Online courses are a great way to reach learners from different countries and cultures, but they also pose some challenges for accessibility and inclusion. How can you make sure that your online courses are designed and delivered in a way that meets the needs and expectations of your international students? Here are some tips and best practices to consider.
The first step is to select an online platform that supports your course objectives and content, as well as the accessibility and usability of your international students. Some features to look for include: multilingual interface and content options, compatibility with different browsers and devices, easy navigation and search functions, clear instructions and feedback, and compliance with web accessibility standards. You may also want to test your platform with some of your target students or use a tool like WebAIM to check for potential issues.
That is a challenge that many educators face, especially in the context of diverse languages, cultures, and learning preferences. However, there are some strategies that can help we design and deliver online courses that are inclusive and accessible for all students, regardless of their location or background. - Use universal design principles to create online courses. - Provide multiple modes of representation. - Ensure that our online course content is accessible(WCAG). - Provide alternative formats and options. - Use clear and consistent language, structure, and navigation for our online course content. - Provide flexible and supportive learning activities. - Seek feedback and improvement from our students and colleagues.
The idea is to make your courde friendly to all the world. Teaching in english or adding subtitles. Now with internet you can share them on different websites.
To make online courses accessible, especially to international students, it is essential to choose a platform that caters to their diverse needs and preferences. When selecting a platform, consider factors such as multilingual support, user-friendly interface, compatibility with different devices, and accessibility features. Additionally, ensure the platform complies with international standards and regulations to provide a seamless learning experience for learners worldwide.
A escolha de uma boa plataforma digital para veicula??o dos cursos, que tenha um bom gerenciamento de conteúdos em várias extens?es, seja simpática e intuitiva. Outro ponto importante é observar os recursos e as ferramentas disponibilizadas pela plataforma escolhida, de acordo com o objetivo do curso. Cursos rápidos exigem recursos diferentes de cursos que precisam estabelecer o histórico do aluno, notas, frequência, fórum, feedback de instrutores ou alunos...Portanto, o importante e fazer um planejamento e entender qual é o escopo do seu negócio de curso, para poder ent?o buscar uma plataforma adequada.
Create an accessibility and inclusivity needs assessment and use it to gather data from the unique set of learners that you have. From the data gathered, plan an accessibility strategy for your online course that caters to the needs of the learners. Needs may relate to language barrier which can be addressed by integrating a translation program or AI to the system; time difference which may be addressed by designing the course such that its posting and deadline for student submission or interaction is within a reasonable time frame; creating options and alternatives for critical resources that the students need to access while incorporating a multimodal approach for suggesting resources, media, and activites - think of UDL.
The next step is to adapt your content and design to make them more accessible and engaging for your international students. Some strategies to follow include: using simple and clear language, avoiding jargon and slang, providing definitions and examples, using visuals and multimedia to support your text, breaking down complex topics into smaller chunks, using headings and subheadings to organize your content, and providing captions and transcripts for audio and video materials. You may also want to use a tool like Hemingway or Readable to check the readability of your content.
In my opinion making online courses accessible to international students is crucial so thuis way your potential reach will be larger. Adapting content & design: use simple language, avoid slang, and explain concepts with definitions and examples. Add visuals & multimedia to complement text, and break down complex topics. Organize content with clear headings and provide captions and transcripts for audiovisuals. Provoque students interaction through the content and the different individual and team activities related to it and add pear to pear evaluations.
I think it is crucial to adapt the content and design to cater to students' diverse backgrounds and learning styles. This can be achieved by incorporating various multimedia elements, providing subtitles or transcripts in multiple languages, using clear and concise language, and ensuring a user-friendly interface. Additionally, considering cultural differences, time zone variations, and accessibility requirements can further enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of the online courses for international learners.
There are a variety of tools that may be already available that will help with translation. For example, Immersive Reader from Microsoft, which is built into a few tools such as Word and Flip, and also Microsoft Translator can help with translation in real time via OneNote. ReadSpeaker is another tool that can be added to the LMS to help with translation and reading for all students.
