Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Course Design

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is the hot topic in higher education. Course design should incorporate elements of all three, whether for online or face-to-face instruction. As the distance-learning platform at Northern Virginia Community College, NOVA Online (NOL) offers courses virtually, in a variety of disciplines. Creating an inclusive online learning environment is always important for us. This presentation will discuss how we at NOL design and share assessment strategies and groundbreaking practices to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to create an open and welcoming learning environment. The three main areas that we will present include selecting learning resources and instructional materials, creating learning activities and assessments, and integrating course technologies. We will offer a link to a Google Doc for follow-up questions, additions, or comments. The Google Doc will be open for two weeks following the presentation.