Many things can get in the way of learning – overload, distracting environments, inappropriate or inaccessible technology and failure of teaching and learning techniques.As 21st century educators, we have several responsibilities. First, foundationally, we need to provide an environment that is as free of learning barriers as possible. Next, we should provide education that is supremely usable. Truthfully, both of these goals focus on environment. The more we change the environment, the more we can spend our time focused on teaching, rather than simply supporting students’s coping mechanism. The more we change the environment, the more effective our time spent helping students bridge the remaining gaps.
This may sound like a overwhelming burden – changing environments involves many integrated pieces. However, in my next post, I’ll start discussing the business case for accessibility.