This document discusses how to ensure online learning is effective for all learners. It notes that students now spend over 7 hours per day using media, which is significant for online teachers designing engaging lessons. It emphasizes that all students have a right to learn, and outlines challenges of meeting diverse student needs. The document recommends differentiated instruction online through varied content representation and student engagement. It also stresses the importance of accessibility, individual supports, and designing courses for specific learner profiles to meet exceptional student needs.

1. How do we ensure that
online learning is effective
for all learners?
Jessica Farris
Fall 2012

2. GOOD NEWS!
Students ages 8-18 years old spend over seven hours a day using
entertainment media!
Why is this significant for teachers trying to create effective lessons? Please
answer in the chat box.

3. THE LEARNER
In a traditional classroom we teach a variety of learners.
We have students who range from gifted and talented
to students with learning and physical disabilities.
What are some challenges you face in meeting the
needs of all of your students in your current classroom?

4. ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE
RIGHT TO LEARN!
“Federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (1990) mandates that exceptional learners with
disabilities have access to curricular and learning
opportunities equivalent to those available to students who
are not disabled. This includes environments and courses for
online learning. For other learners with exceptionalities, there
many not be a federal mandate, but access to online
environments is still the right thing to do (French, 2002)”

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
When online learning was first implemented, teachers believed that it would
never be as good as face-to-face learning. Many teachers still believe this
despite the evidence that online learning provides as much success as the
traditional classroom.
In the chat box, tell how you feel about online learning. Do you think this
assumption could be applied to some groups of students (primary grades,
graduate students, etc…) and not others, or is this assumption
a “one size fits all approach?”

6. THE CHANGE
Due to the continued rise in online education, there are several groups
established to help ensure that all online students are successful.
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Consortium
http://wave.webaim.org
•National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
•National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)
What types of accommodations do you
make for your students who struggle with
reading?

7. DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
Differentiated Instruction online is not that much different from
differentiating instruction in a traditional classroom.
Remember to:
• Present content in multiple ways
•Allow for different models of student expression
•Use multiple means for engaging students.
What are different online tools we can use to allow our
students to express themselves? Think about some of the
tools you use in your online courses or with your students.

8. DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
Representation:
•Content presented in video, audio, slide show
•Reading materials at multiple difficulty levels
•Graphic representation (concept maps and graphic
organizers)
•Illustrative representation (diagrams and simulations)
Engagement:
•Interviewing experts
•Role- playing
•Threaded discussions
•Brainstorming activities
•Team inquiry project
•Online experiments
•Game Playing

9. ACCESSIBILITY
To meet the needs of all learners, online courses should be accessible.
A course is accessible when it can be successfully navigated
and the student benefits from the contents on the different
pages.
 Is your homepage accessible?
Do you have a statement to indicate your commitment to
accessibility?
Does your site give information on how students can request
accommodations?
Do you have a statement to show how to obtain print
materials in alternate formats?

10. SUPPORTIVE
When thinking of “exceptional learners” or students with disabilities there are
two ways to support online learning.
1. Design online courses that match specific learning profiles.
Ask yourself, “What would a course look like if it were designed for a specific
population of exceptional learners?”
2. Design the course to meet the needs of individuals learners.

11. SPECIFIC LEARNERS
• Physical Disabilities: mobility switches and alternative keyboards
• Visual Disabilities: computer-screen enlargers, text to speech, and screen
readers
• Hearing Disabilities: electronic sign-language dictionaries and signing
avatars
• Learning Disabilities: calculators and spellcheckers

12. WEB DESIGN
• Instructors should act as facilitators
• Use a variety of presentation styles
• Hands- on problems
• Frequent testing
• Clear feedback
• Available help screens

13. REMEMBER:
Information is not
learning!
What does this mean in terms on online instruction?

14. Your online students should not feel like this if you are using effective
online teaching strategies!

15. REFERENCES
Ash, K. (2011, August 24) At-Risk Students Face E-Learning Challenges. Education
Week, 31(01), s16. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=Gale%7CA266147488&v=2.1
Cavanaugh, Cathy, and Robert L. Blomeyer. What works in K-12 online learning.
Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education, 2007. Print.
"Learning: Engage and Empower." US Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 11
Oct. 2012. <www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/learning-engage-and-empower>.
Singh, Harvey. "Building Effective Blended Learning Programs." Educational
Technology 43.6 (2003): 51-54. Print
Swan, K. (2003). Learning effectiveness: what the research tells us. In J. Bourne & J.
C. Moore (Eds) Elements ofQuality Online Education, Practice and Direction.
Needham, MA: Sloan Center for Online Education, 13-45.