Criteria for Designing Blended Learning Materials for Inclusive Education: Perspectives of Teachers and Producers

Abstract

Inclusion and learning with media are both global megatrends in 21st century education and both are stimulating profound changes for educational institutions. While there is consensus that media education offers special opportunities for inclusive classrooms, most of the blended learning platforms currently on offer are not accessible to and thus not usable for students with special needs. It is a challenge for both teachers and producers of media based learning materials to meet the needs of all students. The purpose of the exploratory study presented here was to collect qualitative data on the didactical requirements for inclusive learning materials from the perspectives of teachers and producers. The subject of the study was “Planet School”, the most important blended learning platform available for schools in Germany. To include the perspectives of experienced teachers the first research module had a focus on their practical experiences in inclusive classrooms. Based on participatory observation and interviews it was possible to develop recommendations for the design of blended learning materials for inclusive education. The second module focused on the perspectives of the producers. Based on the results of module one the responsible public broadcaster developed criteria for the design of materials, modules, and activities for inclusive education. This article compares the different perspectives. This procedure will lead to the development of a blended learning platform that addresses the needs of different types of learners and offers accessible and usable materials including movies, television broadcasts, and interactive and multimedia content for students with different prerequisites for learning.