Designing Clear, Inclusive and Wellbeing-Positive Digital Learning Spaces

Explore what makes a digital learning environment truly accessible and inclusive. Learn how to recognise both its strengths and potential barriers, communicate difficulties clearly, and seek appropriate support. You will also discover how inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning can take us beyond simply providing access towards creating meaningful opportunities for diverse learners to participate, learn and experience a sense of belonging. Additional sources are provided below if you would like to explore these ideas further.

The Digital Learning Space Check

How easy is it for people to find, understand, access and participate in learning within your digital space? Small design choices can unintentionally create confusion, barriers or unnecessary effort—but they can also make learning clearer, more inclusive and more supportive.

Open the Digital Learning Space Check and explore one course, module or learning activity from your own perspective. Whether you are a student or a member of teaching staff, the check will help you recognise what already works, identify what may need attention and choose one realistic improvement. It is not a test, and you do not need to change everything. We recommend that you start with what could make the greatest difference.

Recognising and Communicating Digital Learning Barriers

When digital learning becomes difficult, it is not always clear whether the problem lies with the technology, the course design, the instructions or the support available. This guide helps you identify the specific barrier affecting your learning and communicate it clearly to someone who may be able to help.

Use the guide whenever a digital course, resource or activity is difficult to find, understand, access or participate in. Start by identifying the type of barrier, then use the practical prompts and message template to explain what you are trying to do, what is making it difficult and what support or change might help.

Communicating a barrier is not complaining or admitting failure. It is a constructive step towards accessing the learning you need and may also help improve the digital learning environment for others.

Accessible materials are an essential starting point but do they ensure that everyone can participate, learn and feel that they belong? Explore the video and practical guide to discover how inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning can help you look beyond access, recognise less visible barriers and create more meaningful learning experiences for diverse learners.

Academic and background references for this section.

Further reading and practical resources for inclusive, accessible digital learning design.

Explore how everyday teaching practices can strengthen connection, belonging and wellbeing. In this section, you will learn how to create meaningful opportunities for learners to feel welcomed, recognised and heard without assuming that connection looks the same for everyone. Practical reflection tools will help you apply relational pedagogy in your own teaching, while guidance on care and shared responsibility shows how to support learners without overlooking professional boundaries or institutional responsibilities. Additional sources are provided below for further inspiration and practical examples.

Showing care does not mean having to solve every difficulty alone. This infographic offers practical ways to notice, listen, respond and connect learners with appropriate support while respecting learner agency and the boundaries of the educator’s role. Explore how care can be communicated meaningfully and how responsibility can be shared more sustainably among learners, educators, colleagues and institutions.

An interactive accordion — explore what relational teaching looks like in practice, one design choice at a time.

A fillable reflection tool to help you apply relational teaching practices to your own context — where connection already happens in your teaching, and where there's room to build more of it in sustainable, boundaried ways.

Academic and background references for this section.

Further reading and practical examples for relational, wellbeing-supportive teaching.