Welcome to Accessible by Nature: Designing EE to Support All Learners 

This course uses the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to guide the design of learning environments that are accessible and challenging for all, rather than making modifications for individual students. UDL improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn, giving all students equal opportunity to succeed. This course is designed to encourage you to reflect deeply on your practice to focus on how you plan and teach to support all learners. The course content and associated assignments are geared towards practicing environmental and outdoor educators. We hope this course will inspire you to strengthen your pedagogical practices so they are more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible. 

This course content was designed by Michelle Silvers of Silver’s Lining PLLC, Estrella Risinger with the Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE), Michelle Pearce and Lauren Pyle with the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC), with contributions from Rebekah Jones and the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning.

This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ways of knowing. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around how we can more intentionally and respectfully incorporate traditional ways of knowing into our environmental and outdoor learning programming.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Environmental Education online course: UDL improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. UDL is a framework to guide the design of learning environments that are accessible and challenging for all, rather than making modifications for individual students’ needs. Ultimately, the goal of UDL is to support learners to become “expert learners” who are, each in their own way, purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-driven.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Environmental Education online course: UDL improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. UDL is a framework to guide the design of learning environments that are accessible and challenging for all, rather than making modifications for individual students’ needs. Ultimately, the goal of UDL is to support learners to become “expert learners” who are, each in their own way, purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-driven.