This free, three-part professional development series for University of Sydney staff and colleagues from other institutions aims to equip professional staff with the skills to ensure productive collaboration on inclusion.

Although academics are subject matter experts, they often rely on third space professional staff such as educational designers and support officers, academic developers and accessibility advisors, for guidance on pedagogy, design, delivery, and evaluation. This series of talks and networking opportunities positions Third Space professionals as essential pedagogical partners in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) thinking and implementation, and offers capability building in influencing, partnering, and evaluation.

If you work in educational design, curriculum development, academic development, learning technologies, accessibility and inclusion, teaching support, student success, or other professional roles that partner with academics to enhance teaching and learning, this series is for you!

All events will have time for questions, and in-person attendees at the hybrid events are invited for an hour of networking and refreshments following each presentation.

Influencing: how we build buy-in

Tue, Oct 20, 09:00–10:00 (AEDT) HYBRID

Followed by networking and refreshments for in-person attendees 10:00–11:00

Lillian Nave, Faculty and Educational Development Specialist for Appalachian State University’s CETLSS on the Hickory campus, former art historian who fell in love with intercultural learning, and the creator and host of the Think UDL podcast.

Lillian will present online from Appalachian State University, sharing practical strategies on influencing to nurture productive relationships and build buy-in across diverse contexts to increase inclusion in all aspects of higher education.

Partnering: how we work across communities to embed UDL

Wed, Oct 21, 13:00–14:00 (AEDT) HYBRID

Followed by networking and refreshments for in-person attendees 14:00–15:00

A/Prof Laura Gray, Director of the Damion Drapac Centre for Equity in Health Professions Education at Deakin University, educational leader and researcher, whose experience spans health professions education, curriculum leadership, and inclusive teaching practice. She founded the Disability-Inclusive Health Professions Education Alliance ANZ (DIHPEA), bringing together educators, researchers and professional staff to advance collaboration, scholarship and disability-inclusive practice across the region.

Rae Jobst, Learning and Teaching Designer (Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning), Centre for Collaborative Educational Excellence (CCEE), Griffith University, whose experience is as an educational psychologist and Learning and Teaching Designer, specialising in inclusive pedagogies, particularly UDL. With lived experience of disability and more than 10 years in educational design at Griffith University, she is now in a role with a specific focus on strengthening our digital accessibility and implementation of UDL in practice.

Darlene McLennan, Manager, ADCET, 2025 ACSES Equity Fellow, whose experience is in advocacy, resource development, and capability building at a national scale to support UDL and disability inclusion in higher education. She has played a leading role in driving the development of accessible resources, professional learning, and national initiatives in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, she is committed to removing barriers and improving success for students.

Michelle Chen, Educational Designer at the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney, whose experience spans educational innovation, professional learning, and technology-enhanced teaching. She collaborates with educators and professional staff to design engaging, high-quality learning experiences, support effective pedagogical practice, and drive continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

The panel will offer insights from multiple professional perspectives on how to successfully partner with collaborators, capitalise on diverse expertise, and ensure learning environments provide the conditions for all learners to succeed.

Evaluating: how we demonstrate impact and sustain change

Thu, Oct 22, 16:00–17:00 (AEDT) ONLINE

Followed by networking and refreshments for in-person attendees 17:00–18:00

Kavita Rao, Professor and Director of the College of Education Research Institute at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa whose research and teaching focuses on instructional and assistive technology, UDL, inclusive instructional design, online learning, and culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Kavita will present online from the University of Hawai‘i, sharing approaches to designing UDL implementation so that objectives are clear and initiatives and approaches can be evaluated to demonstrate impact and inform iteration.

Presented by the Division of Teaching and Learning, The University of Sydney, as part of ‘Using UDL for building capability and community in higher education’, a project supported by a University of Sydney ‘Community and Leadership Seed and Scale Developing Practice Grant’.

Contact the host of Career development series: Championing UDL in the Third Space

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