Fostering an Inclusive Learning Environment using an e-learning Course to Develop New University Lecturers

Derbyshire, Beth

Abstract

This poster presentation shows how we developed an e-learning course using ThingLink to ensure accessible and inclusive access. The course, Introduction to University Teaching, is a course developed for new lecturers to support them in their initial stages of teaching at the university. Some students struggled to attend the in-person sessions, therefore, an e-learning course was created so that participants could undertake the course at any time and at their own pace. ThingLink has been an excellent resource to help us develop this e-learning format. ThingLink Logo Accessibility Tool in ThingLink Scenario Builder in ThingLink ThingLink as a platform enabled us to create an accessible e-learning course with a scenario builder option to allow immersive, self-paced learning. The platform has built-in accessibility tools for the participants to use, including Immersive Reader. The participants log in through Single Sign On meaning we can view their progress. We decided to use this platform as well to introduce teaching staff to what ThingLink can do. At a basic level, we used the slides we used in the in-person sessions as a storyboard to create the course and then adapted it for e-learning. The colours and logos link to the university's brand and slides have a consistent design. The Learning Journey clearly lays out each session, with the option to undertake each session on its own. Offering more flexibility. The tags pulsate in order to guide learners on what to click first. It is important that learners know how to navigate the course and this is also explained in the information behind the tags. Some tags are locked so participants can't just click through and pass. Learning Journey screenshot Video explanations were also added so that the e-learning experience is more humanized. We chose to use the real teachers rather than AI bots to ensure a more humanized experience. Accessibility is a main priority and closed captions are added to the videos with generated help from Microsoft Stream.

• Presentation Conference Type: Poster
• Conference Name: 2025 SOLSTICE, CLT + L&T Conference
• Start Date: Jun 18, 2025
• Acceptance Date: May 28, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-09
• Deposit Date: May 28, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: elearning