Course Overview and Creative Process: My Journey in Designing ECI834

Shifting from Brightspace to Pressbooks: A Rationale

Access the Pressbooks Course Here

The links to Brightspace activities won’t work as you need to be a faculty or student, but most of the functionality in pressbooks will work.

 

---

Original Course Profile

Here

 

---

I Know it's almost 20 minutes, I talk slow, watch at 1.25X speed :)

When I first began designing my ECI834 course, I initially chose Brightspace as my Learning Management System. However, I quickly encountered a paradox—it felt counterintuitive to teach students how to navigate Brightspace while requiring them to already be comfortable with it. This realization prompted me to explore alternative platforms.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was accessibility, particularly for English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. I discovered that most LMS platforms struggled to translate interactive H5P content—except for Pressbooks.

BLOG POST HERE

This alone became a deciding factor in my switch. Pressbooks also offered a cleaner layout and greater flexibility, allowing me to design the course in a way that aligned with my vision rather than fighting against platform limitations.

Another advantage of Pressbooks was its public accessibility to share with this class, also I support the OER ideology. Brightspace required institutional credentials, which limited peer review and collaboration. By moving to Pressbooks, I was able to provide open access to course content while still linking back to Brightspace for private assessments.

Prioritizing Accessibility

Accessibility was at the core of my design choices. Pressbooks’ built-in multilingual translation features stood out as a game-changer. Students could use their browser’s translation tools to convert course content into their preferred language, and I supplemented this with written instructions to guide them through the process. This became one of my favorite aspects of the course.

I also prioritized offline access by leveraging Pressbooks’ ability to generate PDFs of the course materials. While these PDFs couldn’t capture all interactive elements, they still provided a valuable resource for learners needing an alternative format.

Another key consideration was ensuring that all H5P activities had accompanying text-based instructions. This redundancy allowed students with different learning preferences—or those using screen readers—to fully engage with the material. In hindsight, I recognized an area for improvement: some visual elements in the offline version weren’t accessible to screen readers. Moving forward, I would refine these aspects to ensure truly inclusive design.

Structuring the Course for Clarity

Navigation was a major focus in my course design. Pressbooks automatically generates a linked table of contents, which streamlined the structure and ensured intuitive access to different sections. To further support learners, I included:

• Task Signposting: A designated icon for required activities, helping students quickly identify key tasks.
• Time Estimates: Each module included an estimated completion time, allowing students to manage their workload effectively.
• Pre-Existing Resources: Rather than reinventing the wheel, I embedded high-quality YouTube videos for platform navigation, leveraging familiar tools with accessible closed captions.

Engaging Pedagogical Approaches

Interactivity played a crucial role in my instructional design. I incorporated H5P activities like image sliders and drag-and-drop exercises to create an engaging learning experience. Additionally, I wanted low-stakes opportunities for learner to try thing with out the fear of failure. I included a number of exercises, including an online exam that utilizes the Respondus proctoring software, giving students hands-on exposure to digital assessment tools.

One of the most exciting elements of the course was the final assignment: student-generated content. I asked students to create a guide on a topic of their choice, in their preferred language, for future learners. This approach not only empowered students to teach one another but also fostered a diverse and inclusive knowledge base. While there was a risk that I wouldn’t understand some of the submissions, I embraced this as an opportunity to trust my students and encourage multilingual contributions. This aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, allowing students to choose the format that best suits them—whether it be video, infographic, written, or audio-based content.

The Creative Process: Reflection and Challenges

Designing this course was a challenging process, filled with learning moments. I genuinely enjoyed experimenting with different tools and formats, even when it meant starting over multiple times. Unlike traditional course design, where perfection is the goal from the outset, I embraced a more fluid approach—one that welcomed adaptation and refinement based on feedback.

For instance, after receiving feedback about an incorrect answer in an H5P activity, I immediately made the necessary corrections. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of continual reflection and responsiveness in course development.

Ultimately, this experience has reaffirmed the importance of flexibility in instructional design. Course creation isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about ensuring that content is meaningful, accessible, and engaging for all students. And as I continue refining my approach, I look forward to uncovering even more ways to enhance the learning experience for future cohorts.