Inclusive Online Teaching

Topic of this module:

As a result of Covid-19 pandemic, classroom education was replaced by digital education, and universities tended to be the first ones to make the transition. Arguably, online learning will remain an integral part of education beyond the pandemic as well. Teaching in online environment, however, brought numerous challenges, and necessitated new modes of interacting with students, innovative ways of delivering content and different strategies to moderate discussions, including possible mitigation of conflicts. Teachers engaging in online education equally have to consider strategies to deal with sensitive and controversial topics, as “almost any topic can become sensitive if emotional responses are raised, if there are competing explanations about events, if there are political differences about what should happen next or challenges about how issues could be resolved” (Lowe and Jones 2010, 2).

Online learning environment may in fact put more pressure on the instructors to be able to adequately connect with students and provide a safe virtual space for discussion. Indeed, “many guides for online/distance education describe the importance of ongoing and meaningful teacher presence and support for students,” and hence teachers must be prepared for challenges associated with interactions in online environment (AITSL 2020). Yet, available teaching resources aimed at facilitating class discussions and minimize conflict when addressing sensitive content, are usually restricted to traditional classroom education, rather than online platforms. To fill this gap, it is imperative to first understand the particularities of online learning, and then identify strategies to manage controversial topics.

Objectives of this module:

This module looks into what “meaningful teacher presence” and “support for students” mean in an online environment, prviding strategies and advice for educators to become reflective teachers even in an online environment. 

Works cited:

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2020) “What works in online/distance teaching and learning?” Available at: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlight/what-works-in-online-distance-teaching-and-learning

Lowe, Pam and Helen Jones. (2010). Teaching and Learning Sensitive Topics, Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, 2:3, 1-7.