Blog Post 3 – Inclusive Design
Where do you see the idea of the “average learner” shaping educational design?
Although we are trying to stray away from the idea of the “average learner”, it still somewhat shapes educational design. The “average learner” is the person that many curricula are designed for. When we use this idea during educational design, we believe that all students will understand concepts at the same speed, read at the same level, have the same amount of background knowledge and the same attention span. Things like the way a classroom or exam is structured also reflect an idea that students all process information in the same way.
When we design for an average student, we create many barriers, as students who benefit from alternative formats, different ways of expressing knowledge, more time, alternative ways of engaging with the materials and other support do not have their needs met, and are seen as “behind”, rather than diverse.
What would change if we assumed variability was the norm?
Through cognitive neuroscience, we have seen that there is no average student, and that variability is actually the norm. If we create educational designs with the idea that variability is normal, we move away from creating accommodations, and start by building flexibility from the start. When planning, we recognize diversity and uniqueness of learners, and create this design with the learners, as well as for them. There would be many ways for the learner to access content, engage with ideas and demonstrate their understanding, which would lead to more meaningful learning for all students. Differences in the way students learn would no longer signal a learning deficiency, but would instead normalize choice, uniqueness, flexibility and adaptivity. Learning would accommodate a wider variety of people, instead of solely the average learner.
Frameworks like Universal Design for Learning become essential with this mindset, which is focused on redesigning environments. Designing multiple means of engagement recognizes that learners differ in motivation. Designing multiple means of representation sees that comprehension among students varies. Designing multiple means of action and expression acknowledge that intelligence and learning looks like many different things.
Not only would assuming variability help the students, but also the teachers and facilitators. They would be able to anticipate differences in attention, culture, language and cognition, and be able to connect deeper with students and feel more flexible while teaching.
We want to design our interactive learning resource with the assumption that variability and uniqueness are the norm. We will do this by making sure to include all of the UDL principles, as well as using the tools, insights, activities and practices offered by the Inclusive Design Research Centre.
References:
CAST. (2024). CAST universal design for learning guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Inclusive Design Research Centre. (n.d.). The inclusive design guide. https://guide.inclusivedesign.ca/
Kehoe, J. (2026). Inclusive Learning Design [Week 8]
Kehoe, J. (2026). Universal Design [Week 8]
Roots ConnectED. (2021). The myth of the average learner. https://www.rootsconnected.org/resources-list/the-myth-of-the-average-learner
Hiii there! I like how you explain that the idea of the average learner still shapes how we design lessons, tests, and classrooms. When we assume all students learn the same way and at the same pace, we end up creating barriers for students who need different supports. Instead of seeing differences as normal, students can be labeled as behind. I also think your point about Universal Design for Learning is important. If we treat learner differences as normal, we can design learning to be flexible from the beginning rather than making adjustments afterward. This approach supports all students and makes learning more inclusive and meaningful. Great work, Avery!
Hi Avery!
Really good work with this post! Its very informative while painting a clear picture at the same time. I think it is so important for people to understand that everyone learning differently normal! Whether that is at different speeds or in different ways. This allows students to not feel as if they are behind or less intelligent than others working in the “normal” way. I also liked how you addressed that students may have different ways of feeling motivated, which is so important when creating learning design, as it can be the root of participation. Overall, great job!