PADLA is excited to present this timely webinar “Equity and Inclusion in Online Course Design", by our Partner ODLearn.
FREE! If you are not a PADLA member, first Create a FREE Courtesy Membership in order to register. There are two identical sessions. Register for your preferred time: 12 Noon or 6 PM EDT.
Abstract
With the continued shift to online course delivery, there needs to be critical examination of how to ensure that courses, resources, and experiences are developed and delivered in an inclusive manner, yielding an experience as equitable as possible across a wide range of student variables. The emergency remote instruction of Spring 2020 exposed ways in which institutions or instructors placed more students on the wrong side of the digital divide. While some students had affordances such as extra rooms at home (or vacation homes!) to attend classes remotely, others were forced into environments that were very unstable, lacked a dedicated computer and broadband, and, given COVID-19, were not entirely safe. Many in the latter group either lost jobs or had to risk exposure as essential workers. In addition, the rapid remote instruction response also led to much greater instances of online course materials not being accessible, further marginalizing those students with disabilities or otherwise needing materials in alternate format.
As we look at the uncertainty of Fall 2020 and ways in which higher education may be changed permanently, it is imperative to further implement teaching strategies and learning solutions that promote access, inclusivity, and sense of belonging. This session will present and invite discussion around the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, including practices for digital equity and inclusion. A wealth of resources will be made available for participant adoption.
Outcomes
Participants in this session will:
● Obtain greater understanding and empathy for ways in which rapid scaling to online instruction can exacerbate inequities in teaching-learning scenarios
● Become familiar with the principles of Universal Design for Learning as a framework for inclusive course design and delivery
● Have increased awareness of UDL examples and resources available to guide related course changes
● Engage in dialog related to main issues instructors and their students face and solutions toward minimizing inequity in the learning process
Carrie O’Donnell - Founder, O’Donnell Learn
Brett Christie, Ph.D. - Director of Learning Experience Design, O’Donnell Learn