Ayant travaillé en éducation financière dans le cadre du développement international, il est important d'avoir du contenu téléchargeable afin que les apprenants puissent suivre leur formation hors ligne. Cette pratique permet aux femmes et aux populations vulnérables d'avoir accès au matériel de formation, la connexion internet n'étant pas toujours accessible (co?t, disponibilité,...)
Something that often flies under the radar when designing courses is a lack of diversity in examples, reading material and imagery. Of students cannot find themselves in the material presented in class, they may receive the message that the information is not meant for them. However, inclusive representation in course material can help establish a sense of belonging in the students. When they feel seen and valued by their instructors, students' confidence that they can succeed is strengthened. Therefore, it is important for instructors to include diverse examples, reading material and imagery in their course design and delivery.
Another important step is to consider the cultural and linguistic diversity of your international students and how it may affect their learning preferences and experiences. Some aspects to consider include: the level of formality and tone of your communication, the use of humor and sarcasm, the use of metaphors and idioms, the use of colors and symbols, the use of examples and references, the use of measurements and formats, and the use of dates and times. You may also want to consult some resources like Hofstede Insights or Culture Crossing to learn more about the cultural dimensions and values of your students.
Keep front of mind that plagiarism is a cultural expectation. While copyright laws do exist, plagiarism in academia is based upon cultural values and expectations that have shaped the way in which students, faculty, and researchers are expected to use sources. Much like concepts of politeness, source usage actually differs greatly by culture. In this perspective, it is important to remember that different cultures’ approaches to source usage are not wrong or incorrect because they contrast with Western academic expectations of avoiding plagiarism.
To make online courses accessible to international students, consider providing multilingual support, accommodating different time zones for live sessions, offering subtitles or transcripts, and ensuring compatibility with diverse internet speeds and devices.
To make online courses accessible to international students, consider cultural and linguistic diversity. Provide content in multiple languages, offer subtitles or transcripts for videos, and be sensitive to cultural differences in communication and teaching styles. Ensure that course materials and assessments are inclusive and do not assume a specific cultural background or language proficiency level, making the learning experience more welcoming and effective for international students.
If there are any synchronous sessions, indicating your time zone by how it relates to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-5, GMT+2, etc) will be more easily understand than something like "Central Time"
This topic is one that I have been dealing with for years. Translating online courses into other languages is a very difficult job, because you not only need to internationalize the labels that appear on the screens, which already requires a lot of time, but you must also adapt the content of the course to a different pedagogical culture, which often cannot be done without the collaboration of foreign teaching colleagues. However, they are often overwhelmed with work and have little time to collaborate. When the problem arises in the other direction, i.e. when a foreign colleague contacts you because they are interested in your pedagogy, you can assist them in their own course creation and this is much more likely to succeed.
A key element of online learning is interaction, both between you and your students, and among your students. To make your online courses more accessible and inclusive for your international students, you should provide multiple modes of interaction that suit their needs and preferences. Some options include: synchronous and asynchronous communication, text-based and audio-based communication, individual and group work, discussion forums and chats, quizzes and surveys, assignments and projects, and feedback and peer review. You should also set clear expectations and guidelines for participation and collaboration, and monitor and facilitate the interaction.
Adding linguistic diversity in the form of subtitles to your ppt and collaboration for discussion forums, to prepare quizzes , even translation and audio dubbing your lecture will facilitate more participation and interest.
Based on my experience on this area, enhancing online courses for international students involves providing diverse ways of interaction modes. Mixing both synchronous (live) and asynchronous communication, using text, audio, video and team activities as well as pear to pear (individual and team) review evaluations . Include varied activities such discussions, quizzes, group work, and peer reviews as mentioned before.
One core aspect is to pre-plan and orchestrate the whole online-experience for learners more accurately and explicitly as it would (probably) be in pure presence. This costs more time in preperatio and is less flexible when it comes to unconsidered interuptions or technical hurdles. Still, it is worth it to invest thoughts and time in pre-planing of when do learners use which tool with with learning activity for what goal, how is it moderated? how are results saved and made visible to the others? how are communcation channels introduced and established, etc. Then online learning may work well. A whole new story is then to combine it with presence (hybrid setups) or even prepare online-learning eperiences as inverted class.
Generative AI Trainer??E-learning Project Manager??Instructional Design ??Speaker ??
