The Why, What, and How of Self-regulated Learning and the Universal Design for Learning Framework

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has emerged as an inclusive pedagogical framework for addressing the limitations of the traditional ‘one size fits all’ curriculum that exists in many countries. UDL aims to promote student engagement, interaction, and learning for all students through intentional curricula that support learner variability and diversity. A core element of the UDL framework in the affective domain is self-regulation, which supports learner wellbeing, motivation, interest, retention, and progression. In this opinion piece, the connections between self-regulated learning (SRL) and the UDL approach are explored. Community views were collected during two poster sessions to explore the beliefs and understandings of UDL advocates and experts on how SRL can enhance wellbeing and engagement of staff and learners to improve access, retention, and progression. Synthesis of this feedback informs a suggested research agenda and implications for academic practice in international contexts