How can you make your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students?

1 Choose clear and consistent language

The first step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to choose clear and consistent language throughout your course. Avoid using jargon, slang, idioms, or acronyms that may confuse or exclude your students. If you need to use technical terms, provide definitions or explanations in simple language. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting features to organize your content and make it easy to scan and navigate. Use short sentences and paragraphs, and check your spelling and grammar. You can also use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway to improve your writing clarity and readability.

2 Provide multiple modes of communication

The second step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to provide multiple modes of communication for your course content, activities, and feedback. This means using a combination of text, audio, video, images, and interactive elements to deliver your course materials and instructions. For example, you can record a video or audio introduction for each module, upload transcripts or captions for your recordings, use images or diagrams to illustrate concepts, and create quizzes or polls to check understanding. Providing multiple modes of communication can help your multilingual students access the information in different ways, accommodate their learning preferences and styles, and enhance their engagement and retention.

3 Offer flexible and diverse assessment options

The third step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to offer flexible and diverse assessment options for your course assignments and exams. This means giving your students some choice and control over how they demonstrate their learning outcomes and skills. For example, you can allow your students to choose from different formats, such as essays, presentations, podcasts, portfolios, or blogs. You can also provide different types of questions, such as multiple-choice, short-answer, or essay questions. Offering flexible and diverse assessment options can help your multilingual students showcase their strengths and abilities, reduce their anxiety and stress, and promote their creativity and autonomy.

4 Use inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy

The fourth step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to use inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy in your course design and delivery. This means recognizing and valuing the diversity and richness of your students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. For example, you can include diverse and relevant examples, cases, readings, and resources in your course content. You can also encourage your students to share their own experiences, opinions, and insights in your course discussions, activities, and projects. Using inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy can help your multilingual students feel more connected and respected, and foster a sense of belonging and community in your course.

5 Provide clear and supportive feedback

The fifth step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to provide clear and supportive feedback for your students' work and performance. Feedback is an essential part of the learning process, as it helps your students identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and guides them towards their learning goals. However, feedback can also be challenging and sensitive, especially for multilingual students who may face linguistic and cultural barriers. Therefore, it is important to provide feedback that is clear, constructive, specific, and timely. You can also use a variety of feedback methods, such as written comments, audio or video feedback, rubrics, or peer feedback. Providing clear and supportive feedback can help your multilingual students improve their skills and confidence, and motivate them to continue learning.

6 Encourage collaboration and interaction

The sixth and final step to making your Blackboard course accessible to multilingual students is to encourage collaboration and interaction among your students and between you and your students. Collaboration and interaction can enhance your students' learning experience, as they can learn from each other, exchange ideas, and build relationships. However, collaboration and interaction can also be challenging and intimidating, especially for multilingual students who may feel shy, isolated, or misunderstood. Therefore, it is important to create a safe and supportive space for your students to collaborate and interact, and to provide clear guidelines and expectations for your collaborative and interactive activities. You can also use various tools and features in Blackboard, such as discussion boards, wikis, blogs, groups, or chats, to facilitate collaboration and interaction. Encouraging collaboration and interaction can help your multilingual students develop their communication and social skills, and increase their sense of engagement and satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?