Creating an Inclusive Digital Learning Environment

 

 

 

Presenters:

Maite Saco, Instructional Designer

Cate Dowman, Sr. Instructional Designer

Division of Continuing and International Education, University of Miami

The University of Miami's Innovative Ally Rapid Remediation Project

Percentage* of chronic conditions among adults aged 18–34 years — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2019

Watson KB, Carlson SA, Loustalot F, et al. Chronic Conditions Among Adults Aged 18─34 Years — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:964–970.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7130a3.

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DLI

 

Familiar?

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Today

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Project

Background

 

3

Results

  • add DLI team pic

About

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 Making Accessibility #1

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Add data or a fact

Experiences

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  • accessible content
  • teacher presence
  • community
  • thoughtful edtech use
  • flexibility
  • rubrics
  • consistency across courses

Helpful

Unhelpful

  • inconsistent course design
  • non-standardized courses
  • non-transparent grading
  • edtech tools with little purpose

Poll

 

Your online teaching training experience (faculty, instructor, tech staff, ID etc)

 

What would you do differently now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Templates Erode Academic Creativity

#2. The Project

UOnline Program

I really prefer when professors take the time to organize their course. It makes it much easier to find assignments, videos, materials, etc. ... (student survey Wake Forest University 2021)

– Conrad Anker

When a templated course design works

 

UOnline Graduate Program

University of Miami Division of Continuing & International Education

It's been a busy two years

Pre 2020

OPM

June 2020

Standardized course template

ADA compliance

SME input

2022

LMS migration near completion

 

April 2020

Transitioned to DCIE

BB LMS migration completed

*Faculty more freedom

 

Jan 2021

Revise course & syllabus templates for new LMS migration

Menu

Learning

 TAL706 2021 Blackboard ECP Award Built Course Template

 

Menu

Learning

 TAL706 in Ultra Learn Template

 

  • layout aids in efficiency for instructors & student help desks
  • easier to update/revise existing courses
  • increases content creativity
  • fosters student success

Course Standardization

  • enrollment policies & engagement requirements influences design
  • stakeholder buy-in
  • faculty training & development
  • cookie cutter image
  • unsuitable for some courses

 

 

 

 

 

How can templates enhance academic creativity?

In Chat

Standardization is a Frenemy

Challenge #3

But you can sway it in your favor

Boost Freedom Set Limits

Pre-written syllabus templates

Pre-established course templates: accessible & inclusive

Rubrics for transparency, improved grading practices, inclusion

 Focus on layout not content design

Remember Juan?

Low bandwidth = different course layouts and design, feeling overloaded and frustrated,

  • What advice could you offer to Juan's  professors about their course design?

 

  • Would you be prepared to talk to them about improving consistency by 'standardizing course design'?

 

  • Ineffective faculty training = ineffective course design & student pain
  • Template course design works in many cases
  • Consistency aids instructors, support staff & students
  • Instructors set limits on standardization & invest in creating content not course layout

Recap

Thank You!

Questions?

Contact: catedowman@miami.edu

Bair, B., Basanta, B., Dowman, C., Duran, E., Fife, H., & St. Rose, A. (2021). Student voices: Student focus group pilot. The Online Teaching Resource, 1(9).

Capranos, D., Dyers, L., Magda, A. J. (2021). Voice of the online learne r2021: Amplifying student voices in extraordinary times. Louisville, KY: Wiley Education Services.

Dan Donaldson, "The Role of Faculty Development in the Future of Online Education," The EvoLLLution, November 27, 2020.

Pesce, J. Professional development for teaching in higher education: Faculty perceptions and attitudes. Doctoral thesis. Boston College. 2015.

Ragupathi, K., Lee, A. (2020). Beyond Fairness and Consistency in Grading: The Role of Rubrics in Higher Education. In: Sanger, C., Gleason, N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3_3

Walsh L.L.,  Arango-Caro, S., Wester, E.R., Callis-Duehl,K.,  Training faculty as an institutional response to COVID-19 emergency remote teaching supported by data CBE-Life Sci Educ, 20 (2021), p. ar34

Websites

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/fostering-module-consistency-aid-learning

https://canvas.wfu.edu/2021/07/survey-says-consistency-please/

https://www.insidehighered.com/student-voice

https://u.osu.edu/carmencs/carmen-common-sense-top-10-tips/

References

GIF and Image Credits

Chaos gif by: All The Anime — Anime Limited

Full focus at a coffee shop photo by Tim Gouw for unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/1K9T5YiZ2WU

 

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