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Designing an Inclusive Online Classroom

Designing an Inclusive Online Classroom

Kristi A. Trapp (Adtalem Global Education, USA), Katherine Strang (Adtalem Global Education, USA), Kathleen Morrison (Adtalem Global Education, USA), and Laura Karl (Adtalem Global Education, USA)
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5146-5.ch005
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Abstract

In this chapter, the authors share core principles and essential questions for evaluating the inclusivity of the online classroom curriculum and design. The nine core principles are building upon students' individual strengths and assets; exploring, affirming, and embracing diverse voices and students' identities; valuing each student lived experience; empowering positive social change agents; ensuring multiple means of expression; providing meaningful opportunities for feedback for growth; exploring course concepts through the lens of historically marginalized individuals and groups; ensuring designs are not systemically biased; and empowering appropriate responses and feedback to perceived inequities. Theoretical support and curriculum design strategies are provided for each of the principles.
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Introduction

Postsecondary education must do more to dismantle its own inequitable policies and practices, which play a role in perpetuating and exacerbating the injustices in society at large. - Desmond-Hellmann et al., 2021, p. 1

Many higher education institutions recognize the need to break down barriers, provide access to education, and help students achieve their personal and professional goals. While online learning can provide access to education for a broad and diverse population, it can also be challenging to create a sense of belonging and foster a truly inclusive learning community (Thomas et al., 2014). Walden University, a fully online institution built on the foundation of positive social change, has a history of addressing issues of diversity and inclusion head on with the belief that “a good education not only focuses on knowledge mastery; it encourages learners to use that knowledge to shape positive change in their workplaces and communities” (Walden University, n.d.). In the spirit of its social change mission, Walden recognizes that as the world changes and unexpected challenges face society, there is an opportunity to reevaluate approaches, consider the diverse needs of students, and engage in dialogue about how to offer a more equitable learning experience for all.

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Background

To evaluate and continue to improve inclusive curriculum design for the online classroom, Walden University collaborated with O’Donnell Learn, an instructional solutions organization focused on equity and inclusion in learning design, to extensively explore diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, documents, white papers, and feedback gathered from Walden faculty and staff. This effort resulted in nine core principles and essential questions for designing an inclusive curriculum, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1.
Core principles and essential questions
Core PrincipleEssential Question
Principle 1: Building upon students’ individual strengths and assetsHow do the course resources, student tasks, activities, and assessments build upon students’ individual strengths and assets while also supporting their needs?
Principle 2: Exploring, affirming, and embracing diverse voices and students’ identitiesIn an attempt to serve all students equitably, how do the curriculum, course resources, student activities, and assessments affirm, celebrate, and validate historically marginalized individuals, groups, and students’ diverse, multiple, and intersectional identities by supporting and normalizing these voices throughout the curriculum?
Principle 3: Valuing Each Student’s Lived ExperienceDo the course resources, student tasks, activities, and assessments create a space where knowledge is developed and co-constructed with students’ lived experiences in a way that normalizes the need to share and critique?
Principle 4: Empowering positive social change agentsHow do the course’s resources, student tasks, activities, and assessments promote, facilitate, and support collaborative alliances, action research, and projects that lead to student agency to effect positive social change?
Principle 5: Ensuring multiple means of expressionAre students offered multiple opportunities to demonstrate knowledge (via assessment strategies) in ways that are best aligned to their own unique abilities and strengths?
Principle 6: Providing meaningful opportunities for feedback for growthAre assessment and feedback provided in such a way that allows students to self-assess their own strengths, learning gaps, and direction to move forward?
Principle 7: Exploring course concepts through the lens of historically marginalized individuals and groupsHow do the course’s curriculum and central concepts incorporate historically marginalized individuals and groups?
Principle 8: Ensuring designs are not systemically biasedIs the course free of resources, student tasks, activities, and assessments that may be perceived as oppressive or reinforcing systemic biases and privilege? Is the course free of deficit-oriented, marginalizing, discriminatory, and racist ideologies?
Principle 9: Empowering appropriate responses and feedback to perceived inequitiesDoes the course have a space that allows students to provide feedback to instructors, and each other, when they feel not represented or valued?

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