It might seem like a no-brainer , but creating inclusive courses requires putting in the time to examine the way we write and speak. After all, we don’t all have the same culturally influenced lexicon . This week the Teaching Innovation Center’s instructional designers Sarah Prosory and Lenora Ott , discussed ways our written and spoken language can be clarified to create a better course experience for learners.  Universal Design for Learning The presentation explored the Universal Design for Learning Principle 2: Language and Symbols, Checkpoint 1: Clarify Vocabulary and Symbols. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are based upon scientific exploration of how humans learn and take into consideration burgeoning research from the fields of education, psychology, and neuroscience. The final goal of UDL is “to change the design of the environment rather than to change the learner”. The guidelines set forth by UDL help instructors create learning environments that accomm...