It's important to use subtitles in multiple languages, discussion forums, and live sessions with flexible timings. This way, regardless of their location or time zone, everyone can participate and learn effectively.
Um exemplo que já vi, foi a utiliza??o do closed caption do youtube para fazer a tradu??o para a língua do estudante. Dessa maneira sem mobilizar grandes recursos o professor consegue atingir alunos de diversas partes do mundo.
Finally, you should offer flexibility and support to your international students to help them overcome any barriers or difficulties they may face in your online courses. Some ways to do this include: allowing for different time zones and schedules, providing multiple formats and options for content delivery and assessment, offering extra resources and materials for self-paced learning, creating a welcoming and respectful learning environment, encouraging questions and feedback, providing timely and constructive responses, and connecting your students with other support services or resources.
Understanding students needs in terms of flexibility and support according to their time zones and online learning knowledge is key to ensure international students success and basically means offering flexibility and support. Offering different time zones, provide various content formats and assessment options, and supply extra learning resources. Encourage feedback, and respond quickly and i a positive and constructively way. This approach helps natural barriers for non usual online studies to success in this context overcoming barriers, fostering a more inclusive and supportive global learning community.
Suporte e flexibilidade est?o alinhados com o tópico intera??o. Andam juntos!!!! O aluno ou usuário que ter certeza que poderá interagir ou ser atendido quando precisar, em caso de dúvida ou até mesmo de expans?o do que está pensando.
Flexibility and support can only be offered to the students when connection via heart to heart, which can only be done if time barrier and linguistic barriers can be easily resolved. One should be eager to adapt to other’s time zone without any excuses! Linguistic barrier is little difficult to resolve but little enthusiasm to learn different languages can resolve it!
O suporte e flexibilidade precisa ser bem atenciosa. Apresente equipe dedicada a tirar dúvidas, materiais diversos para consulta, sess?es de perguntas e respostas, mentorias, feedbacks construtivos, canais de comunica??es.
With my background in cross-cultural education, I prioritize offering flexibility and strong support for international students. This means giving students options like flexible schedules and extra help when needed, like extended office hours or language support. By being flexible and supportive, we create a welcoming environment where all students feel comfortable and can succeed, no matter where they're from.
Accessibility also means inclusion. International teacher associations need to practice what they preach. The financial barriers are still one of the biggest barriers to accessibility. Making courses affordable to learners allows for more accessibility. We hear a lot of inclusion, but many associations still do not integrate hybrid aspects of learning into their conferences. What about the learners (teachers) who cannot afford to travel to the venue but still want to participate? Attending an international conference can cost more than 2,000$. Travel, hotel, and fees add up quickly. Some teachers do not make that in 3 months. IATEFL and TESOL need to rethink their planning process and start to include more teachers from around the globe.
Virtual teachers who have undergone an approved and certified training course rather than simply ‘winging it’. Too many in-class teachers feel the shift to virtual learning environments is achievable through their own experience - it is not and there is now no excuse for under-trained teachers to turn up on screen filled with hopeful optimism that everything will work out for the best.
Solving problems tops the list All other motives rally behind And, leaders get convinced easier than their last runk followers. Means, if your content quality targets the leaders than grear otherwise struggle and wriggle out the common place without blaming you luck; instead if you are running late then prepare your progenies and key students for the nextgen battle.
To make it accessible to international students depends on the students' aim of learning; being expert enough makes the process flow smoothly .. it is wise as well to keep your competences among those of your students; think and act as one of them. Provide them with basic virgin ways to learn such as making them conclude the rule by studying certain examples.. through my way of teaching Arabic, it's been a fruitful strategy.
International students may feel isolated because their grasp of spoken and written language is out of sync, which makes understanding lectures or readings difficult. A way to address this is to supply supplemental resources in multiple formats. For example, within an LMS course, curate collections of videos, slideshows, articles, etc., organized by weekly topic(s). The instructor can invite students to contribute to the collections by submitting any material that they found and used to understand complex concepts. Extra points for any student submissions that are added to the collections in the LMS couse provides incentive. This practice often increases retention and belonging by establishing students' ownership of the course content.