With the term "diversity" we embrace the uniqueness of our world and advocate for enlightenment, consideration, and inclusion. This also applies to neurodiversity: Human brains naturally function in many different modalities, which inevitably affects the learning process. In this article, we explore how you can adapt your online courses to the diversity of neurodiverse learning styles.

Finally freed from stigma

It wasn't that long ago that people with unusual thought patterns were taken into psychiatric detention, subjected to harsh treatments, and stripped of the possibility of leading a dignified life. Sadly, this is not completely over yet, especially not in all parts of the world, but thankfully, diligent research has now established and widely accepted that different cognitive processing styles occur to a greater extent among many more people than previously thought.

What applies to many people cannot be that abnormal, and since it is highly likely that there are “differently thinking” individuals among the participants in your online courses, we provide you with a few tips here on how to recognize them and how to create learning content that is meaningful and effective for a broad, inclusive learning community.

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Some learn differently

By definition, “neurodiversity” describes the natural variety of neurological developments and functions of the human brain. A person is considered neurodivergent if their brain differs in its structure and function from neurotypical brains. Aha.

You have probably heard of diagnoses such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. However, these neurological profiles are not deficits or diseases; they are simply alternative processing modes in the brain that often come with specific strengths but also particular challenges.

This is particularly evident in learning: Neurodivergent brains often process information in different ways. Especially in a digital learning environment, neurodivergent individuals face unique hurdles that can sometimes be difficult to overcome. This directly impacts motivation, processing ability, and the overall learning experience.

To help you understand this, we provide you here with a simplified description of the main differences compared to neurotypical learners:

• Information Processing: While neurotypical learners process information step-by-step and linearly, neurodivergent learners, for example, those with ADHD, tend to think in “jumps” or pursue multiple ideas simultaneously. This can make focusing on a single task more difficult.

• Sensory Processing: Neurodivergent individuals, especially those on the autism spectrum, often have a more intense or sensitive perception of sensory stimuli. Sounds, lights, and textures can be perceived more intensely, which may lead to overstimulation. When the brain is overwhelmed by a multitude of stimuli, the learner often mentally withdraws: The learning situation is perceived as uncomfortable or even stressful. Consequently, motivation to continue diminishes, and courses may be abandoned.

• Attention and Concentration: Neurodivergent individuals with attention peculiarities often find it challenging to concentrate on monotonous or unengaging learning content. An online course that is too static or lengthy may not adequately stimulate the brain. As a result, the learner may mentally drift or simply abandon the task.

• Impairment of Language Processing and Reading Comprehension: For individuals with neurodivergent profiles such as dyslexia, processing written content can be particularly exhausting. It is often described that the text “jumps” before their eyes or that letters and words blur and feel restless. Due to impaired reading comprehension, information cannot be retained well, and learners must expend significantly more effort to understand the same content. This is discouraging and often leads them to abandon learning. They benefit from having content presented visually or auditorily or internalizing information through repeated interactions and practical exercises.

As you can see, neurodivergent learners respond differently and more intensely to their environment, and how the learning structure affects their well-being and performance. An supportive learning process can lead to much better learning outcomes if you address these aspects deliberately.

Gray matter with gray areas

Online courses come with the possibility that you may not know what personalities lie behind your course participants. In blended learning, you encounter your learners in face-to-face events, but in pure e-learnings, they may remain completely anonymous. To assess how much neurodiversity is a concern for you as a course leader or creator, we have posed a few questions from your perspective:

1. How many neurodivergent people are there really?

The actual number of neurodivergent individuals is difficult to estimate, but it is likely very high, depending on the region and diagnostic practices. Studies and experts suspect that a large proportion of adults live with mild forms of ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent traits without ever having received a diagnosis. Particularly mild forms are rarely recognized, as they can be compensated in daily life or are considered “personal peculiarities” in adulthood.

In Germany, for example, it is estimated that about 5 to 7% of the population may exhibit undiagnosed ADHD symptoms, while milder autistic traits are even less documented. This shows that many people could have neurodivergent characteristics without being aware of it, making an inclusive learning environment for all learners even more important.

2. Are there also milder forms of neurodiversity that the individuals are not aware of, yet they affect their learning behavior?

Yes, neurodivergent traits occur across a wide spectrum: from highly pronounced forms to mild, almost imperceptible variants. Many people exhibit neurodivergent tendencies, but these are not pronounced enough to receive a diagnosis. Such individuals may have slight concentration difficulties, heightened sensitivity, or trouble structuring tasks without recognizing themselves or their environment as neurodivergent.

