THE DESIGN BOOK FOR ONLINE LEARNING: PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR DESIGNING HIGH-QUALITY ONLINE LEARNING
This guide, including the toolkit presented in it, focus on the design of online courses.
The book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
Inclusive Education: Simple Strategies to Improve Equity and Embrace Diversity
Inclusive education; teaching strategies
The ebook "Inclusive Education: Simple Strategies to Improve Equity and Embrace Diversity" provides educators with practical approaches to foster inclusivity in academic environments. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing diverse student backgrounds, identities, and challenges that can affect learning outcomes. The book outlines strategies for creating inclusive syllabi, accommodating diverse learning needs, and designing equitable assessments. It encourages educators to reflect on their own biases and privileges while promoting a welcoming atmosphere through clear communication and support systems. By implementing these strategies, educators can help bridge the inclusion gap, ensuring that all students have equitable opportunities to succeed in their academic pursuits.
Alison Flynn, University of Ottawa (author) Jeremy Kerr, University of Ottawa (author)
This OER contains references to a variety of external resources. For more information see “Relation”.
Date Added to MERLOT: 7-7-2022 Date Modified in MERLOT: 2-12-2024
Alison Flynn & Jeremy Kerr (authors) This OER was completed as part of a broader eCampusOntario project around improving and expanding inclusive teaching practices. This project is made possible with funding by the Government of Ontario and through eCampusOntario’s support of the Virtual Learning Strategy
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Sharealike International 4.0. The course documents are accessible and respect copyright.
Take a test. (n.d.). https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/lms/e/bias/ Library | Library. (n.d.-b). https://www.uottawa.ca/library/ Accessible syllabus. (n.d.). https://www.accessiblesyllabus.com/ Policies and regulations. (n.d.). About Us. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/leadership-governance/policies-regulations Indigenous. (n.d.). About Us. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/indigenous https://native-land.ca/ Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory. (n.d.). CAUT. https://www.caut.ca/content/guide-acknowledging-first-peoples-traditional-territory Video/YouTube: CTL at UofA. (2021, May 5). Territorial acknowledgements: Going beyond the script [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXYhBml2c2I Policies and regulations. (n.d.-b). About Us. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/leadership-governance/policies-regulations Diversify Chemistry. (2021, March 24). Diversify chemistry. https://diversifychemistry.com/ Brunet, M. (2021, June 1). OER by Discipline Guide: University of Ottawa (Version 1.0 - June 2021). Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/uottawaoerdiscipline/ Open Library – eCampusOntario – Open Library – eCampusOntario. (n.d.). eCampusOntario Open Library Portal. https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/ Looking for an open textbook? – BCCampus OpenEd Resources. (n.d.). https://open.bccampus.ca/browse-our-collection/find-open-textbooks/ Raycroft, M. a. R., & Flynn, A. B. (2020). What works? What’s missing? An evaluation model for science curricula that analyses learning outcomes through five lenses. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 21(4), 1110–1131. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00157c Rhetoric – accessible syllabus. (n.d.). https://www.accessiblesyllabus.com/rhetoric/ Policies and regulations. (n.d.-c). About Us. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/leadership-governance/policies-regulations Ventus – Professor portal. (n.d.). Ventus. https://sassit.uottawa.ca/ventus/instructor/?lang=en-CA WebAIM: Contrast Checker. (n.d.). https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/ WebAIM: Alternative Text. (2021, October 19). https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/ Create accessible Office documents - Microsoft Support. (n.d.). https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-office-documents-868ecfcd-4f00-4224-b881-a65537a7c155 Otter.ai - AI meeting note taker & real-time AI transcription. (n.d.). https://otter.ai/ Coolidge, A., Doner, S., Robertson, T., & Gray, J. (2018, August 31). Accessibility Toolkit - 2nd Edition. Pressbooks. https://opentextbc.ca/accessibilitytoolkit/ Create accessible Office documents - Microsoft Support. (n.d.-b). https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-office-documents-868ecfcd-4f00-4224-b881-a65537a7c155 Grandison, T., PhD. (n.d.). Black in X. Black in X. https://www.blackinx.org/ DiversifyEEB. (2021, October 18). DiversifyEEB. https://diversifyeeb.com/ Disabled and here. (n.d.). https://affecttheverb.com/disabledandhere/ Remote course questionnaires – Google Drive. (n.d.). Google Drive. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1exPWVkSvJY3e6LkvYc3J09IIIRNt9TjS Growth & Goals module — Flynn Research Group. (n.d.). Flynn Research Group. https://www.flynnresearchgroup.com/growthgoals Co-designed by students, recent graduates, educational developers, librarians, and instructors. (2022, March 11). Arrival activities. Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/ The Micropedia of Microaggressions – the first encyclopedia of microaggressions. (n.d.). The Micropedia. https://www.themicropedia.org/ Create accessible Office documents - Microsoft Support. (n.d.-c). https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-office-documents-868ecfcd-4f00-4224-b881-a65537a7c155 Bol, Linda, et al. “A Comparison of Academic Outcomes in Courses Taught With Open Educational Resources and Publisher Content.”Educational Researcher, 2021, p. 13189–, doi.org/10.3102/ 0013189X211052563. Heydarian, N. M. (2019, September 25). Universal design for inclusive science. Association for Psychological Science - APS. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/universal-design Dolmage, J.T. (2017). Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press., doi:10.1353/book.57058. Dolmage, J. T. (n.d.). Online resources. www.fulcrum.org. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9708722.cmp.4 Robertson, A. D. (2021). What Physics Instructors Might Do to Support Immunosuppressed Students in the Return to In-Person Instruction: Thoughts from one chronically ill and immunosuppressed physicist. The Physics Teacher, 59(9), 677–679. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0070435 Accessibility Checklist for alternative assessments. (n.d.). https://contensis.uwaterloo.ca/sites/open/resources/CEL-ORR/toc/modules/accessibility-checklist-alternative-assessments.aspx NEADS - Enhancing Accessibility Guide. (n.d.). https://www.neads.ca/en/norc/eag/ Accessible syllabus. (n.d.-b). https://www.accessiblesyllabus.com/ Pabdoo. (n.d.). Inventory of inclusive teaching strategies. https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/equitable-teaching/inventory-of-inclusive-teaching-strategies/ Uncovering The Hidden Curriculum. (2024, March 14). Intro | Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum. Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum. https://hiddencurriculum.ca/ Teaching the Hidden Curriculum | Teaching Writing. (n.d.). © 2025 Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/teaching-writing/resources/teaching-the-hidden-curriculum/ Professor zone. (n.d.). About Us. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/leadership-governance/provost/academic-integrity/professor Flynn, A., & Kerr, J. (2020, May 18). Assessment and academic integrity. Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/remotecourse/chapter/assessment/ Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) | West Virginia University Press. 2020. wvupressonline.com/ungrading Accessibility Checklist for alternative assessments. (n.d.-b). https://contensis.uwaterloo.ca/sites/open/resources/CEL-ORR/toc/modules/accessibility-checklist-alternative-assessments.aspx Remote teaching, by Alison Flynn and Jeremy Kerr: a practical guide with tools, tips, and techniques: Français | English Remote teaching: a guide for teaching assistants, by Meredith Allen, Alisha Szozda, Jeremy Kerr, and Alison Flynn: Français | English Making Lab Based Courses Inclusive, by Allyson MacLean
Flynn, A. & Kerr, J. Inclusive education: simple strategies to improve equity and embrace diversity.https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/inclusiveeducation/
This OER is primarily relevant to Ontario, Canada, particularly focusing on compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a provincial regulation designed to make Ontario more accessible for individuals with disabilities. The resource also acknowledges the traditional Algonquin territory and its land guardianship, respecting the Indigenous peoples’ connections to the land.
European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators: DigCompEdu
DigCompEdu is a scientifically sound background framework which helps to guide policy and can be directly adapted to implementing regional and national tools and training programs.
It provides a common language and approach that will help the dialogue and exchange of best practices across borders. It aims to provide a general reference frame for developers of Digital Competence models, i.e. Member States, regional governments, relevant national and regional agencies, educational organisations themselves, and public or private professional training providers.
Christine Redecker (Author) Yves Punie (Editor)
JRC Publications Repository: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC107466
Publications Office of the European Union
Designing Learning Experiences for Inclusivity and Diversity: Advice for Learning Designers
Educational strategies and policy; inclusion; higher education; tertiary education; teaching; educational needs
This OER offers postgraduate students a comprehensive guide to designing learning experiences that are accessible, equitable, and inclusive. It provides advice, principles, and practical strategies to help learning designers create a learning environment that recognizes and celebrates diversity while promoting equitable learning outcomes. Through detailed accounts of theory and practice, it covers the following topics: diversity and inclusion, role of learning designers, accessibility, equity, cultural responsiveness, open pedagogy, Indigenous-led learning design and designing with students.
