TEACHING PLANNING AND INCLUSIVE PROCESSES WITH LABORATORY
Module EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND INCLUSIVE PROCESSES

Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: RAFFAELLA CARMEN STRONGOLI

Expected Learning Outcomes

The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and tools needed to understand and use the main theoretical and methodological approaches to instructional design, with particular attention to competency-based design, backward design, and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Inclusion is addressed as a perspective on instructional design, based on the recognition of the plurality of learners, contexts, and ways of learning. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between culture, education, and learning, as well as to the principles underlying instructional design that is attentive to the participation and learning of all students. The course also aims to develop the ability to critically examine and evaluate design choices, relating them to learning objectives, activities, and the characteristics of educational contexts.

In accordance with the Dublin Descriptors, the expected learning outcomes are articulated as follows:

Knowledge and understanding (DD1): demonstrate knowledge of the main theoretical and methodological foundations of instructional design, with particular reference to competency-based and backward design, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the foundations of inclusive instructional design. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between culture, education, and learning processes.

Applying knowledge and understanding (DD2): apply the principles and models studied to the analysis and design of instructional pathways, identifying the coherence among learning objectives, activities, and assessment methods and taking into account the variety of ways in which students learn and participate.

Making judgements (DD3): critically analyse and evaluate instructional design approaches and choices, recognising their underlying assumptions, potential, and limitations. Justify design choices in relation to learning objectives, context, and the characteristics of teaching and learning processes.

Communication skills (DD4): communicate the main concepts relating to instructional design and inclusion clearly and appropriately, using discipline-specific terminology and providing sound arguments to support design choices.

Learning skills (DD5): develop autonomous study and learning skills through the reading and critical analysis of pedagogical and educational literature, acquiring tools for ongoing professional development and for reflecting on instructional design practices.

Course Structure

Teaching and learning activities will be conducted through constructivist-inspired models, methods, and techniques, with an emphasis on interactive and participatory approaches. Lectures will be complemented by opportunities for discussion and exchange, practical classroom activities, case studies, simulations, and group work aimed at supporting the understanding and application of the concepts addressed. Laboratory-based activities will also be provided, focusing on the experimentation of approaches and tools for instructional design. These activities will have a purely formative function and will contribute to the development of learning, without directly affecting the final grade.

Required Prerequisites

No specific prerequisites are required. However, basic knowledge of general pedagogy, general didactics, and special education is recommended 

Attendance of Lessons

Attendance at classes is optional but strongly recommended, given the interactive and participatory nature of the teaching activities. Regular participation supports a progressive mastery of the course content, providing opportunities to engage in discussion with the instructor and with fellow students on the topics and issues addressed, and to continuously monitor one’s own learning progress.

Detailed Course Content

The course provides an in-depth examination of the theoretical and methodological foundations of inclusive instructional design, viewing inclusion as a guiding criterion for the decisions through which learning experiences are defined, organized, and assessed. On this basis, the conceptual framework, principles, and guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) will be explored, with particular attention to the meaning of universal design as an approach capable of recognizing variability in learning as a structural feature of the educational experience and of translating it into choices aimed at promoting accessibility and flexibility. The course will also draw on Jerome Bruner’s reflection on the relationship between culture, education, and learning, considering its implications for the construction of the school experience and for the very way in which instructional design is conceived. Within this framework, the foundations of the inclusive perspective and the principles of inclusive instructional design developed in the relevant literature will be examined, with particular attention to the conditions that make it possible to transform the plurality of ways of learning and participating into an ordinary criterion of instructional design.

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Backward Design
2Universal Design for learning
3School Contexts and Educational Models
4Inclusive Pedagogy
5Principles and Practices of Inclusive Teaching

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The examination consists of two parts:

  • a written test consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions covering the course content, with reference to the texts by Castoldi, Savia, Bocci, and Demo and Seitz. The written test is considered passed with at least 12 correct answers;
  • an oral examination aimed at critically discussing and further exploring the content covered in the written test, as well as examining Jerome Bruner’s contribution to the themes of culture, education, and learning.

Passing the written test gives access to the oral examination, which will take place on the same day. The number of correct answers given in the written test does not mechanically determine the final grade, which will be based on the overall assessment of the two examinations.

The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale. Assessment takes into account the level of knowledge and understanding of the course content, the ability to apply the main theoretical references to the analysis of educational situations, the appropriate use of disciplinary terminology, the ability to establish connections among the topics addressed, and the ability to present and justify answers in a clear, coherent, and relevant manner.

  • A satisfactory grade (18–21/30) demonstrates knowledge of the essential content, an adequate understanding of the main concepts, and an appropriate level of oral expression, although with limited autonomy in analysis and in establishing connections among topics.
  • A fair to good grade (22–27/30) demonstrates an organized knowledge of the course content, a good ability to apply theoretical references, appropriate use of disciplinary terminology, and a satisfactory ability to argue and establish connections.
  • An excellent grade (28–30/30) demonstrates an in-depth and critically elaborated knowledge of the course content, a high level of analytical and connective skills, full command of disciplinary terminology, and an autonomous ability to develop and support arguments.
  • Honors (30 cum laude) may be awarded to students who demonstrate full achievement of the intended learning outcomes, an excellent ability to critically elaborate on the course content, and particular effectiveness in argumentation and in the use of disciplinary terminology.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, students who require such support may request an individual meeting with the instructor in order to agree on any appropriate compensatory and/or exemption measures, in relation to the learning objectives of the course and their specific needs. Students may also contact the CInAP departmental coordinator (Centro per l’Integrazione Attiva e Partecipata – Services for Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders).

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

  • Backward design and its main stages
  • The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
  • Learner variability from the perspective of UDL
  • Inclusive instructional design
  • The principles of inclusive instructional design
  • The relationship between individualization and inclusive instructional design
  • Plurality in teaching and learning processes
  • The relationship between culture, education, and learning from Bruner’s perspective