This session will present inclusive practices embedded in an online class. Specific practices that deal with course structure, visual and multiple modes of learning, and assessment can make a course more accessible, understandable, and welcoming to students, as noted in the CAST UDL Guidelines (2024).

In terms of course structure, we revised a course so that the names and sequences of learning activities mirror main course concepts and processes. The course, whose topic of experiential learning is new and difficult for many students, frames the learning activities in terms of the experiential learning cycle and also explains this structure directly to students as they move through, to make the abstract concept of experiential learning concrete.

In terms of visual and multiple modes of learning, the course includes strategic visuals that enhance key concepts, providing alternatives to text. A key aspect that supports visual learning and inclusiveness is a course map that uses an appropriate metaphor to show how the course progresses. The course map highlights the pieces of the course and how they fit together; it helps students see how different learning activities contribute to the purpose and focus of the course. Videos and AI interactive activities offer students additional ways to engage with information.

In terms of assessment, the course uses a labor-based rubric, something which has been shown to create a more supportive environment less focused on grades and more focused on student effort and instructor feedback. In a processed-based course in which students need to go through stages and incorporate feedback, assuring a passing grade based on student engagement helps to create a more equitable experience for students, one in which they can focus more fully on exploring their learning. Additionally, the labor-based rubric is explained using student-friendly content and language, as suggested by Pacansky-Brock et.al. (2020).

Although we will illustrate these practices using examples from a course on credit for prior learning, the practices are applicable to many fields and can be used to promote inclusion and support students by making learning activities transparent.

Key findings have been positive. As a result of embedded inclusive practices, students are engaging in course learning activities more quickly with better results.

CAST (2024). CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Pacansky-Brock, M., Smedshammer, M., & Vincent-Layton, K. (2020, June 18). “Shaping the Futures of Learning in the Digital Age: Humanizing Online Teaching to Equitize Higher Education.” Current Issues in Education. https://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/1905/870