Keith Heggart; Mais Fatayer; Camille Dickson-Deane; Puvaneswari P Arumugam; Katrina Thorpe; Shaun Bell; Susan Page; John Vulic; Nhung Nguyen; Katie Duncan; Rhiannon Hall; and Bruna Contro Pretero (authors) Australian National University, University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University, Deakin University, Auckland University of Technology (institutions)
Some chapters of this OER are development of ideas presented in related resources, such as: Heggart, K., Dickson-Deane, C. & Novak, K. (2020, September 7). The path towards a socially just learning design. The Society of Research in Higher Education Blog. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://srheblog.com/2020/09/07/the-path-towards-a-socially-just-learning-design/. Hegarty, B. (2015). Attributes of open pedagogy: A model for using open educational resources. Educational Technology: The Magazine for Managers of Change in Education, 55(4), 3–12. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6452530 Decolonising the curriculum – how do I get started? (2024, October 1). THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/decolonising-curriculum-how-do-i-get-started Team, B. O. E. (2021, September 7). Generative Artificial Intelligence. Pressbooks. https://opentextbc.ca/gettingstarted/chapter/generative-artificial-intelligence/#decisiontree Arumugam, P. P. (2024, July 26). Negotiating the assumptions and identity tensions surrounding third space academics/professionals. Pressbooks. https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/designing-learning-experiences/chapter/negotiating-the-assumptions-and-identity-tensions-surrounding-third-space-academics-professionals/ Melynee Naegele. (2022, May 12). 4HS Melynee Naegele overview [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utCwxXUrnGc
Keith Heggart; Mais Fatayer; Camille Dickson-Deane; Puvaneswari P Arumugam; Katrina Thorpe; Shaun Bell; Susan Page; John Vulic; Nhung Nguyen; Katie Duncan; Rhiannon Hall; and Bruna Contro Pretero (authors) Keith Heggart and Mais Fatayer (editors) Henk Huijser and Leanne Ngo (reviewers)
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Note that corporate logos, branding and images captioned as All Rights Reserved are specifically excluded from the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Licence of this work, and may not be reproduced under any circumstances without the express written permission of the copyright holders.
La Trobe University. (n.d.). Case studies: using open educational resources at La Trobe. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/library/teaching-support/oer/case-studies-oer Fatayer, M. (2024, July 26). Designing inclusive learning experience through Open Educational Practices. Pressbooks. https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/designing-learning-experiences/chapter/designing-inclusive-learning-experience-through-open-educational-practices/#h5p-1 Mignolo, W. D. (2017). Coloniality Is Far from Over, and So Must Be Decoloniality. Afterall a Journal of Art Context and Enquiry, 43, 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1086/692552 OERs for Gaza. (n.d.). Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUVY1lrBhaBL_WDIweRQFEShCGNiThOHnOU8A0GRzvjOGp_w/viewform Homepage - Australian Disability Network. (2024, December 18). Australian Disability Network. https://australiandisabilitynetwork.org.au/ https://deafaustralia.org.au/ Hearing Australia - Our story: Excellence in Hearing Care - Hearing Australia. (n.d.). https://www.hearing.com.au/ Neurodiversity Hub - resources for students, employers & more. (n.d.). Neurodiversity Hub. https://www.neurodiversityhub.org/ Vision Australia | Vision Australia. Blindness and low vision services. (n.d.). https://www.visionaustralia.org/ ‘For me, accessibility adjustments equal success’, by Ashley Willcox Stop speaking into a black abyss, turn on your video, by Bettina Liang To the student that’s hesitant to disclose, by Elham Hafiz Creating accessible and comfortable learning environments for accessibility students, by Jatin Dhanji Why inclusive environments are important for learning, by Jackson Tait A brief guide to the Disability Discrimination Act. (n.d.). Australian Human Rights Commission. https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/brief-guide-disability-discrimination-act https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2005L00767/latest/text Integrating Open Education Resources into your teaching. Australasian Open Educational Practices Special Interest Group
Heggart, K., Fatayer, M., Dickson-Deane, C., Arumugam, P.P., Thorpe, K., Page, S. Bell, S, Vulic, J., Nguyen, N., Duncan, K., Hall, R., & Pretero, B.C., (2024). Designing Learning Experiences for Inclusivity and Diversity: Advice for Learning Designers. UTS ePress. https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/designing-learning-experiences.
This textbook is primarily relevant to professionals and academics working in the Australian education context, with a focus on addressing the unique challenges posed by a diverse student population and evolving educational methods. It draws attention to issues of inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness in course design, tailored to the specific needs and regulations of Australian and New Zealand universities. While its primary application is within Australia, the principles discussed are also broadly applicable to other educational contexts facing similar challenges.
Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide
A step-by-step guide to designing online courses with best practices and standards for effective and inclusive learning.
Part of the Essentials of Online Learning series
https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Online-Course-Design-Standards-Based/dp/1138780162