ADCET UDL Symposium: INSIGHT - Operationalising UDL in Assessment
Online workshop
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is widely endorsed across Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET), yet implementation often remains conceptual rather than embedded in assessment design decisions. Research indicates that educators and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students tend to endorse inclusive education principles (Basham et al., 2020; Griful-Freixenet et al., 2020; Francis & Waghorn, 2025; Sharma, 2018), this endorsement is often conceptual rather than operational and does not necessarily translate into confident assessment design practices.
This exploratory pilot study examined the INSIGHT Framework as a design scaffold embedded within ITE coursework in a HE context. The study focuses on educator learning and design processes rather than student achievement outcomes. Pre-service teachers used the framework to analyse and redesign authentic assessment tasks through structured barrier anticipation aligned to UDL 3.0 considerations, including learner variability, executive functioning demands, and multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression.
Evidence was drawn from two sources: de-identified comparative analysis of coursework artefacts and an anonymous survey capturing participants’ reported confidence, preparedness, and clarity when designing inclusive assessment tasks. Preliminary findings indicate more explicit identification of participation barriers and greater confidence in adjusting assessment tasks to support participation.
In this workshop, participants applied the INSIGHT framework to analyse and redesign an assessment task from their own HE or VET context. Participants left with a structured method for analysing assessment tasks, identifying participation barriers, and making targeted design adjustments aligned with UDL 3.0.
Presenters
Dr Mariko Francis is Lecturer and Course Coordinator in Inclusive Education at RMIT University. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate courses in inclusive education, including, differentiation, positive behaviour support, and policy. Her teaching and research focus on inclusive education, Universal Design for Learning, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and equitable design across teaching, assessment, and support planning. She co-developed the INSIGHT Framework with Dr Elise Waghorn as a practical scaffold for inclusive planning and decision-making. In this workshop, she draws on one application of the framework to support barrier-aware assessment design that strengthens accessibility, learner agency, and inclusive practice. Dr Mariko Francis ORCID page
Dr Elise Waghorn is Program Manager and Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at RMIT University. Her research focuses on sensory responsive pedagogies, inclusive education, and initial teacher education, with particular attention to how pedagogical and environmental design support participation, engagement, and wellbeing. She completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2023, examining global childhoods and the intersections of children’s lifeworlds, policy, and educational experiences across Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Dr Waghorn co developed the INSIGHT Framework with Dr Francis and works across research, curriculum, and professional learning to translate inclusive education principles into practical tools for teaching, assessment, and planning. Dr Elise Waghorn ORCID page
(June 2026)