Choose Learning Methods/Modalities

What & Why

After determining your learning outcomes and assessments, use the principles of Universal Design to help students learn the content. You want to provide:

multiple ways to engage participants (with you, peers, and content) and
multiple ways to digest content (visual, auditory, reading, and /or kinesthetic).

In The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide, Kathryn Linder (2017) recommends asking yourself the following questions:

What activities will work best face-to-face, and which can work online?
Can group work help my students learn the course materials and meet the course objectives?
What kinds of online learning activities will support student learning when I am not physically present?

Note: This material is closely linked with the Course Design Strategy webpage.

How To

Provide multiple ways to engage participants

Keeping students actively engaged with you, the content, and each other promotes student success. When students observe, do, communicate, and reflect, they actively work with concepts and people. Review this resource from UC Davis for ideas.

with each other (e.g., case studies, team projects, discussions)
with the instructor (e.g., feedback, frequent announcements, office hours)
with course content (e.g., quizzes, tutorials, simulations)

NOTE: Assessments and learning activities are interrelated and often overlapping concepts. Generally, the key difference is grading. If the assessment is ungraded, it is a learning activity; if it is graded (even if it is low-stakes), it is an assessment.

Provide multiple ways to digest content

Remember VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. See VARK Learning Styles & Multimodal Learning (2025) for details and ideas.

Visual (V): maps, charts, graphs, images, and infographics.
Auditory (A): lectures, discussions, audiobooks, podcasts, debates
Read/Write (R): textbooks, notes, written instructions, summarizing information, essays, outlines
Kinesthetic (K): simulations, experiments, building models, role-playing, projects, case studies

Source Activities & Content

Open Source Content and OERs

“Open Educational Resources (OERs) are any type of educational materials in the public domain. They are published under open licenses (i.e., Creative Commons) that specify how materials can be used, reused, adapted, shared, and modified according to specific needs. They can include textbooks, lecture notes, syllabi, assignments and tests,” (RMIT).

OER Commons is a public digital library of open educational resources.
MERLOT provides access to curated learning and support materials from an international community of educators, learners, and researchers.
How to use OERs.

Videos

Video is a potent tool to improve teaching and leverage your limited time. Many videos already exist. Searching for good playlists can be a time-saver–don’t reinvent the wheel. However, learning to create videos is straightforward. See Videos: How to find, create, and share.

Professional Sites

What sites do you visit frequently to gain greater insight into your profession? What sites give you multiple perspectives on your profession? Linking to sources is the best option.

Publisher-Provided Course Content

Textbook publishers can also be great resources for websites, PowerPoints, videos, and other content. However, make sure the content is accessible.

A Note on Accessibility

Some resources are not accessible. A video, for example, needs closed captions and a transcript, and a slide presentation with images needs alt tags. Use the Basic 4 to ensure accessibility (on this site).

Checklist

Course materials and activities align with the course outcomes.
The instructional materials and activities contribute to the achievement of the stated outcomes and objectives.
The instructional materials have sufficient breadth, depth, and currency for students to learn the subject.
All resources and materials used in the course are appropriately cited.
All resources and materials are accessible.

Additional Resources

5 Tips for ADA-Compliant Inclusive Design - Inside Higher Ed article, 5/3/17
Selecting Content - SUNY Empire State College provides a comprehensive guide to finding and choosing all types of content for learning online.
Designing Effective Learning Activities in The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide, by Kathryn E. Linder (2017). It is available through our library.
Course Design Strategy - page of this site
Universal Design for Learning - page of this site
Creating and Using Microlectures & Asynchronous Lectures - page of this site

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