AAACE 2021 Annual Conference

Inclusion, Community building, Wisdom, Design,

It is essential to understand the difference between "checking a box" for diversity and cultivating inclusion in education. Without intentional design, learners can become marginalized. Building on inclusion and community frameworks, we introduce design considerations to help adult educators create accessible digital and traditional learning environments that welcome diverse learners.

Learning experience creation for diverse learners is a foundational aspect of adult education. Diversity and inclusion are also integral to the instructional design process. It is essential to investigate the foundational elements of knowledge creation, including the socio-cultural aspects of teaching and learning. Designing for Diverse Learners (Gronseth, Michela, & Oluchi Ugwu, 2021) discusses learner variability and planning for accessibility and inclusion. Since concepts of diversity and inclusion extend across many different contexts, adult educators and instructional designers need to understand the different ways that learners can become marginalized in the educational environment. Taking an empathetic and user-centered approach to course design can help us to address existing inequalities and design experiences that build community and welcoming spaces for all learners.
This session will ask participants to reflect upon their current practices and develop ideas for creating space for valuing diverse ways of knowing. For Adult education and instructional design professionals, inclusion should be an intentional design strategy. Inclusion Again (Spelic, 2019) discusses the difference between "checking a box" for diversity and working towards inclusion. We should evaluate our power, hegemony, and assumptions and go beyond offering a "seat at the table" for student engagement in their learning experience.