Date
12 October 2024

Design with ākonga variability in mind

The school’s hybrid learning approach will only cater for diverse students if it is designed to do so.

Create a predictable whole-school hybrid approach

Create a predictable whole-school hybrid approach

“Consistency of learning design helps students make sense of learning tasks and saves time interpreting many ‘ways of doing’.”

Quote source: Hybrid Learning Guide

  • Create a digital platform for sharing teaching and learning. For example, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams or the school website.
  • Develop clear expectations or best practice guides for teachers and students.
  • Empower students and whānau by making learning visible. For example, consistently share information such as learning objectives, progressions and quality criteria.
  • Design for flexibility. Take into account diverse students and the demands of varied environments.
  • Create systems for student tracking or milestone completion as well as pastoral support so that needs can be identified and support can be given when and where it is required.
  • Create support systems that meet students needs regardless of where the learning occurs.
  • Design systems for students to demonstrate success and show learning within your hybrid approach.

Use five key pedagogies

Use five key pedagogies

Five pedagogies are central to hybrid learning. Each pedagogy provides flexibility that can support diverse learners.

Flipped learning

  • Resources for learning such as videos, screencasts and readings are in an online hub that can be accessed independently at any time.
  • Ākonga can use the resources in class or at home, at the same time as their peers or at different times.
  • Students can access learning at their own level, in their own time and rewind it to gain understanding.
  • Teachers provide rich in-class experience to take the learning deeper through discussions, hands-on activities and collaboration.

Personalising learning

  • Personalising learning tailors learning to each student’s individual needs, skills and interests, and provides the flexibility for students to tailor their own learning
  • Ākonga needs and goals, and progress towards them, are highly visible and easily accessible to teachers, as well as to students and their whānau.

Student agency

  • Student agency, voice and self-directedness promotes and scaffolds learners to take ownership of their learning.
  • Hybrid design includes robust and continual feedback loops that gather information about how students are experiencing the learning programme and whether it is meeting their needs

Active learning

  • Active learning means students are doing something rather than just listening or responding.
  • For example, students may be answering questions while listening, learning through play, or engaging in group work or inquiry learning.
Enriched virtual learning
  • Enriched virtual learning where online learning is the backbone of the learning programme. 
  • There is a seamless transition between school and home settings.

Consider variability when creating content

Consider variability when creating content

Consider the variability of the students you are planning for and make content easy to access and use.

Make content accessible

Make content accessible

Consider the needs of every student and common accessibility tips as you design learning materials.

Slides

  • Use consistent styles, for example, use built in layouts in Powerpoint and Google slides or create your own custom styles
  • Declutter slides to focus on one key idea
  • Minimise the amount of text and use large, easy to read font sizes
  • Check for high contrast between foreground and background colours.

Documents

  • Use headings and subheadings to break up the content and support navigation
  • Avoid overuse of italics and underline for emphasis – use bold sparingly, if necessary
  • Left-align content for improved readability
  • Write descriptive links to show where links will take the reader.

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Creating accessible resources

An introduction to creating accessible slides and documents using the SLIDE mnemonic.

Publisher: CAST

Visit website

Website

Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible

Step-by-step instructions and best practices for making your PowerPoint presentations accessible.

Publisher: Microsoft

Visit website

Website

Accessible slide design

Considerations for accessible slide design.

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Use hybrid learning approaches”:

Return to the guide “Curriculum accessibility”

Guide to Index of the guide: Curriculum accessibility

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