Well-rounded technology choices allow for all types of learners to benefit from visual, literary, and auditory education. The use of written resources, video resources, and interactive writing exercises will drive the lesson plan home while allowing for flexible and accessible learning for each student.
Blogs have provided an accessible and interactive platform for demonstrating learning and sharing knowledge throughout EDCI 335. For our Interactive learning resource, blogs will be an effective tool in engaging learners as well as providing an assessment methods that embraces direct instruction methods – with a clear lesson plan but freedom to focus and expand as each learner requires. This particular blog design also allows learners to make blog posts and participate anonymously, in case privacy and online security is a concern.
As a web-based platform, we also chose to exclusively use learning tools and learning resources that are free and publicly available online remove barriers that may restrict access syllabus materials. As well, all video resources have closed captioning and/or transcripts available making them more accessible to learners with hearing difficulties, learners with devices that have poor audio quality, and/or English Language Learners who may benefit from having a text accompaniment to the video.
We acknowledge that accessing a wed-based course without would prove to be a barrier, if students do not have a computer or smart device and internet connection at home. Lack of internet can be helped by locating free internet locations, which could include both public and university libraries which usually have free-to-use computers and internet access, as well as other public spaces.
We also chose to format our website to be accessible to colourblind learners – see our post about [learning contexts] for more information.