Exploring How Instructional Designers Prioritize the Relationship Between Universal Design and Learning Context in Higher Education

This research study delves into the dynamics of instructional designers' decision-making practices concerning the integration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in online learning environments within higher education. The study emphasizes the influence of contextual factors on instructional designers' decision-making, recognizing the challenges they face in aligning with UDL principles. The methodology involved a Q-sort survey with 20 participants, exploring how they prioritize UDL aspects during online instruction design. The subsequent factor analysis revealed four distinct groups of instructional designers with varying priorities. Factor Group 1 emphasized alternatives for visuals and audio, prioritizing ADA accessibility needs, relevance, authenticity, collaboration, and community. Factor Group 2 focused on executive functions, misunderstanding some elements as faculty-oriented, emphasizing planning and strategy. Factor Group 3 prioritized text decoding, mathematical notation, and multimedia illustration, emphasizing deeper comprehension. The study concludes by presenting findings and trends, offering recommendations for heuristics development to address UDL in higher education institutions.