Universal Design for Learning in an Online Teacher Education Course: Enhancing Learners' Confidence to Teach Online

Abstract

To prepare teacher candidates for the growing number of online learners they will encounter in their professional practice, it is important that they have the opportunity to experience quality online learning themselves. This paper reports a case study of an online teacher education course that was designed based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Drawing from survey results and statistics collected through the online learning management system, 24 teacher candidates' online learning experiences were shared. The findings of this study illustrate the impact of the online course on teacher candidates' confidence and self-efficacy in learning in an online environment and potentially teaching online in the future. Teacher candidates' perceptions of the benefits and challenges for teaching and learning online are also discussed.