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How Do You Adjust/Modify Activities for the Online Learning Environment?

As mentioned in the course design resources for online teaching, the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework (depicted below), is of equal importance in facilitating your course.Ìý

(Permission to publish image received fromÌý)

The ideas you have created during the design process will now be implemented through your facilitation of the course. Here are some tips to establish each of these presences as you prepare to facilitate and create aÌý inclusive learning experience:

Evidence reveals that when learners feel cared about as a person, they are likely to be more engaged and experience a higher level of well-being (Artze-Vega et al., 2023). Researchers (Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995; bell hooks, 2003) of culturally relevant pedagogy agree establishing meaningful relationships is an inclusive practice and these relationships are characterized by care, respect, commitment, and trust. Trust is established when learners feel a strong belief from instructors that they will succeed and that they are committed to their success.

Strategies for Creating a Learner-Centered Online Course

1. Build a Strong Learning Community

• Co-create learning community guidelines.
  Begin with a few basic ground rules (such as respect for others and openness to multiple perspectives) in an online discussion forum. Invite learners to contribute their own ideas to the list. At the end of the first week, compile a finalized version and share it with students in an announcement or on the course homepage.
• Be available through multiple formats.
  Offer office hours and meeting options through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Email, Phone, and in-person, providing flexibility to meet diverse student needs and preferences.
• Create multiple communication pathways.
  Use course announcements regularly to recap important ideas, clarify key concepts, and send timely reminders about upcoming assignments or deadlines.
• Establish clear expectations for group work and discussions.
  Provide specific parameters and guidelines for peer reviews, collaborative projects, and online discussions to ensure students understand their roles, responsibilities, and how they will be evaluated.
• Gather and encourage feedback.
  Actively ask for learner feedback throughout the course—not just at the end—to make ongoing adjustments and demonstrate responsiveness.

2. Foster a Sense of Belonging

• Create an inclusive environment where learners feel seen and valued.
  A sense of belonging—feeling recognized and respected as an individual—is one of our most basic human needs (Artze-Vega et al., 2023). Reflect on a time when you or someone you know felt excluded. How did it impact learning and motivation? How was the situation overcome? Remember: learners thrive when they know they matter.
• Humanize your course by sharing your story.
  Introduce yourself authentically. Share relevant personal experiences or challenges you've faced in your academic or professional journey to build trust and connection.
• Represent content through diverse voices.
  Critically examine your course materials: Whose perspectives are included? Whose are missing? Actively seek to incorporate a wide range of voices and experiences.

3. Practice Transparency in Learning and Assessment

• Be clear about the purpose and process for assessments.
  According to Artze-Vega et al. (2023), transparency involves three key steps:
  1. Explain the purpose of the assessment ("Why are we doing this?").
  2. Provide clear, detailed instructions ("How do I complete this successfully?").
  3. Share the criteria for success, such as through a rubric or grading guide.
• Design equity-minded assessments.
  Create assessments that are fair and inclusive, ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding.
• Offer multiple ways for learners to demonstrate their learning.
  Give students choices when possible (e.g., written reflections, presentations, multimedia projects) to allow them to play to their strengths.
• Allow multiple test attempts and immediate feedback.
  In online tests, enabling multiple attempts and providing instant feedback can reduce anxiety, encourage learning from mistakes, and build mastery over time.
• Provide instructions through multiple formats.
  Deliver assignment instructions not just in writing, but also through videos, infographics, or audio recordings to reach different learning styles.
• Use LMS tools to support transparency and consistency.
  Features like SpeedGrader and rubrics can help streamline grading and communicate expectations clearly.

4. Prioritize Relevance and Rigor

• Connect course content to learners’ goals and experiences.
  Help students see how what they’re learning relates to their future coursework, career aspirations, and real-world interests.
• Engage learners with critical and reflective discussions.
  Use online forums to ask reflective questions or critical questions that connect course materials to current events and societal issues. Encourage learners to think about how what they are learning reinforces or challenges their existing perspectives.
• Balance challenge with support.
  Rigor is not about making courses harder for the sake of difficulty; it’s about providing meaningful academic challenge with the necessary support for student success (Artze-Vega et al., 2023).

5. Emphasize Reflection and Continuous Growth

• Encourage student reflection throughout the course.
  Invite learners to reflect on their progress, challenges, and successes as a way to deepen understanding and promote personal growth.
• Reflect systematically on your own teaching practices.
  After each course or major assignment, consider what went well and what could be improved. Frame negative feedback as an opportunity for inquiry, not personal criticism.
• Gather feedback during the course, not just at the end.
  Conduct mid-semester surveys or informal check-ins to identify areas for improvement early, when adjustments can still make a difference.
• Examine feedback holistically.
  Ask: What feedback can I act on? What constraints are outside my control? How can I address systemic issues that may impact student experience?
• Identify and address inequities.
  Regularly reflect on whose needs are being met within your course and where gaps exist. Commit to continuous improvement in creating more equitable learning environments.

Additional Ideas for Promoting Online Engagement:

Provide learner roles & responsibilities (emphasize flexibility and equity)

• Allow an ‘ooops’ assignment

• Allow flexibility in attendance and participation

• Allow choice in ways to demonstrate learningÌý

• ·¡²Ô³¦´Ç³Ü°ù²¹²µ±ðÌýreflection/metacognition activitiesÌý

• Group expectations and instructions

• Peer review expectations and instructions

For additional examples, please visit our Online Considerations and Examples page.

References:

• Artze-Vega, I., Darby, F., Dewsbury, B., & Imad, M. (2023).Ìý, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

• bell hooks (2003).ÌýTeaching community: A pedagogy of hope. Routledge.

• Brookfield, S. (1995).ÌýBecoming a critically reflective teacher. Jossey-Bass.

• Garrison, R. D., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2007). Researching the community of inquiry framework: Review, issues, and future directions.ÌýThe Internet and Higher Education, 10Ìý(3),157-172.Ìýhttps://doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2007.04.001Ìý

• Gay, G. (2010).ÌýCulturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.

• Ginsberg, M. B. & Wlodkowski, R. J. (2009).ÌýDiversity and motivation: Culturally responsive teaching in college. Jossey-Bass.

• Intolubbe-Chmil, L., Gupta. K, Crouch, K. & Bacon, J. (2025). Transformative practice for DEIBJA in virtual learning settings. InÌýA. Kim, M. Gallardo & S. Taylor (Eds.),ÌýCultivating DEI conversations in higher education: An educator's guide to optimizing learning, engagement, and belonging.ÌýRoutledge.

• Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy.ÌýAmerican Educational Research Journal, 32 (3), 465-91.

• McKenna, K., Kaiser, L.M.R.,ÌýMurray-Johnson, K., & Gupta, K. (2025). Inclusive online teaching: A toolkit.ÌýeLearn Magazine,Ìý2025(1).Ìý

• Weimer, M. (2013).ÌýLearner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Jossey-Bass.

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