EMM v2.3 L10

'''L10. Courses are designed to support diverse learning styles and learner capabilities'''

Background
Inclusion of diversity is the coherent and consistent theme throughout the research literature, regarding both accessibility and learning preferences. Inclusivity underpins the argument that efforts to improve accessibility and ways of learning for some benefit all. Being inclusive requires respecting capabilities, disabilities, and styles of learning (Ragan, 1999; Salmon, 2000). As well, it requires respecting values, orientations, language factors, cultural and ethnic traditions, and the special requirements of learners (Reeves, 1997; McLoughlin, 2001). Inclusivity involves issues of gender (Kramarae, 2003) and age (Witt and McDermott, 2004).

The consistent use of a variety of media in e-learning is a recommendation for all e-delivery (Wang et al., 2001; Laurillard, 2002; Chen et al., 2005; Terrell, 2005; Mupinga et al., 2006; Clark & Mayer 2007). This practice has the added benefit of providing access to e-material to students with a range of disabilities as well. Overall, the consideration of inclusive design benefits all learners (Kinash et al., 2004; Witt and McDermott, 2004). Learning styles have generally been considered important because of their potential positive impact on all aspects of teaching and learning, both as a means for understanding how students learn and as tools for guiding the design of courses and learning activities. There are tools to assess learning style preferences (Kolb, 2005), and numerous studies that research their effects on learning outcomes. However, the complex, contextual, and conditional nature of learning and learners leads to the view that ‘variability in approaches…coexists with consistency’ (Ramsden, 2003, p. 51). While some studies report that certain learning styles appear to be better suited to online learning environments (Fahy and Ally, 2005; Terrell, 2002), other researchers dispute learning style effects (Chall, 2000) or find them to be negative (Clark, 2003). There is also evidence that learners can adapt their learning styles to suit the context (Terrell, 2005).

Evidence of capability in this area is seen through course design and implementation practices that use a variety of complementary pedagogical approaches to support student learning, including a variety of media, assessment types and communication channels. Teaching staff should be enabled and supported in being open to flexible teaching and learning methods and should support and encourage students negotiating or using alternative learning approaches that are better suited to their personal circumstances. Policies and guidelines for courses should explicitly incorporate an expectation of diversity in learning styles and learner capabilities being supported proactively, rather than being reacted to in response to student complaints.

Related Guidelines and Standards
This process is informed by: Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever (Chickering and Ehrmann, 1996); Quality On the Line: Benchmarks for success in internet-based distance education (Merisotis, J. P., & Phipps, R. A., 2000) course development benchmark set; Queensland University of Technology teaching capabilities framework (2004/2005); Canadian Recommended E-learning Guidelines (Barker, K., 2002); Australian National Training Authority, quality assurance information kit: Training package support materials (2002); Balancing quality and access: Principles of good practice for electronically offered academic degree and certificate programs (Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, 2003) and; ADEC guiding principles for distance learning (American Distance Education Consortium, 2002).