Learning Context:
This course focuses on students who have some basic computer concepts but do not know what a computer network consists of, as well as students who are interested in network communication. To do this, we use behavioral assessment methods and direct instruction. Each module contains targeted and explicit learning outcomes, additional learning resources (i.e. web articles and YouTube videos), and relevant learning activities (i.e. online discussion questions). We use our designed courseware and youtube videos to learn the knowledge, and we complete a quiz at the end of each lesson to see how much knowledge has been gained. These sub-topics are examples of the main focus of the course and what the course will teach students to recognize and use.
Inclusive Design:
To ensure that the needs of all learners are met, we have decided to adopt a Universal Design Learning approach.
In Universal Design Learning (UDL), the course designer attempts to remove barriers in the course rather than trying to create equality for all learners from the learner’s perspective.The core principle of UDL is that “what is essential for some is almost always good for all” (Meyer et al., 2014). As our resources are delivered asynchronously, this approach to curriculum design minimizes barriers for all different types of learners. However, since our classroom is online, all of us also need to think about the problems of different learners to get solutions that work for all.
If these barriers are identified, a framework for effective learning can be developed that supports everyone’s needs and modernizes the traditional view of student learning. We will create an environment and instructional strategies where information is delivered and meets the needs of all people, regardless of ability. For example, people with hearing impairments can have difficulty listening to teachers and classmates. Therefore, the use of captioning in educational videos and the provision of microphones when speaking in class will ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity. This is because our learning resources are primarily based on web browsers. If users cannot reliably use a computer in the classroom, they may have difficulty accessing it. We will start by having some spare laptops in the classroom so that a small number of students who do not have reliable access to a computer can also access the website. In the meantime we are using WordPress for our resources which is compatible with cell phones, but as an alternative for users we have also decided to provide a PDF version which users can print out and use as a hard copy. This removes some of the interactive element (as far as learner feedback is concerned) but allows users without reliable computers to use our resources as well.