GRAD 704 Reflections

Reflection: Inclusive Design in My Classroom

Inclusive design has reshaped the way I approach accessibility in teaching. Previously, my understanding of inclusivity was limited to making accommodations for students with formal documentation. After reflecting on the principles of inclusive course design, I now recognize the importance of proactively creating learning environments that are accessible, flexible, and equitable for all students—regardless of ability, language background, or learning style.

In my own course materials, I applied several strategies: increasing font size and color contrast on lecture slides, restructuring headers for screen reader compatibility, and embedding captions and transcripts into video content. These changes benefited all learners, not just those with documented needs. Students have expressed appreciation for having materials they could revisit at their own pace, especially in multilingual or fast-paced classrooms.

This experience has shown me that inclusive design is not an add-on, but a foundational practice that improves engagement and comprehension across the board. Moving forward, I plan to incorporate flexible assignment formats to allow students to express understanding through different modalities such as podcasts, visuals, or short essays.

Reflection: Generative AI as a Teaching Support Tool

The integration of generative AI into instructional planning has offered new opportunities for creativity and efficiency. Rather than using AI to write teaching content, I have found it most valuable for ideation, revision, and enhancing student engagement. For example, I used AI tools to generate varied economic scenarios and sample student misconceptions, which allowed me to anticipate challenges and better prepare formative assessments.

One practical implementation involved generating culturally responsive case studies to illustrate abstract economic concepts. This supported a more inclusive classroom dynamic and allowed students to engage with examples that felt relevant to their lived experiences. I also used generative AI to analyze and suggest improvements to rubrics and discussion prompts—highlighting ambiguous criteria I might have missed.

At the same time, I am conscious of the ethical concerns and potential inaccuracies in AI-generated content. Any AI output used in class was verified and clearly identified to students, which opened up meaningful conversations about critical thinking, authorship, and the future of academic labor.

I now view generative AI as a collaborative design assistant—a tool that helps refine instructional material while allowing me to remain the final human editor.

Reflection: Cooperative Learning in Online and Hybrid Environments

Facilitating meaningful collaboration in online and hybrid settings can be challenging, but thoughtful design can turn group work into an opportunity for deeper learning. In my teaching, I redesigned a data analysis project to incorporate cooperative learning principles. Instead of traditional discussion posts, I grouped students into teams with defined roles (e.g., researcher, presenter, data analyst) and tasked them with creating a shared slide deck on a macroeconomic trend.

Collaboration occurred through shared Google Docs, with progress monitored using structured peer check-ins and shared deadlines. Clear role assignments helped reduce social loafing, and providing a scaffolded template ensured students