What I’m Thinking About… Could Universal Design for Learning Transform Practice-Based Interprofessional Education?
Kelly Allison
Associate Professor of Teaching and Chair of Field Education, UBC School of Social Work Director of Education, UBC Health
Carrie Krekoski
Assistant Director of Education, UBC Health Clinical Assistant Professor, Faculty of Dentistry
Michelle Hamilton
Education Program Manager, UBC Health
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Hybrid: IRC Room 414 & Zoom*
Zoom Details: For connection details, please email ches.communications@ubc.ca.
Abstract
Interprofessional education (IPE) brings together learners from diverse health and social care disciplines to learn with, from, and about each other, enabling effective collaboration and advancing the Quintuple Aim of healthcare. The goal of interprofessional education is to foster competencies in future health professionals to provide more compassionate, equitable, and effective healthcare. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are essential concepts in relationship-focused, collaborative care as students learn to address barriers to accessing services, embrace a diversity of perspectives when planning care and treatment, and embed anti-discriminatory practices into healthcare delivery. Rooted in neuroscience and inclusive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for creating flexible, equitable learning environments that recognize and respond to learner variability. Incorporating UDL into interprofessional education has the potential to foster equity and inclusivity, promote flexibility and adaptability, and enhance collaboration among students. In this session, we explore how UDL principles can enhance interprofessional learning. We begin by introducing the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC) Framework for Advancing Collaboration as the foundation for IPE at UBC. We present evaluation research applying the UDL CAST framework to demonstrate how key UDL principles align with CIHC competencies and enhance classroom-based collaborative learning in health and social care. Lastly, we invite discussion regarding how UDL could be applied to advance interprofessional learning in community and clinical settings. Our scholarly discussion explores the possibilities, benefits, and tensions of applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to real-world interprofessional learning environments and asks the following questions:
- What does it mean to design placements that nurture engagement, joy, community, and learner agency?
- What practical barriers exist—and how might they be addressed through intentional pedagogical and structural design?
- What are some practical implementation strategies that can easily be incorporated into a busy practice setting?
- What might be the best research approach to evaluate this implementation?
This session sparks critical thinking, collaboration, and idea generation for educators, preceptors, curriculum developers, and students committed to inclusive, equity-oriented interprofessional learning. Together, we ask: Could UDL help shape the future of collaborative health education in practice?
Biography
Kelly Allison, MSW, RSW, is an Associate Professor of Teaching with the UBC School of Social Work where she teaches social work practice courses in both the undergraduate and graduate programs and oversees the Field Education program. She received her Master’s of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and her educational leadership focus is pedagogical innovation in experiential learning for social work education and mentorship for teaching excellence. In her role as Director of Education for UBC Health she continues to contribute to the development of innovation in collaborative health education.
Carrie Krekoski, BDSc(DH), MEd., Ed.D(c), DHP(C), Assistant Director of Education, UBC Health supports the strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of integrated practice education initiatives. She works in close collaboration with the UBC Health team, faculty leads from various health disciplines, and community partners internal and external to UBC. She brings experience in healthcare, health professions regulation and team-based practice. In her role as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, Carrie teaches in content areas related to professionalism, communications, behavioural change and patient/client-centred care.
Michelle Hamilton is an Education Program Manager with UBC Health in the Office of the Vice President Health. She has over a decade of experience coordinating competency-based education programs, with the past five years focused on advancing interprofessional education at the University of British Columbia. Michelle is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a business analyst, currently completing graduate studies in instructional design. Her professional interests include supporting the development of innovative, collaborative health education initiatives and enhancing interprofessional learning environments.
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This activity meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 15.0 Mainpro+® Certified Activity credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity. CFPC Session ID: 301903-001 to 301903-010. RCPSC ACCREDITATION: The CHES Cutting Edge Speaker Series is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.