Universal design in online education: a systematic review

As online learners are increasingly diverse, making online learning more inclusive becomes an urgent need. Universal design has been perceived as a viable framework to reach the widest possible range of learners. However, applying universal design to online education has been a challenge to instructors due to different barriers. It is also unclear what evidence-based strategies can be infused into online education. In this systematic review, we selected and analyzed relevant studies and synthesized their designs and findings to explore the trends, strategies, impacts, challenges, and instructors' and students' attitudes toward applying universal design in online environments. We discuss implications for research and practice.