Partnership as a New way of Teaching and Learning: Reflection on my UDL Journey

Abstract

The article explores different types of academic partnerships through Gamification, Active learning, and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for effective collaboration between students, staff, and subject matter experts in curriculum design and content development. It presents practical teaching examples that may be relevant to various educational environments with a specific emphasis on the three UDL framework principles: multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. The author reflects on the UDL journey in the Level 7 Bachelor of Science Additive Manufacturing programme design and delivery for the School of Engineering, SETU, and how that reflection may resonate with a broader cohort of teachers and educators. The paper highlights the importance of the student’s voice and how it can be included in the learning process to make everyone feel involved, ‘heard,’ and responsible for the work outcome. The article considers partnership as a new addition to teaching and learning that can support the development of soft skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, team building, and time management and encourage engagement and collaboration through co-design, co-learning, and co-development.