Create Information Hubs
Create user-friendly and discoverable information hubs
1. Locate the learning object at the user's point of need
Help students find the content by providing links to instructors to share with their students, linking to the content from your LibGuides and/or subject guides, and teaching students how to find and access the content.
2. Follow usability and accessibility guidelines to develop usable guide content
Universal Design for Learning minimizes barriers for all learners. Follow Universal Design for Learning guidelines to make your content more accessible to all your students.
- Provide multiple means of engagement - Students may be interacting with your content with little intrinsic motivation to engage with the learning material. Center the students' humanity by allowing them to select the topic and level of interest to them.
- Provide multiple means of representation - Allow students to choose the format of content that best suits their learning style. Also keep in mind that not all students access content through the same technology or have the same tech skills. Give options for engagement - i.e. a video and a text transcript.
- Provide multiple means of action and expression - Give students the option to show what they've learned with and without technology. Consider including a reflection or multiple choice question with response feedback so students can assess their own learning.
Learn more about applying UDL to online learning objects, read Designing for All by Yvonne Mery.
Manage Content Strategically
Manage content strategically and intentionally to ensure it is reliable and up-to-date
As part of our Tisch value of community, we recognize that we must continuously align our services, programs, space and collections with the needs of our communities. We are also accountable to our users by actively seeking feedback, anticipating and responding to concerns. To uphold these values, we need to build content management into our creation workflow.
1. All content needs to be regularly reviewed and updated, build these steps into your workflow:
- Keep your workload within limits knowing that updates are a regular process
- Be mindful of when to create a new online learning object and when to update existing content instead
2. Use assessment data for learning objectives to determine whether your guide is meeting its goals
- Use built in tools to see if and how the online learning object is being used
- Include a feedback form and/or ask your students whether the object is meeting their needs
3. Identify opportunities for linking to community content or co-management
Resources for Universal Design
Create content thoughtfully and intentionally. Check out some of these resources to find more guidance on developing learner-centered online learning content.