Digital innovations provide critical educators with opportunities to create inclusive and engaging education for diverse student cohorts; however there are challenges in determining how to effectively embed these approaches. As in many developed nations, the Australian university sector is focused on widening participation in order to build the nation as a knowledge economy. This has led to an increase in enabling programs which provide a supported pre-degree pathway to university for individuals who may not have the usual prerequisites and which ‘enable them... by actively preparing them for success in their future undergraduate studies’ (Klinger & Murray 2010, p. 118). These programs attract students from demographic groups which have been traditionally underrepresented in the Australian university sector. Teaching this cohort necessitates a shift towards further adoption of inclusive pedagogy which supports access to and engagement with university concepts. This paper will provide a case study of embedding Universal Design Learning principles (UDL) (CAST 2011) to foster inclusion and engagement in a new digital literacy course in an Australian university enabling program.

Designing this innovative course provided an opportunity to prepare students with the digital literacies required to contribute to the digital world. Digital literacies are ‘the individual and social skills needed to effectively interpret, manage, share and create meaning in the growing range of digital communication channels’ (Dudeney, Hockly & Pegrum 2013, p. 2).  These literacies are seen as an increasingly important part of the ‘digital wisdom’ required for 21^st Century citizenship and employment (Prensky 2012). The course aims to build student knowledge in digital literacy through a range of relevant sub-topics including creativity, semiotics, design, narrative, coding, neuroplasticity, industry practice and ethics. The ability of students to ‘Bring your own device’ helped them feel comfortable with the new university environment and open to learning. Digital media provides a starting point for engagement in which student ‘funds of knowledge’ can be valued (Gonzalez, Moll & Amanti 2012) and connected to analysis and production at a university level. Students extended their knowledge of contemporary visual communication through analysis and critique of new media texts. Students then created diverse media which aligned with their strengths and interests, including websites, short films, apps, infographics, advertisements, photographic essays and critical media reviews.  Innovative assessment encouraged engagement; however careful design was needed to ensure that multiple modes of expression served to illustrate threshold concepts.

UDL employs three key principles to provide educational content which is accessible for varied learning styles and needs: multiple modes of representation, multiple modes of action and expression, and multiple modes of engagement (CAST 2011). In this course, content is presented in multiple forms which are customisable for learners based on individual preference. For example key theoretical concepts are presented as short conceptual lecturettes, internal and virtual lectures, as .pdf files, Prezi presentations and podcast formats, and supported by readings and a website. Multiple means of action and expression include interactive elements in lectures and tutorials, and blended learning activities which capitalise on digital technologies. Multiple means of engagement support individual choice through a range of teaching and assessment activities which incorporate creative and research elements to build digital literacies. Assessment design using UDL presented a significant challenge, however careful planning, generation of relevant rubrics, and thorough communication of expectations supported diverse delivery modes. Constructive alignment of assessment and core course concepts was used to encourage deep learning approaches (Biggs & Tang 2007). Student choice encouraged passionate and individualised approaches to course tasks which student evaluations identified as a highlight (UniSA 2015). This case study outlines the challenges and benefits of employing UDL to encourage student engagement and support inclusive learning.

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