Inclusion is very important in the design of learning environments. Here are some ways I think can help make interactive learning resource more inclusive:

Firstly, providing mutiple expressions. In the course, provide students with alternative ways of expressing themselves, so that students can express their ideas in the most suitable way, such as writing, oral expression and so on. However, on this basis, teachers also need to have more perfect grading standards. This not only increases student engagement, but also helps teachers assess student learning outcomes more comprehensively. For example, I am a very introverted person who is not good at speaking in class. But when I was in elementary school, teachers often called on students’ names and asked them to stand up and answer questions, which always made me very upset and afraid. At this time, I would feel excluded from the learning environment. Of course, professors can also choose to teach through a variety of ways of expression, such as visual or auditory.

Second, choosing flexible learning environment. Depending on the habits and preferences of the students, some may prefer to study in classrooms and libraries because there are many people around to study, which will make their learning more efficient. However, some students may prefer to study in a more comfortable atmosphere, such as on the sofa at home. So I believe that providing flexible study time and place so that students can study in the environment that best suits them can ensure the efficiency of learning. For example, during the pandemic, it was difficult for international students like me to go back to the classroom, and without this model of remote learning, we would feel excluded from the learning environment.

Third, providing more support. The content should take into account cultural and linguistic diversity, ensuring that all students can understand and participate. For example, provide bilingual teaching materials or culturally sensitive teaching materials. It can be understood and engaged by all students, creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. For example, it may be possible to address understanding problems in the curriculum due to cultural differences in different countries.

In the event of an unexpected event that requires a shift to online teaching, I think the following points need to be done to help meet the needs of learners:

Firstly, people need to choose the right learning platform, which is preferably relatively stable, and comes with some tools that can help people learn, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and so on. At the same time, detailed guidelines and training need to be provided to ensure that teachers and students are proficient in using these platforms.

Second, there is the need to provide equipment and network support. For example, I learned that after the outbreak of the pandemic, some schools will distribute ipads to students. It is necessary to ensure that each student has the appropriate equipment and network to support participation in the course.

In addition, flexible scheduling is required. Combine synchronous and asynchronous learning to meet the time schedule and learning pace of different students. And it would be nice for professors to be able to record all synchronized lessons so that students can look back when they need to, ensuring that students who miss out on live lessons don’t fall behind.

Finally, it is also necessary to conduct regular surveys to collect feedback from both students and teachers on online teaching to understand their needs and suggestions. Based on feedback, continuously improve online teaching strategies and methods to ensure teaching quality and student satisfaction.

In the Blueprint designed by our group, our chosen location for the course is the beach or an outdoor area. I think maybe in a class like this, students might get distracted by some of the things in the environment. Because in my past experience, I once took a class on the beach, but because there were so many bees, I was not fully involved in the class. Maybe we can set the class place in a yoga studio or something, or we can achieve a relaxing indoor environment. Although this will vary depending on the person and time of day, it is certain that, based on our curriculum, teaching in an outdoor and beach environment will be more effective than in a classroom.

In universal design in engineering, I feel that adjustable lighting systems can be used as inspiration for learning design.

The adjustable lighting system reflects the attention to the personalized needs of users, and the personalized needs of students need to be timely attention in the learning design. Secondly, users can freely control the functions of the system through simple operation. If possible, students should also be able to control the progress of the course through some simple operations in the process of learning. In addition, the multi-functional design of the lighting system meets the needs of users in different scenarios. This can be linked to the flexibility of study time and place, and the need to create the most suitable environment for students to learn more effectively.