Search
There are 5 results.
Tag
Tag
All (37)
Active Learning (1)
Alt Text (2)
Animations (1)
Assessments (1)
Asynchrony (2)
Authentic Activities (1)
Belonging (1)
Canvas (1)
Case Studies (1)
Color Contrast (2)
Communication (1)
Community (1)
Content Creation (3)
Content Curation (1)
Content Delivery (1)
Copyright (1)
Course Materials (3)
Discussions (1)
Diversity (2)
Equity (2)
Feedback (1)
Formative Assessments (2)
Images (1)
Inclusion (2)
Inclusive Language (1)
Infographics (2)
Multimodality (3)
Page Design (1)
Podcasts (1)
PowerPoint (2)
Presentations (1)
Representation (1)
Rubrics (1)
Social Media (1)
Spreadsheets (1)
Summative Assessments (1)
Synchrony (2)
Third-Party Tools (1)
UDL (1)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (1)
Video (5)
Visual Accessibility (1)
Visual Design (1)
Format
Inclusive Language
Use inclusive language across course content and communications to reach every learner. “Inclusive education must be cultivated deliberately if we want to advance in its implementation” (Márquez & Melero-Aguilar, 2022, p. 842). Inclusion entails creating an environment of open participation for all individuals. Inclusive course design works to ensure that all students feel heard, valued, and validated. The thoughtful use of language can establish an environment of inclusion in online learning.
Leveraging White Space
Good page design requires balance between white space, or negative space, and positive space. Positive space encompasses all aspects and types of content; on a course page, these objects might include an introductory paragraph, video thumbnail, infographic, callout box, opinion poll, or provocative quotation. Relative to these course components, white space might seem like a nice-to-have. Because it promotes clarity and reduces distortion, however, white space is just as important to instructional page design as content.
Copyright
From time to time instructors may want to include in their courses copyrighted materials like images, print content, audio recordings, or videos. The University of Minnesota Libraries define copyright as “the area of law that deals with creation, ownership, sale, and use of creative and expressive works.”
Encouraging Effective Discussions
Online forums are valuable learning tools: they merit the time and thought it takes to create them, but they must be well-designed to be effective for instructors and students. Baker and Ahlegren (2022) note that instructors may start out with the best of intentions and a desire to achieve multiple goals, such as promoting critical thinking and fostering a community of authentic learners. However, discussion boards often become just another writing assignment, a missed opportunity to “elicit debate, inspire meaningful ideas, and fully engage . . . learner[s]” (Blakely et al., 2022, p. 3). When this happens, students can view discussions as transactional, not transformative (p. 3).