Considering Universal Design Principles and Guidelines in a Laboratory Based Module Providing an Introduction to Microcontroller Based Embedded Sensor Systems Design

Laboratory based experiential learning is an essential part of the higher education learning experience for students in the engineering disciplines. How laboratories are created, operated, developed, and deployed, can take different forms. With the increasing focus on inclusion and accessibility of learning to enable wider participation, there is a need to continuously review how teaching and learning is undertaken to enable a greater level of inclusion as well as ensuring the required learning outcomes at a course level and an individual module level are met. In this paper, Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and guidelines are considered, and specific aspects of UD and UDL have been utilized in the redesign of a laboratory based teaching module that introduces Information Technology (IT) students to microcontroller based embedded sensor systems design. This is a laboratory and project based module where the students follow a project flow from problem understanding through design/implementation/testing, to final reporting and presentation.