Correct Use of Pronouns
in an Academic Setting
A micro-learning course developed to guide academic staff in understanding and respectfully using students' pronouns. The course promotes inclusive communication through real-world scenarios, reflective prompts, and practical strategies for creating a supportive learning environment for all students.
Project Overview
A short course for academic staff to support the respectful and inclusive use of pronouns when addressing students.
Audience
This course was designed for academic staff in higher education, aiming to increase awareness and sensitivity around the respectful use of gender pronouns when addressing students. It promoted inclusive practices in student-teacher interactions, especially within international and gender-diverse classrooms.
Responsibilities
This was a solo project developed using Articulate Rise. While the core video content was provided by the Subject Matter Expert (SME), I was responsible for:
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Structuring and writing the full course content
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Editing and formatting SME video content for clarity and tone
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Designing and developing the course in Rise
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Creating supporting visuals, downloadable resources, and a custom completion certificate
Tools Used
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Articulate Rise (course design)
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Adobe Premiere Pro (video editing)
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Adobe Illustrator (resource design)
The Problem
Many academic staff members lack formal training on how to navigate gender identity respectfully in academic settings.
Unintentional misgendering or misuse of pronouns can negatively impact student wellbeing and inclusion.
Institutions often struggle to provide concise, engaging, and easy-to-access resources to address this issue in a practical way.
The Solution
I developed a short, accessible micro-learning course hosted in Articulate Rise. The course blended SME insights with interactive components to help staff:
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Understand the importance of using correct pronouns
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Recognise and address common misunderstandings or mistakes
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Learn practical strategies for inclusive communication
The tone was supportive, non-judgmental, and focused on helping staff build confidence and empathy.
Tryout the Course Here
Process
Using Articulate Rise, the course was structured with a focus on clarity, simplicity, and ease of navigation.
Interactive blocks such as knowledge checks, embedded resources, and scenario prompts were used to maintain engagement.
External research links and policy references were added to ensure credibility and alignment with TUS values.
Methods
Formative assessments were applied to the training through the use of multiple choice quizzes and scenario based learning.
The use of scenario-based learning was utilised to help the learner understand the training using real-world examples.
Multimedia integration with the addition of existing video content to support and enhance retention through visual engagement.
Style Guide & Downloadable Assets
The TUS brand colours were used for this course.
The course concludes with the option to download a certificate of completion, that the user can take away with them to either print or keep on file.
Key Features
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Short and Accessible: Designed for busy staff, the course can be completed in under 6 minutes.
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Engaging Tone: Friendly, approachable language and visuals make the topic inviting and easy to understand.
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Multimedia Integration: Incorporates pre-existing video content to enhance understanding and relatability.
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Policy Alignment: Outlines how the content reflects and supports TUS's values and institutional respect policies.
7Taps Alternative
The course was originally designed using 7taps but it was found to not have the same features or accessibility that was deemed necessary for the target audience.
The 7taps course design was a much more simplified version that did not allow that much customisation or downloadable elements.
What I Learned
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Careful tone and pacing are crucial when dealing with emotionally charged or identity-related content
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Rise can be a powerful tool for quick development, but strong design planning is still essential for clarity and flow
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Even minimal interaction can greatly enhance reflection and learner engagement when well structured
Future Goals
This course could serve as the foundation for a larger inclusion training package for academic institutions.
Future plans might include:
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Expanded modules on media literacy
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Editing of content for international contexts
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Analytics integration for institutional reporting and improvement tracking