Authentic, impactful teaching and learning is fluid; it must be to meet the needs of all learners in an everchanging world. In recent years, all education participants have become more familiar with online learning, as well as associated terms like synchronous and asynchronous models of instruction and assessment. While online learning is certainly not new, research is ongoing and yielding varied results in terms of impact. This is not surprising. As educators, we know there are many variables that can influence a learner’s success: finances, home life, cultural background, accessibility, etc. Most of these factors are not in our control. However, implementing best practices, Quality Matters (QM) standards, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in our course offerings is. QM standards for online and blended course design are based on education research and best practice. UDL principles are based on scientific insights in regard to how people learn, and they can be applied to any discipline to help ensure meaningful teaching and learning.
The courses chosen for this showcase employ many QM standards and UDL principles. They vary in terms of subject matter, design, content presentation, and assessment type. This is because there is not a one-size-fits-all model for education. Whether you are a potential student or veteran instructor, these courses are presented to give you a glimpse of what quality online instruction looks like, as well as further share and inspire the ongoing venture for meaningful and impactful teaching and learning at UAB.
