Educational Technology can be used successfully to break down boundaries between face-to-face and virtual participation. This inclusive hybrid teaching guide supports Universal Design for Learning and ensures all participants have equal access to information and can participate fully in both online and hybrid sessions.
This guide can also be used for hybrid meetings and conferences.
Overview
This guide focusses on hybrid or online sessions taught using tools, such as Engagli, Teams and is based on seven core themes. The goal is to make sure that teaching and learning is accessible and inclusive across the university. Although this guide focusses on hybrid sessions, suggestions are also relevant to fully online sessions.
Seven Core Themes
Each of the themes has a specific focus, and many of them involve sensory considerations. However, the themes are also inclusive in a much wider context.
Core themes
- Create a shared memory
- Enable everyone to prepare equally
- Everyone can participate equally
- Everyone has equal access to auditory information
- Everyone has equal access to visual information
- Improve focus and reduce cognitive load
- Create an inclusive environment
Example layout from a theme
| Idea | Do | Avoid | Suggestions |
| Create a shared memory | Use EdTech tools to give everyone equal access to activities in a teaching session. | Avoid paper-based activities and physical artifacts to be used in the room | Miro works well for large group and collaborative activities. |
Sources
- DoItProfiler’s Creating Neuro-Inclusive Meetings 2024
- Bev Wenger-Traynor, In person, online; the future 2024
- Inclusivity and sense of belonging 2024 Coventry University
- Quickly highlight the position of the mouse using CTRL
- Resize and recolour your mouse pointer to support highlighting comment and demonstrations
- Reduce background noise in Teams
- Speaker view in Teams meetings
- Focus Mode in Zoom
- Pin participant’s videos in Zoom
- Pin a person’s video in Teams
- Present using Miro accessibility settings and features