Embedded Files
This course was designed for the Connect program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a nationally-recognized public high school. The Connect program provides synchronous learning experiences that are available to any public high school student in the state. On this page, I've highlighted some of the design choices I made when implementing course content using the Canvas LMS.
Accessible Content and Design
Accessible Content and Design
As the topic of this course was the Civil Rights movement, I opted for a black and white color scheme throughout the course. In turn, this helped increase the accessibility of the course, as all the black elements contrasted nicely with the white background, increasing legibility and readability.
I also chose large, clearly-labeled buttons to make for easy navigation.
Of course, all the pages I built are consistent with WCAG and UDL guidelines.
Main Canvas Course page- displays course color scheme and main navigation
Thoughtful Design Choices
Thoughtful Design Choices
The black and white "Civil Rights theme" was carried throughout each section of the course. Each module had a "header" page that displayed a title, list of learning objectives, schedule of required learning activities, and an image that represented unit content. (See images above.)
This consistency makes things easy for learners- not only does it aid in navigation, but it provides a level of comfort for learners, as they know what to expect and where to look when encountering a new module of study.
Learner-Centered Activities
Learner-Centered Activities
The embedded vocabulary activity (left) uses gamification to engage learners, and interactive discussion boards (right) help build social presence.
As a former classroom teacher, I always design learning activities that are focused on learners. The images above display two such examples.
The vocabulary activity was created with AI and then embedded into the Canvas course to allow for seamless integration with the LMS. It adds some gamification to learning new vocabulary words for a lesson on Civil Rights strategies.
The discussion forum was created through tools built into the Canvas LMS. Discussions and collaborative activities can foster learner engagement and build social presence, even in a virtual course.
To check out the Civil Rights course in its entirety, click on the link below.
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