Over the past two years, AccessCyberlearning 2.0 Synthesis and Design Workshop has conducted exploratory research to inform the design of the next generation of digital learning environments for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content. AccessCyberlearning 2.0 (NSF # #DRL-1824540) was the second grant in the AccessCyberlearning initiative led by the DO-IT Center. Together, they have developed synergistic and lasting relationships among researchers, technology developers, and instructors to promote more inclusive online learning.
AccessCyberlearning 2.0 culminated in a white paper about what research and practice is needed to ensure that current and future learning technologies and pedagogy are inclusive of everyone. Collaborators in the effort identified that three sets of principles and respective guidelines and promising practices already exist for guiding researchers and practitioners interested in access for everyone: principles that underpin Universal Design (UD), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Applied together, they ensure that physical spaces (e.g., makerspace facilities), teaching and learning curricula and pedagogy (e.g., practices for and design of small group discussions), and IT (e.g., a learning management system) that are used to deliver digital learning opportunities are fully accessible, usable, and inclusive for everyone.
To learn more, check out our white paper, Accessible Cyberlearning: A Community Report of the Current State and Recommendations for the Future.