Centering The Margins: Principles and Strategies for Inclusive Design and Design Justice

Pre-Conference Workshop Session 2

Brief Abstract

Inclusive design is intentional and iterative design work aimed at supporting a range of human diversity. In education, inclusive design focuses on the creation of learning spaces and materials, and policies and processes, that support diverse learners and that help to counteract biased and exclusionary designs that pervade education. This workshop will offer participants a chance to learn about inclusive design and design justice through an interactive, hands-on approach. Participants will also learn practices they can apply to their institutional context.

 

There is a fee of $275 for this pre-conference Master Class. You may also register for this Master Class as part of a special $495 Combo package of 2 Master Classes (1 AM and 1 PM class).

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Presenters

Lead Presenter: Sarah Lohnes Watulak, Middlebury College

As the Director of Digital Pedagogy and Media at Middlebury College, my goal is to create digital learning opportunities and environments that support learner agency, inclusion, and equity. I am also keenly interested in supporting learners’ critical engagement with the discourses that surround educational technology and digital media. I received my doctorate in communication and education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2008; prior to Middlebury, I spent 10 years as a professor of Instructional Technology in the College of Education at Towson University (outside of Baltimore, MD), where I taught on ground, hybrid, and fully online courses in instructional technology and qualitative research methods. Much of this work revolved around helping teachers and administrators to make thoughtful, research-informed decisions how best to use technology to support their teaching and their students’ learning.

Co-presenter: Amy Collier, Middlebury College

Amy Collier received her doctorate in Family Studies from Texas Woman’s University in 2008. Through her graduate studies in social sciences and 10+ years working in faculty development, Amy has been an advocate for learners and teachers across a variety of educational institutions, from community-based service organizations to large public broad-access universities. Currently, Amy is the Associate Provost for Digital Learning at Middlebury College, where her strategic vision positions Middlebury as a leader in creating and sustaining a global learning community through digital pedagogies and technologies. Prior to this, Amy was the Senior Director for Inspiration and Outreach in the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning at Stanford University, where she oversaw online and blended course design initiatives, conducted research to inform effective teaching practice, and was a strong advocate for evidence-based instructional improvement, strategy and planning.

Extended Abstract

Inclusive design is intentional and iterative design work aimed at supporting a range of human diversity. In education, inclusive design focuses on the creation of learning spaces and materials, and policies and processes, that support diverse learners and that help to counteract biased and exclusionary designs that pervade education. Inclusive design can be a collaborative process through which teachers thoughtfully re-imagine their classrooms, sparking creativity and inspiration in teaching and learning. Using design justice and critical race design lenses, inclusive design can (and should) also be a way for teachers and learners to embrace anti-racist principles and actively work against systemic racism and other entrenched inequities in education and in our society.

Through an interactive, hands-on approach, participants in this workshop, participants will:

  • Develop an understanding of the values and principles that drive inclusive design and design justice
  • Hone their noticing skills to identify exclusions and mismatches at their own institutions
  • Explore and experiment with co-design approaches that can be used to authentically center the perspectives of folx who are typically marginalized or excluded by designs

Who should attend this workshop?

Everyone is a designer, and design shows up in all kinds of contexts. If you’re an instructional designer or instructor creating learning experiences, this workshop is for you. If you're an administrator designing policies for online programs, this workshop is for you. If you're a student advisor, helping develop retention programs for students, this workshop is for you. If you’re interested in learning more about inclusive design and design justice, this workshop is for you!