In a time when so many courses, meetings, and workshops are delivered online, it may be surprising to learn that accessibility is still a huge hurdle for many event organizers. Dal Computer Science Instructor Gabriella Mosquera wants to change that.
鈥淭he web works in such a way that it guarantees anybody anywhere, regardless of the device they use, can consume the same information,鈥� Gabriella says. 鈥淚 incorporate that same principle into my teaching philosophy. Any student, regardless of ability, can succeed in my courses.鈥�
Gabriella, who is one of ten 黑料吃瓜网instructors awarded a university-wide teaching award from the Centre for Learning and Teaching this year, follows Universal Design for Learning (UDL) when designing her courses. UDL is a teaching approach that considers the needs and abilities of all learners, not just a select few.
For Gabriella, this can mean captioning video content and providing flexible options for quizzes, projects, or papers to giving students full autonomy over their schedules and rethinking how students engage with the concept of a classroom. For Gabriella it is not solely about filing a seat, instead she focuses on configuring classroom experiences to include in-person, online, synchronous and asynchronous adventures.
Empathetic approach
Gabriella says empathy is always top of mind for her when designing her courses. She acknowledges that much of the university experience has changed since she was an undergrad, and she tries to be mindful of everything current students are navigating on top of their studies.
鈥淭he price of things is going up, and a lot of students have multiple jobs or families to manage,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f a student is sick or if they need to have that job, I don't think they should be penalized for not coming to my classroom.鈥�
Of course, that doesn鈥檛 mean students can skip class with impunity. But Gabriella has designed her courses to be hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) while keeping UDL in mind so students may participate from wherever they are in whatever way they鈥檙e most comfortable, whether that鈥檚 chiming in to an online chat from a bus, joining the livestream of her lecture, or watching a video of a lecture later in the evening.
鈥淚 started to see engagement go way up because there were more ways of engaging, as well as different means of engaging,鈥� Gabriella says. 鈥淲e have a lot of introverted students that perhaps don't feel comfortable raising their hands and speaking. So, if you can just use the chat as a way of engaging and still get participation marks, that really goes a long way for those students.鈥�
Harshpreet Singh is one of Gabriella鈥檚 current teaching assistants and a former student. He appreciates her unique and engaging teaching style, which he says is particularly effective for some of the more complex material.
鈥淪he knows how to captivate her audience and is exceptionally supportive, especially when navigating challenging assignments or other academic hurdles,鈥� he says. 鈥淪he places a strong emphasis on making web applications accessible and ensures those needing extra help are not overlooked.鈥�
Ensuring accessibility
In addition to HyFlex learning options, Gabriella says setting clear expectations at the beginning of a class is paramount to success. 鈥淚'm very clear with students in terms of my expectations, and I make sure everybody starts on the same level playing field,鈥� she says.
Yueqiao Yan, a former student of Gabriella鈥檚, says her instructor鈥檚 commitment to the smallest details makes students feel safe to take risks and learn. 鈥淪he's also willing to listen to student feedback and that helps create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment,鈥� Yan says.
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Gabriella鈥檚 philosophy of inclusion aligns with Dalhousie鈥檚 institutional goals of making education accessible, which Gabriella says is key to retention. She is applying this philosophy in her new position as Director of the Bachelor of Applied Computer Science program, beginning fall 2024.
鈥淏elonging affects performance and attrition more than anything else,鈥� Gabriella says. 鈥淎nd this approach to teaching has a positive effect on students鈥� sense of belonging.鈥