There are many challenges and affordances for accessibility and inclusivity when designing and implementing online-learning and teaching activities. Before we discuss these challenges and how we can overcome them, let’s start by defining the key terms.
Affordances – are provided based on the need to describe the action potentials of the technologies (utility). Categories of affordances are then proposed to provide a framework for analysis (Bower, 2008).
Accessibility – how do we access the required information. The information can be accessed via a vast a-ray of means including the internet, multimedia portals, social media, websites, any other electronic means available (Conole & Dyke, 2004).
Inclusivity – Inclusivity is vital in providing all students with equal opportunities for learning when using technological platforms for learning. A major challenge of shifting to technology for learning is making sure all students can complete online learning. Further, the learning must ensure it does not exclude members or participants on the basis of gender, race, class, sexuality, or disability and accounts for cultural barriers.
Designing online learning and teaching activities will always present a a unique set of challenges for learners and educators. Kebritchi, Lipschuetz, & Santiague (2017) identified a number of these challenges. It can be argued that the bases of the challenges for the instructional designers is aligned to the learners more than the educators. This begs the question – how do we get the learners to engage in the content of the curriculum and how do we provide consistency across all of the audiences we seek.
Other challenges will be linked to accessibility. Although it is positive that learners have good accessibility to technology, it can also generate angst and a sense of feeling overwhelemed with the vast amounts of information available to them in completing their assessments. This is where evaluation and feedback are important in the design of the curriculum, and tactical use of formative assessments. There are also important implications for the educators as well. The challenges for educators stems from the transition of different educational settings they find themselves in, which once again can create angst and feeling overwhelemed.
The challenges can include the change of faculties educators work within, time management, teaching styles, online learning preparation, and ensuring the content is easily transferable and understood online. The COVID -19 Pandemic is a good example of these challenges. The video demonstrates the importance of preparation prior to implementing our curriculum.
What could possibly wrong…?
References
Bower, M. (2008). Affordance analysis–matching learning tasks with learning technologies. Educational Media International, 45(1), 3-15.
Conole, G., & Dyke, M. (2004). What are the affordances of information and communication technologies?.
Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses in higher education: A literature review. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4-29.
St John’s D.S.G. Pietermaritzburg (2020, April). Various: When Online Teaching Goes Wrong… Lockdown 2020 [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w1sejUgI50&feature=emb_title