Why Personas?

We develop learner personas in UDL and learning design to foster deeper empathy, compassion, and intentional inclusivity in our teaching practices. Personas help us move beyond generic assumptions about "the average student" and instead center the diverse, lived experiences of real learners. By imagining our students’ goals, challenges, strengths, and contexts, we are better equipped to design flexible learning environments that anticipate variability and reduce barriers from the start.

This practice not only supports academic success—it cultivates a more humanizing approach to education. When we design with empathy, we affirm that every learner belongs and deserves access to meaningful, engaging, and empowering learning experiences.

Here is an example persona:

Category	Prompts for Reflection	Sample Notes
Name (Fictional)	Create a name and a quick sketch of the learner.	“Jamie,” adult returning student
Demographics	Age, gender identity, race/ethnicity, language background, access to resources, family responsibilities, disabilities	35, multilingual, caregiver, low bandwidth
Academic & Personal Background	Prior education, confidence in learning, career goals, interests/hobbies	GED, interested in health sciences
Access Needs & Barriers	What might make it harder for them to engage, perceive content, or demonstrate learning?	Low vision, uses screen