Strategies for Planning, Developing, and Implementing a Heuristic for Inclusive Instructional Design for Higher Education Settings

Abstract

This chapter presents a case study of the development process of a framework used to leverage inclusive course design and provide a tool that can be used by colleges and universities looking to create a heuristic or set of guiding questions related to accessibility, equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. The chapter introduces the authors' collaborative, integrated process for defining, planning, developing, and implementing the Western Washington University Teaching and Learning Cooperative Heuristic for Inclusive Instructional Design. As instructional design support specialists in the online learning unit and the teaching and learning center, the authors created the Heuristic as a guide for centering inclusive design practices for all modalities, providing instructional designers and faculty with prompts for various stages of the design process. The Heuristic is by no means an exhaustive collection of questions; it undergoes regular edits as the field expands, as contributors provide feedback, and as knowledge develops in the field.