NORFOLK, Neb. – When Lillian Nave recently asked Northeast Community College faculty and staff about Universal Design Learning, many employees looked away.
Nave, who is the Universal Design for Learning coordinator for the Center of Academic Excellent at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., was the guest speaker during the Northeast In-Service earlier this month. As part of her presentation, she asked employees to answer questions on their cell phones.
She went on to ask, “How familiar are you with Universal Design for Learning?” Of the roughly 400 responses she received, 59% said they had never heard of UDL or Universal Design Learning. Only 6% of respondents said they use UDL principles often in their area.
Based on information presented at the In-Service, that is about to change. For those unfamiliar with Universal Design, all digital content for an institution like Northeast will need to be accessible by April 2026, including information on a website. It is a continuation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
But it is more than that. And it can be applied to learning.
All people are different. Knowing that, Nave said, colleges can design “proactively,” so that students can learn in a way they are able.
Nave said she is a big fan of community colleges. Her children went to community colleges and she herself taught at community colleges.
“We’re reaching the most students and community colleges have the most diverse students coming into education,” Nave said.
Among the topics covered were the myth of average, and something the U.S. Air Force discovered in 1952 while training pilots. The Air Force found that even with the best planes, equipment and instructors, pilots were declining in their ability after World War II.
The Air Force started to look at the planes, and figured that in needing to make split-second decisions, pilots possibly couldn’t reach all the instruments easily. They figured there was a mismatch, so they measured 4,000 pilots, including height, shoulders, hip, chest, neck and other areas.
In all, 10 categories were measured so they could find out the average and then design the cockpit to the average so everyone would be in a better position to learn.
It turned out that out of all 4,000 pilots, not one pilot hit the average exactly in 10 categories.
“That tells us that average is a myth,” Nave said. “People are highly variable; averages do not effectively measure human talent or potential. Each person has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses.”
When designing a cockpit for the average person, for example, the design the Air Force had wasn’t best for anyone. The Air Force then started to create flexible cockpits, so pilots could slide seats up or back, or go side to side. And that’s why we have cars today with adjustable car seats, Nave said.
“Why not apply it to our educational setting as well?” Nave asked. “Just like every person is unique and has a jagged, different profile looking at all these different metrics, so do all these students have a jagged, individual learning profile.”
Every student will be better or worse in things like language, memory, reading, vocabulary, curiosity, cognitive abilities and more.
Nave discussed neurodiversity; a term coined by sociologist Judy Singer in 1999. Neurodiversity refers to the idea that all brains function differently, and variations in mental function are natural and beneficial.
Universal Design considers the differences in learners, recognizing that traditional education styles or ways of disseminating information don’t work for everyone.
Featured Speaker, Nave
Lillian Nave, who is from Appalachian State University, was the keynote speaker earlier this month at Northeast Community College for the Spring Semester In-Service. (Northeast Community College)
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