Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Design

As hit alt-rock band, Twenty One Pilots, says, “Intentions are everything.”

This line has its place in the classroom, as effective learning design stems from intentionality. The best learning spaces are built with diverse learners in mind from the start, instead of continuously retrofitting design with each student. This idea of intentionality sits at the forefront of inclusive, engaging, and effective design in educational practice.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning is a concept that has come up in every single education class I have taken at UVic. UDL is the idea that learner diversity is the norm, rather than the exception. Every student comes into the classroom with a unique set of skills, needs, experiences, and worldview, so designing with this in mind from the very beginning ensures that no one is left behind.

UDL has three principles:

1. Multiple Means of Engagement – WHY
   • Options for: recruiting interest, sustaining effort and persistence, and self-regulation
2. Multiple Means of Representation – WHAT
   • Options for: perception, language and symbols, and comprehension
3. Multiple Means of Action and Expression – HOW
   • Options for: physical action, expression and communication, and executive functions

One way I’ve used UDL is in my Link2Practice. I was in a Grade 4/5 class and we had two students who struggled with writing. When planning for English Language Arts assignments, I used UDL principles to value their diverse ways of showcasing their understanding. For one student, he struggled with the actual printing part of writing, so I had him type up assignments for ELA. The second student struggled with the connection between her thoughts and forming sentences, so I had her say her ideas orally while I scribed for her. By allowing learners to feel seen in how they can demonstrate their learning, they are far more likely to feel motivated and succeed.

Inclusive Learning Design

Inclusive Learning Design builds off of the concepts of UDL by recognizing that inclusion is not just about accessibility, but also representation. The importance of representation is something I heard about a lot while I was growing up, but what that actually means didn’t click until I was much older. When I was younger, I remember watching TV shows and movies because they had a singular, non-main character who was queer. I would watch this media for that background character, for that semblance of queerness. When I reflected on this as a teenager, the importance of representation clicked for me. I was a queer person looking for other queer people in the media I was watching, craving that relatability that every other white girl had.

The idea of representation in the classroom is so important, and can be integrated to allow students to feel valid in their identities and like they belong, by:

• Using diverse media/authors
• Offer culturally-responsive examples
• Ensure students see themselves in the materials provided

Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

Both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (not-real-time) learning have their own benefits. Synchronous classes build opportunity for connection and a chance to correct misconceptions immediately, while asynchronous classes offer a more accessible learning space and time for reflection. To reap the benefits, educators can combine these, enhancing inclusion for students with busy schedules and differing learning speeds by offering multiple ways to participate.

My experience with asynchronous learning began alongside many others, during the Covid-19 Pandemic. My classes went fully online when I was in Grade 10, and I found that I procrastinated all of my work until the very last two days, when I spent 48 hours doing a semester worth of assignments. In High School, I figured asynchronous learning worked better for me because it had hard deadlines.

In University, I began commuting to school, 1.5h each way. With set 8:30am classes each morning and no flexibility, I found that synchronous classes were my downfall. I work every night, so at most I get about 6 hours of sleep, because all my time goes into commuting rather that learning. Asynchronous classes work so much better for me, because I can put time into learning, doing the work, and being engaged (rather than overtired, but in class) over just commuting back and forth.

So we get this interesting sort of juxtaposition between my experiences with asynchronous classes. When looking back, what I think it really boils down to is design. My Covid classes were designed to be synchronous, so they felt unengaging and unmotivating when taken asynchronously, while my University classes were asynchronous by design, and thus feel educating and significant

Principles of Effective Online Education

In order for online learning to be meaningful and effective, it must be clear, consistent, and connective. Well-designed online environments should be just as structured as they are flexible, by aligning assignments and assessments clearly with learning outcomes. By having criteria and goals accessible, students can focus on learning rather than unveiling expectations.

Including accessible features like captioned videos and multimodal instructions makes learning more accessible for everyone. One of my biggest grievances with assigned videos in classes is when they lack captions. I find that I remember topics much better when I’m reading captions rather than just listening to a video, because I have to more actively participate in my own learning. As well, in asynchronous courses, it’s much easier to screenshot captions for later than rewriting everything currently being said.

Benefits of captions:

• Assist hearing-impaired
• Benefit learners multimodally
• Support ESL students

This goes to show the impact of inclusive education, and the reason that there is no “average student,” because accessibility benefits everyone.

Interaction and Presence

When educating online, presence is everything and interaction is priceless. This can be seen as having instructors who are actively engaged in the learning experience, whether it’s responding to discussions, returning work with feedback in a timely manner, or sharing lived experiences. This presence isn’t about availability, but rather being intentional with connection.

Even when asynchronous, educators can design an engaging learning space by ensuring it includes all three modes of interaction:

1. Student-Content (connecting with material)
2. Student-Student (collaboration)
3. Student-Teacher (guidance and feedback)

Most important when learning asynchronously (and often shoved on the backburner) is the collaborative practices of learning. By having students peer review, discuss together, and work in group projects, learning becomes a community experience.

Meaningful presence and interaction foster trust in the learning process. Trust invites risk-taking, pushing past comfort zones, and growing. Through this, we get an authentic and significant learning experience.

Conclusion

Teaching is not about having a perfect plan, but it is about having a responsive one. Learning design is a circular process which must be continuously revisited and refined. Through processes like UDL and Inclusive Learning Design, we can make intentional and meaningful educational spaces, whether that means coming together in the classroom or working independently in an online space.