Blog Post #3

Within our module for this week, we were shown different type of learning styles that aim to provide a more accessible medium, to ensure that all students are given an equal opportunity to learn.

UDL

A UDL or a Universal Design for Learning, is a sort of blueprint that an educator will try to keep in mind when setting up a lesson plan. This sort of lesson plan aims to try and provide the best possible learning opportunity for all students involved, not just from an experience standpoint, but in actually taking into account the different types of learning styles people are comfortable with.

For example, there are many people that say that they learn better through doing, like actually partaking in an experiment, and there are other people that say they learn better through listening and being lectured to. What a UDL essentially does is try and convey information in more than just one medium, and possibly even giving the students a choice in whichever way they choose to learn.

By allowing students to have a have more freedom in how they choose to learn can help take down some of the barriers that come with learning; this is achieved by allowing the student to feel that their needs are being accounted for.

Inclusive Learning Design

Inclusive learning designs are something that a lot of educators now strive for, this is because as a culture we have become more aware of the value in representation and expression of our differences.

An inclusive learning design essentially is the practice of trying to account and be sensitive to differences that students may have. This comes in many different forms, such as different styles of learning, but also the different cultures and identities that a student may have.

To make an effective inclusive learning design, educators must employ different strategies when coming up with their lesson plans. One of these strategies may include: using works with authors from differing backgrounds, be it culturally, ethically or even sexual identity. Another strategy may include, however obvious it may be, not to include ones own personal beliefs into a lesson plan, doing so may cause the student to feel that their beliefs or identity does not matter to the educator, leading to many negative effects.

There are many ways that an educator may choose to formulate an inclusive learning design, but the bottom line, is to always be mindful and empathetic to all people, most importantly to the educator, to be sensitive to the students.

Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

Synchronous and Asynchronous learning are two sides to the same coin. Synchronous learning is learning that is done in real time, such as attending lectures. Whilst asynchronous learning is usually done more or less at a the behest of the student. This is usually done with the educator assigning a deadline, but letting the student hack away at the content at their own pace, this can be done by having recorded lectures, or online assignments.

Both of these styles of learning offer their own benefits, and both offering engagement with the content in their own ways. Synchronous learning often causes the student to feel more connected to the content that their are learning, because they are faced with it in real time. The students are often engaged in the content if they prefer this style, as it allows them the be involved in real time.

Asynchronous learning on the other hand, can make the student feel engaged and comfortable, as they are given the freedom to choose how they go about the lesson plan at their own accord. Often allowing the student to feel less pressure, allowing the student to become engaged in the content with a more positive outlook.

Both of these styles create engagement in their own ways, but by blending these two learning styles, it can promote inclusion. By mixing the two learning styles, students that prefer one of these styles over the other can feel that their needs are still being accounted for, and could possibly lead them to being more engaged in the content.

Principles of Effective Online Education

In order to make online education effective, their are some principles that should never be overlooked when trying to construct such a learning plan.

These principles are very simple, the hallmark of an effective online learning plan is simply if it is: clear, the students are able to clearly understand what is needed to be done. The plan must also be organized so that students to not get lost when trying to find the next lesson or assignment etc.,. Lastly the plan must also be accessible, this is to say, the student must feel that they are able to get help whenever they need it, such as providing office hours on Zoom, or having an open email, any way in which a student will feel that they can have additional help if needed.

By including some ideas from the UDL, lesson plans can become accessible to all, as this style of learning promotes anticipating the needs of all types of learners and students. By aligning the principles of and effective online education with that of the UDL, online learning can become a very inclusive and effective style of learning.

Interaction and Presence

When it comes to online learning, whilst it does promote a certain type of engagement, and for many it is their preferred style of learning, this does come with the downside of being sometimes lonely, as a downside of online learning is partially losing the classroom environment that many grew up with.

In order to counteract this negative effect of online learning, it is very important that we support building connections with online learning, this is done in three ways: Student-content, student-student, and student-instructor.

For student-content, the student must feel that can engage in the content, not just by repetitively doing the same sort of assignment again and again, but by being able to learn through multiple mediums, such as having recorded lecture videos, begin assigned differing assignments, etc.,.

Student-student connection is also very important to the idea of online learning. As their is no traditional classroom with online learning, it is hard to see how students can connect with one another, but this can still be achieved given the right lesson plan. An educator can do this by: creating group projects, creating groups for discussion, or even hosting a social medium where students can interact, such as office hours.

Lastly the student-instructor connection, this is possibly the most crucial connection that a student may have with online learning, as the instructor is the cornerstone for the whole lesson plan. To foster this sort of connection, this falls on the instructor to ensure that they are provide ample feedback on assignments, but by also allowing the students to reach out whenever they have questions on the content they were given, or any other questions or concerns that they may have when it comes to the course.

By fostering these kinds of connections in an online learning setting, it can help the students feel that they are not so alone when learning, and hopefully satisfied with what they are learning

Conclusion

Ultimately, what this all boils down to, is that when constructing a lesson plan, be it online or in person, we should always try to find to find the best possible way for the students to connect with the content and the people around them.

The UDL preaches the importance of designing a lesson plan with the intention of including every. By trying our very best to be inclusive and sensitive to everyone, it will allow the students to feel safe when learning, and empowered to learn.