Digital Media Design

LDT300x

Digital Media Checklist:

This week, I developed an OER Digital Media Checklist designed to systematically evaluate resources for instructional integration. Key aspects include a focus on legal usability through detailed license assessment (covering all Creative Commons types and Public Domain), and critical considerations for accessibility, ensuring content inclusivity. I also prioritized evaluating the relevance of materials to specific learning objectives in my mini-corse, applicable SDGs (my mini course focuses on integration of the SDGs into an art curriculum) and overall quality.

During the design process, I learned the importance of anticipating diverse licensing scenarios and the granular details required for true accessibility checks beyond surface-level observations. I initially started creating the checklist in Google Sheets, but later transitioned to a Google Form, finding its dropdown menus particularly helpful for choosing from available answers and standardizing input. An added value of using a Google Form is that the submitted responses can be easily sorted by different criteria, such as learning objectives or SDGs, within the connected Google Sheet that collects all responses. However, a challenge encountered with the Google Form is its aesthetic appearance when saved as a PDF; it truly is best suited for an online format. I anticipate that I will adjust the form as I move through this course, but once it is finalized, I might create a separate PDF version of the form specifically designed for print.

Applying the checklist to a sample SDG Academy video highlighted the practical value of a structured approach. It guided my assessment of its multimedia elements and overall accessibility features, reinforcing how a well-designed checklist is an invaluable tool for ethical and effective instructional media curation.

Google form checklist
PDF of checklist
PDF of checklist when applied to a resource (as viewed in Google Sheet) 
Google Sheet collecting responses to the Google Form checklist

 

 


Google Form Digital Media Checklist:
*please click ‘next’ to view subsequent fields

Digital Document:

The digital document, “Beyond the Binary: Understanding Key Concepts in Gender Equality,” serves as a foundational primer clarifying essential terms related to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. Its key aspects include a dark pink background, the Barriecito font for readability, and strong, black wavy lines connecting definition boxes, creating a bold and empowering aesthetic. Visual design principles like contrast, proximity, and repetition were applied to enhance clarity and engagement.

This document directly addresses my course learning objective: CLO1: RESEARCH, CURATE and PROPOSE how artistic practices and visual strategies can address a selected SDG target relevant to learners’ communities, lived experiences, and broader global concerns. By curating foundational knowledge, it equips learners with the necessary vocabulary to understand the complexities of gender equality.

A significant lesson learned during this process was the importance of balancing visual appeal with absolute clarity, especially for sensitive topics. Crafting the accompanying audio description was critical, emphasizing how vital comprehensive narration of visual elements is for accessibility. This highlighted the iterative nature of design, where every element, from font choice to image description, contributes to effective and inclusive instructional delivery.

 


 

Digital Document and Audio Description:

 

PDF of Digital Media Checklist