openTEL and SeGA are pleased to announce that September’s Open & Inclusive Special Interest Group will include a presentation by Jess Mitchell from the Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University, Toronto.
Creating Inclusive, Remote, Digital Spaces
Jess Mitchell
Abstract: Remote participation, distance education, and the struggle to create participatory and inclusive environments. In this presentation I will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for creating inclusive, remote, digital spaces. The conversation will cover ethical implications, the challenges, and present a feminist perspective for creating inclusive spaces.
Bio: Jess Mitchell is Senior Manager, Research + Design at the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University in Toronto. Her work focuses on ethics (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and the evolving world of design.
Jess is a community leader who works in a highly collaborative, open, and iterative manner employing methods from complex project management, agile, participatory, and inclusive design.
Jess has worked on a number of complex distributed projects, bridging gaps among diverse stakeholders and fostering innovation. Those projects have ranged from building the Ghana Internet Exchange Point in West Africa, teaching an open source project course with 4th year students at Duke University, facilitating workshops with government, industry, and non-profit partners, and working to make the Internet accessible and inclusive to all. Her work has spanned numerous sectors and fields.
With a background in Ethics, Jess delivers a unique perspective on messy and complex contexts that helps organizations and individuals navigate a productive way forward.
Embedding EDI Principles into Learning Design
Mark Williams and Natasha Huckle
Abstract: With the ongoing drive in the OU to support the building of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within all processes, and with the introduction in the UK of new accessibility requirements for the public sector, there is a need to further emphasise the embedding of accessibility at the core of learning and learning technologies. This does not necessarily mean the implementation of major changes, but a consideration of the ways in which learners engage with module materials. The key is ensuring the participation of all learners in the learning journey. As module teams have responsibility for ensuring their module design is accessible and inclusive, support will prove invaluable to assist in the design and implementation of an accessible and inclusive curriculum. SeGA recently set up an Accessibility Champions group within LDS to sharing of information and experience. With this is mind, the Learning Design (LD) team are currently finding ways to incorporate accessibility into their core offer. Bringing together a range of considerations such as pedagogical approaches, assessment preparation, the use of online tools and the learner journey. Learning Design are working with module teams to develop awareness and map out the student experience: helping to find solutions and share good practice. Mark and Natasha, two Learning Design Accessibility Champions, will discuss this and will demonstrate ways in which Learning Design can engage modules with accessibility.
Bio: Mark Williams is a learning designer at the Open University. He has worked for many years as a lecturer and manager of Higher Education in the further Education sector, developing quality strategies and devising enhancement initiatives. He has worked closely with QAA and co-wrote applications for the TEF and OFS. Mark is an accessibility champion at the OU and is currently involved in a project to find offline alternatives to online activities and assessment.
Bio: Natasha is a Learning Designer at the Open University, and has been an e-learning professional for over 20 years, working in both the education and corporate sectors. She has expertise in learning and instructional design, audio-visual production, innovation and creativity, and serious games and gamification. She is an accessibility champion, and has worked on a number of accessibility projects, both at the BBC and the OU.
We look forward to seeing you at 14:00 on 9th September in Meeting Room 1, Jennie Lee.