Topic 2 - Understanding the Student Cohort
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Activity 2
Tony’s discussion of the hidden curriculum made me reconsider what inclusion means in my work as a Learning Designer. I have often focused on whether Moodle content is organised, available and technically accessible. However, Tony’s example of students not understanding the purpose of office hours showed me that providing access does not ensure students understand how to participate or seek support. His discussion of financial insecurity also demonstrates how institutions can assume students have equal access to time, technology and personal resources.
This connects with how I apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in my practice. WCAG helps me address technical accessibility, while UDL encourages me to anticipate learner variability and reduce barriers (CAST, 2024; World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], 2024). In future, I want to change my educational practice by considering the hidden curriculum more deliberately when transitioning or designing content and when advising academics. I will question whether instructions rely on unexplained terminology, assumed institutional knowledge or resources that not all students possess. This will help me move beyond providing access towards designing learning that supports genuine participation and inclusion.
Activity 3
Reading these protocols made me realise how much I do not know about First Nations cultures, language and ways of understanding the world. In the past, I have not always considered how my own perspective may shape the way I interpret learning content. This matters because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not one homogeneous group, and appropriate terminology, customs and protocols can differ between communities and Countries. The documents also show that language is not neutral; it can shape meaning, reinforce power differences and cause harm when used without care.
In my role as a Learning Designer, I often advise academics before transitioning their content into Moodle. I now recognise that I should raise cultural considerations earlier rather than treating them as a final check. Because I am not Indigenous and do not hold cultural authority, I should not assume that I can judge whether First Nations content is respectful or appropriate on my own. Where relevant, I would advise the academic to seek guidance from CQUniversity’s Indigenous Engagement Division before the content is designed or published.
Activity 4
I understand the three dimensions of the Index for Inclusion as working together (Booth & Ainscow, 2011). Creating inclusive cultures is about building a learning environment where students feel welcomed, respected and that they belong. It also means seeing diversity as valuable rather than as a problem. Producing inclusive policies is about turning these values into formal systems and decisions that support participation and reduce exclusion. Evolving inclusive practices is what happens in teaching, such as how content, assessment, activities and support are designed for diverse students. What stood out to me is that inclusion cannot rely on one educator making adjustments. It needs to be reflected in what an institution believes, what it commits to through policy, and what it actually does in practice.
References
CAST. (2024). CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/