The Pandemic as a Catalyst For More Inclusive Pedagogy in Field-Based Disciplines

Abstract

The rapid switch to alternative modes of delivery at the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020 left Ontario college faculty scrambling to engage students and provide experiential learning opportunities to satisfy course and vocational learning outcomes. 

This paper presents case studies from Fleming College that illustrate the ways in which curriculum developed for remote, emergency delivery was situated within the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Using case studies from Fleming College, we demonstrate that efforts to embrace the culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogy that UDL models during the pandemic will remain relevant after the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided. What follows is a description and analysis of the pedagogical strategies and technology-enhanced techniques employed by Fleming faculty to adapt their curriculum and teaching practice to meet the needs of variant learners by incorporating the guidelines of UDL, including multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression (Wakefield, 2018). We suggest that these examples from the pandemic supported alternative learning and can continue to do so in ways that enrich the educational culture in Ontario’s post-secondary system.