Exploring Universal Design for Learning Through Sound: A Survey Study

This study examines the effectiveness of auditory techniques in teaching oceanographic concepts and data under the Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL) in informal learning environments. Through a large-scale online survey conducted with sighted, blind and low-vision (BLV) participants, we evaluated their perception of sonification, learning outcomes, and user experience with five auditory displays based on authentic oceanographic datasets. The results indicate that both sighted and BLV participants could achieve similar levels of perception of sonification and learning outcomes, with BLV participants reporting higher engagement with the auditory displays. Additionally, sighted learners experienced higher cognitive load with the auditory displays. The findings emphasize the UDL implementation of auditory techniques as an effective educational tool in providing representation for both sighted and BLV learners, but alternative intervention is needed for engaging the sighted learners. This study contributes to the UDL framework by providing evidence-based research on implementing the UDL framework with auditory materials, and offers practical guidelines for their application in the informal learning environment.