Enabling Design: Creating an Equity-Focused Framework for Blended Learning

Equity issues in higher education, which reflect South Africa’s oppressive past, have been highlighted since the student protests of 2015–2016 and were made more visible during the pandemic-response pivot to online teaching. Post-COVID, blended learning has become an accepted part of mainstream university education. This paper describes a new framework that builds on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and learning design approaches but foregrounding equity considerations aimed at creating inclusive learning environments for diverse students. Drawing from existing learning theories and cases in practice, the Enabling Accessible Blended Learning for Equity (ENABLE) framework offers support materials with theoretical references and practical tools to prompt lecturers to think about their approaches to curriculum design with a new mindset. This paper further reflects on the framework’s role in both providing a stronger theoretical grounding to the academic development field and reiterating its social justice concerns.