Redesigning Blended Courses Project

Each pillar stands as a beacon of our achievements, with the ENABLE framework encapsulating our holistic approach to education. This framework serves as a guide for teaching staff ,offering approaches and practical tools for ensuring that student learning experiences are accessible, inclusive, and engaging.

Strategically aligned to UCT’s Vision 2030, the Redesigning Blended Courses Project aims to assist the Teaching and Learning community at UCT to develop learning pathways that effectively integrate on-campus and online modes (Blended Learning).

Applying the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the approach focuses on designing inclusive digitally-enabled education that:

1. Provide multiple means of Representation: present information and content in different ways  
2. Provide multiple means for Action and Expression: differentiate the ways that students can express what they know
3. Provide multiple means of Engagement: stimulate interest and motivation for learning

This approach enables students with diverse learning needs to become expert learners that are able to differentiate ways to express the knowledge they’ve gained, as well as deepen their engagement and interest in the world around them.

Acknowledgement/Funding Support

The promotion of inclusive digitally-enabled education through the redesign of blended courses project is a UCT Project supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through University Capacity Development Grants (2021-2023)

The project is led by the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CILT) and draws on expertise locally and internationally through partnering with the Including Disability in Education in Africa research unit (IDEA) for assisting with the development of flexible and locally appropriate course models.

IDEA is generating materials for advocacy promoting asset-based pedagogies and focusing on developing students as expert learners.

The Disability Services Unit also sits on the project committee and offers advice and resources on the accessibility considerations in technology for students with disabilities. 

The project aims to make use of existing resources, to develop support for teaching staff in redesigning courses and promoting the use of UDL principles in a variety of blended course designs. 

Project Team

Project Lead: Janet Small (Janet.Small@uct.ac.za ) 

UDL Training and Advocacy Coordinator: Thula Vilakati

Project Manager: Tess Cartmill

CILT: Lauren Butler, Widad Sirkhotte, Thomas King, Precious Kubheka, Diann Selman and Azraa Dawood

ENABLE framework development team: Emeritus A/Prof Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams, Nadine Hamman, Lara Karassellos, Yakhuluntu Dubazana and Sameer Adams

IDEA: Judith McKenzie, Chantal Samuels, Kofi Nseibo, Amani Karisa and Ikechukwu Nwanze 

Disability Services: Denise Oldham

Resources

ENABLE framework for UDL in learning design

Promoting UDL principles and strategies for inclusive learning: The Redesigning Blended Courses Project at the University of Cape Town

INCLUDE Webinar recording: UCT: Promoting UDL principles and strategies for inclusive learning  

Course design quality checklist is organised into six areas: orientation, content and organisation, accessibility, engagement and community, assessment and feedback and evaluation. The checklist is underpinned by various educational frameworks, including Universal Design for Learning, constructive alignment, and UCT’s teaching and learning frameworks and policies. The purpose of this checklist is to identify elements in your course that can be included or improved upon in order to enhance students’ learning experiences. 

CILT webinar recording: Emeritus Professor Vivienne Bozalek - Attuning to difference for a justice- to-come  

CILT webinar recording: Dr Taskeen Adam - Approaches to designing justice orientated MOOCs 

CILT webinar recording: Dr Benita Moolman - Student Engagement at the Nexus of Learning, Education and Justice Visibility and Voice 

CILT webinar recording: Panel discussion lead by Benedict Leteane - The potential of UDL in dismantling academic ableism for accessibility and inclusion 

UCT Teaching and Learning Conference 2022 recording: Blending with Purpose What works in Redesigning Blended Courses for Active Student Engagement  

UCT Teaching and Learning Conference 2022 recording: Redesigning an inclusive education course to promote access, participation and success for all 

Meet our Ed Tech Advisors

Our Education Technology Advisors (EdTech Advisors) are a group of forward-thinking senior postgraduate students. They have been trained by CILT Learning Designers to support teaching staff to create inclusive, accessible and multi-media rich learning materials and activities, based on UDL principles, aimed at enhancing student access and inclusion.