Blog Post #3

Hi Kariman, I enjoyed connecting with your blog post today. You did a great job at including everything from the rubric as well as most things from the optional checklist. I especially connected with what you said about how this course is designed following a lot of the UDL standards for inclusive learning. I think the expectations and ways to meet them are very clear. You mentioned that during the pandemic, online courses were more challenging for you and I would have to agree. It just goes to show the importance of sound learning design in online learning environments.

I also thought your explanation of inclusive learning design was very useful, especially when you said “inclusion isn’t only about access it’s also about connection and care.” I think a lot of educators, including myself at times, get lost in a one or the other headspace. For example, if I have online resources that incorporate multiple voices and ways of life, I think I am being inclusive. However, if only a select group of students in my class understand how to use iPads and access these resources, I am not being inclusive. This is interchangeable. We need to work harder on providing inclusive access as well as compassion and care, as you say.

Your description and photo of different principles of effective online education was very clear and helpful for me. I even took a screenshot of it to use in the future when designing our final assignment and if I ever need to design an online course.

You mention that frameworks such as the UDL help ensure the learning outcomes, activities and assessment connect meaningfully. I would agree, but I wonder if the backwards design or UbD align more closely with this goal. I’m sure UDL and UbD can be used together to achieve this. That’s the benefit I’ve found in this course, a lot of the frameworks relate to one another and combine to create the best experience and environment for our students. The video I’ve attached talks about how these two frameworks are related.

Overall, you did a great job. It was really difficult finding feedback for you, but the only thing I found was a few missing periods and spaces after periods! This is so minor in the overall composition and flow of this post. Great work!