Prompt: How can you adjust your planned learning activities to meet the needs of your learners if an unexpected event occurs?

Currently, our planned learning activity is set to take the form of a variety of online reading and interactive resources.  These include questionnaires, small games, and articles pertaining to a variety of topics.  One of the major limitations of this resource is the requirement to access it online.  However, not everyone has consistent access to the internet, or may prefer to go through their educational resources in an environment where they are cut off from the internet.  In this case our resource would no longer be accessible.  Additionally, our resource would require the use of a computer in order to use, something that once again is not available to all possible users of the resource.

A solution to the first problem, that of connectivity, could be solved by developing an offline, portable version of our learning resource.  This version could be downloaded by the user while connected to the internet, and then be available at a later time to be accessed offline.  Alternatively, it could also be distributed physically, by being copied either onto usb keys, or CD’s, and delivered directly to the user, thus removing any need for online connection.

The second problem, that of not having a device to complete the learning resource on, is more difficult.  The written content, and even quizzes for our resource could be converted to a printable format, with options for the user to check their own work once the quizzes were filled out.  However, video or interactive game based sections of our resource would not function in that medium.  A possible solution would be to have an inexpensive computer function as the interface for our resource, and have this computer be available to those wanting to complete the learning resource.  It could either be lent out and returned, or available in a specific space to be accessed by those requiring it.

Ultimately, there are a variety of ways that our resource can be modified to facilitate different requirements, and the more options and formats we prepare our resource in, the larger of an audience it will reach, and the greater of an impact it can have.  We will try to make our resource as flexible as possible without creating too many versions, or complicating it to a point beyond usability.  There is a careful balance to be maintained between usability, and flexibility.  We will try to walk that line.