How to Choose the Right Media for Your Learners

Why Media Choice Matters in Inclusive Course Design?

Not all content needs to be a video. Not every concept belongs in a text-heavy PDF. Effective instructional design means choosing media types intentionally: to support the learner, the objective, and the context.

In accessible and inclusive learning experiences, your choice of media is all about engagement, equity, clarity, and cognitive processing.

Key Questions Before You Choose Media

Ask yourself:

What is the learning objective?
Does the media support action, demonstration, reflection, or memorization?
Who are your learners?
Consider access needs, bandwidth, devices, languages, neurodiversity, and more.
What barriers could this media create?
Can it be used with a screen reader? Will captions be provided? Can it be paused, printed, or slowed down?
What are the constraints?
Time, budget, tech platforms, and production capacity all affect feasibility.

Citations and Resources

This blog post was enhanced with the assistance of generative AI tools, combining human insight with AI-powered language refinement and structure optimization.

About the Author

Keisha Croxton, CPACC

Keisha Croxton is a UX and instructional designer with over a decade of experience in web design, accessibility, and creative education. As an adjunct professor, certified accessibility specialist, and design consultant, she combines her passion for design with her commitment to empowering learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Her work focuses on creating inclusive, technology-driven learning environments that drive positive change in higher education, EdTech, and beyond. When she’s not designing learning experiences or mentoring students, Keisha is sharing her expertise through blogs, case studies, and online courses.