Online Learning

As online learning becomes more widely recognized, and the success stories spread, more and more students are taking advantage of the opportunity, making the online student population more diverse. Guiding and individualizing learning. Communication, assessing, grading and promoting, and developing the online course content and structure. Online learning can provide alternative ways to accomplish academic tasks. electronic learning environments comprising of materials to be read, videos to watch. Activities to do, assignments to complete, discussions to join, tests to take and more. For an online course to be accessible, all of the online learning activities must be accessible.

Differentiated instruction has become a popular approach to teaching and learning, that takes in to consideration the diversity of students in, in school today. Thomas in and Allen 2000 describe differentiation as, quote, simply attending to the learning needs, of a particular student or small group of students. Rather than the more typical pattern of teaching the class as though all individuals in it are basically alike. The goal of a differentiated classroom is maximum student growth and individual success. This is accomplished by instructional and management strategies that allow for students to work at different levels and achieve varying levels of mastery.

Examples include teaching to multiple intelligences.

Individualized questioning strategies, alternative grouping methods, and supplemental materials based on student needs and interests.

According to Cavanaugh Bluemeyer one way to incorporate differentiated instruction into virtual instruction is to adopt the principles of Universal Design for Learning, UDL. A concept introduced by CAST, which I mentioned earlier, but it is the center for applied special technology.

UDL recommends educators design learning environments characterized by three types of flexibility and alternatives, multiple ways in which content is presented. Multiple way, multiple modes for student expression. And multiple means for engaging student interest. The goal of UDL is to create learning opportunities that provide the greatest possible accommodation to the greatest number of students. So again, that's multiple ways of content presentation. Multiple modes for student expression and multiple means for engaging student interest. These are the three components of the Universal Design for Learning, UDL. Most existing online courses are designed for students who are competent readers and proficient at working independently, but many learners fall outside competency and proficiency levels. One way to support exceptional learners is to design courses online that match their specific learning profiles and maximize their opportunities for success. Students with learning disabilities need learning options that are not dependent on reading skills to accommodate students who do not read well. Audio files can be included with the digitized readings of all text contained on each page. Short, narrated video clips can provide overviews of lessons, illustrate steps for strategies and remind students how to perform required skills. All audio and video files for any given page can be available as options to be accessed, paused, replayed, enlarged and otherwise controlled by the learner as needed.