The Center developed the UDL Scan Tool to support the examination of K-12 online curriculum and learning—beyond traditional examinations for accessibility. Using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, the intent of the Tool is to provide a measurement from which to further understand the alignment of K-12 blended and fully online digital materials to the cognitive and learning needs of struggling learners and those with disabilities. Built to include the three UDL principles, nine guidelines, and associated checkpoints, the Tool offers educators, parents, and developers a way to further examine online learning products, and a mechanism by which to consider what might be missing in order to best meet the learning needs of ALL individuals.
After initial development, researchers conducted reliability and validity testing of the Tool (Basham, Smith, & Satter, in press) and then examined more than 1,000 online lessons across six widely used K-12 blended and fully online vendors. Findings were published in Invited In: Measuring UDL in Online Learning.
A link to the interactive UDL Scan Tool is found below along with an Excel document that offers users an easy-to-use template from which to examine the coded data. We also developed instructional videos to assist you in using the UDL Scan Tool and its Excel template.
We encourage districts and vendors to contact us regarding their efforts to further understand the alignment of their digital materials to the needs of struggling learners and those with disabilities. Contact us by phone (785) 312-4485 or email seanj@ku.edu.
UDL Scan Tool Downloads, Links, & Videos
Interactive UDL Scan Tool (Google form)
Note: You will need to log into your Google Account before accessing this form. Please remember to make a copy for your own use. This link is only to be used as a template.
UDL Scan Tool Analysis Template (xlsx download)
Note: The Excel Template is NOT a required part of the UDL Scan Tool but simply available, if needed, to assist in the data analysis process.
Quick How-To: Using the UDL Scan Tool (pdf download)