Beyond Adjustments: Embedding Inclusive Design in University Classrooms

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Abstract

Inclusive teaching is often misunderstood as offering special provisions for a few, rather than being recognized as good pedagogical practice that benefits all learners. This Innovations in Practice article presents four inclusive teaching strategies implemented in higher education classrooms with adult learners, particularly neurodivergent and international students. Drawing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, each practice was developed in response to recurring structural challenges and learner feedback, not individual diagnoses, thereby allowing all students to access, engage with, and demonstrate learning on their own terms. The first strategy explores flexible assessment and participation formats, enabling learners to choose how they best demonstrate understanding. The second highlights the use of anonymous, low-stakes tools to surface support needs early, reducing the burden of disclosure. The third describes a peer mentoring initiative that supported cultural and academic transitions, with benefits for both mentors and mentees. The final strategy focuses on reducing power distance in the classroom by offering learners greater autonomy over how they navigate sessions and signalling that their needs are valid without formal justification. These practices have been tested across postgraduate and undergraduate modules in a UK university and are grounded in classroom narratives and learner reflections. Each intervention was designed not to respond to specific impairments but to pre-emptively remove barriers for a diverse cohort. The article concludes with practical takeaways for adult educators seeking to embed inclusive design principles in their teaching. Inclusive education, the paper argues, is not an ideological position but a commitment to effective and equitable teaching.

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