Digital Strategies for Diverse Learner Engagement in Ugandan Higher Education: A UDL-Informed Qualitative Case Study
Kellen Busingye Tumutegyereize – Department of Curriculum Instruction and Educational Media,
School of Education, Moi University, Kenya
Egesa Mary Kerich – Department of Curriculum Instruction and Educational Media,
School of Education, Moi University, Kenya
Violet N.O. Kafwa – Curriculum Development and Instruction, Open University of Kenya (OUK), Kenya
Email: ktbusingye@gmail.com
Abstract: This qualitative instrumental case study examined how faculty in the Department of Foundations and Curriculum Studies at Makerere University, Uganda, used digital technologies to foster diverse learner engagement during instructional delivery. Guided by Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0, specifically the Engagement principle, the study collected data through 12 semi-structured interviews, 6 focus group discussions with 47 pre-service teacher trainees, 11 lesson observations (10 face-to-face, 1 virtual), and document analysis of teaching-learning artefacts and institutional policydocuments. Data from 59 participants were analysed. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed five sub-themes: institutional conditions and equity gaps; accessible design and low-bandwidth adaptations; welcoming interests, identities, and authentic engagement; sustaining effort, persistence, and emotional capacity; and affective engagement and equity in inclusion strategies. Findings indicate that faculty engagement strategies were ingenious but fragile, dependent on individual resourcefulness rather than systematic institutional support. A two-tier system of exclusion emerged wherein students with disabilities received inconsistent accommodations while faculty with disabilities were rendered almost invisible by inaccessible digital infrastructure. Sustainable digitally mediated engagement requires simultaneous attention to faculty capacity, accessible design, and institutional resourcing. Recommendations include embedding UDL-aligned engagement strategies in faculty development, establishing clear accessibility protocols, and ensuring institutional resourcing for low-bandwidth and assistive technologies.
