Target Audience
The target audience for the Audio Drama Syllabus is students with visual impairments who require an immersive, accessible, and narrative-driven alternative to traditional course documents to ensure equitable learning engagement.
Learning Outcomes
1. Spatial & Structural Navigation (Cognitive)
Outcome: Learners will be able to construct a mental map of the course landscape, identifying the three major instructional phases and their corresponding deliverables without the use of visual aids.
2. Policy Synthesis & Application (Affective/Behavioral)
Outcome: Learners will evaluate and internalize course expectations by articulating the "why" behind specific studio policies (e.g., late work, "pipeline empathy," or feedback loops) as presented through narrative scenarios.
3. Self-Regulatory Agency (Metacognitive)
Outcome: Learners will formulate a personalized weekly workflow based on the auditory "rhythm of the course" described in the syllabus, accounting for their own needs for assistive technology or study time.
Research Methods
The approach is anchored in a robust framework of inclusive instructional design, guided by Universal Design for Learning (UDL). By transforming a static syllabus into an engaging audio drama, the design makes accessibility a core feature instead of an afterthought while increasing learner engagement.
This shift supports UDL principles by:
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Providing multiple means of representation through audio storytelling
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Increasing engagement via immersive, narrative-driven delivery
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Embedding accessibility directly into the learning experience
To ensure clarity in an audio-only format, the design applies Cognitive Load Theory:
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Segmenting content into manageable sections
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Using verbal signposting to guide learners
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Maintaining controlled pacing to avoid overload
It also adapts Dual Coding Theory for accessibility by reinforcing understanding through Descriptive language that builds vivid mental models and Auditory cues (e.g., music stingers) to signal structure and transitions.
This immersive format is further strengthened by Andragogy and Situated Learning Theory, reframing the syllabus as a collaborative, real-world experience rather than a static set of rules.
This is achieved by:
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Embedding course policies within real-world scenarios
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Using a conversational narrative to respect adult learner autonomy
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Helping learners—especially those without visual cues—navigate the “daily rhythm” of the course
Together, this synthesis ensures the syllabus is not just delivered, but experienced. It promotes:
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Metacognition through guided reflection within the narrative
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Learner independence via clearly embedded expectations
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Self-regulation through explicit strategies woven into the story
Summary of
Theoretical
Framework
Key theories guiding the audio drama design and their impact on accessibility and learner success for blind and low-vision students.
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