These subtle traits, however, can influence learning behavior, such as quick fatigue with long, text-based content or a preference for visual or interactive learning formats. Particularly among adults, such neurodivergence often goes unnoticed as they have developed individual strategies over the years to facilitate their learning process.

3. To what extent should I assume that there are neurodivergent learners in my courses?

You should generally assume that some of your learners have neurodivergent traits. Inclusive learning environments benefit all learners and create a space where everyone can feel comfortable and thrive. Therefore, a flexible and diverse design of your learning content is a valuable measure to support learners who may have slight neurodivergent traits. Even if only a few course participants are actually neurodivergent, all learners still benefit from the additional accessibility and various presentation and interaction options.

4. What behaviors of my learners in an online course indicate that they may be neurodivergent?

There are certain behaviors that may indicate neurodivergent traits, even if they are not always clearly attributable. Here’s what you might look for:

• Irregular participation or participation in “bursts”: Neurodivergent learners often exhibit changing patterns of intense participation followed by withdrawal or decreased engagement.

• Difficulty handling clear task structures: Learners might ask for additional explanations, appear overwhelmed, or struggle to organize complex tasks.

• Sensitive reaction to certain representations: Sometimes, neurodivergent individuals show clear preferences or aversions toward certain visual or auditory stimuli, such as bright colors or sounds.

• Excessive note-taking or avoidance of text-heavy learning content: If learners take extensive notes or seek direct conversation about the learning content, it could be their way of coping with the difficulties of processing texts.

Note: These behaviors may have other causes. Nevertheless, they can help you as a course leader to respond attentively and empathetically to the needs of different learners.

How to adapt your online courses to neurodivergent learning styles

Since studies show a high likelihood that individual participants in your courses exhibit neurodivergent tendencies in varying degrees, it is worthwhile to design your courses to provide a pleasant and stress-free learning environment for all learners. With the following tips, you will create more inclusion in your e-learnings and ensure that all participants can successfully complete your courses.

1. Design your learning content in alternative formats

Offer your learning content in alternative presentation formats: You could also record text as an audio or video file or present it in the form of graphics or PowerPoint presentations. A neurodivergent individual might find it easier to concentrate on the content through a visual representation, while another learner absorbs the information better by listening to it.

In your blink.it learning platform, create separate learning units or chapters for the alternative formats. Inform your course participants that the learning material is fundamentally the same and is simply conveyed differently. Allow course participants the option to choose the presentation format in which they wish to complete the learning units, chapters, or even the entire course.

2. Structure the course elements clearly and simply

Structured content that is divided into manageable sections or chapters significantly helps reduce cognitive load. Use clear headings and key terms for the titles of the learning units to organize the content and make it easily graspable. When you provide preview images for each Blink in your blink.it learning platform, make sure they are visually not too distracting to help maintain the learner's focus on the headings.

Even for pure text Blinks, you should maintain clear structures, such as using bullet points and highlighted key terms or sentences.

3. Offer short chapters and plenty of breaks

Neurodivergent learners often benefit from an individualized learning pace, which is why e-learning through a learning platform like blink.it is ideal for them. Offer your learners many short chapters instead of a few very long chapters: This way, they have more opportunities to take breaks or repeat a chapter.

You should also think carefully about how much time pressure you place on completing the chapters or the entire course. In blink.it, you can set deadlines for when learning units or an entire course must be completed. Remember that some learners may not be as quick as others, so you might want to allow them as much flexibility as possible.

4. Avoid sensory overload

Bright colors, fast animations, and loud background noises overwhelm far more people than you might think. If you want all of your learners to focus on the learning material, you should avoid anything in your material that distracts or causes unrest. Instead, use a clear, neutral style in your course material design, pleasant color tones, and a calm sound backdrop.

Particularly in videos, ensure that the learning content is clearly in the foreground: For example, if you have a video of yourself explaining a fact, imagine you are standing right next to a busy road and also adding background music during the video editing. It would be difficult for anyone to concentrate on what you are saying, right? For neurodivergent individuals, this may go so far that they can hardly “endure” your video and do not want to watch it. Thus, they are lost to you as learners.

5. Offer group work and direct conversation

Some neurodivergent learners find it immensely helpful to work in small groups or with a coach. If you offer blended learning, incorporate group exercises and discussion rounds into your face-to-face events to promote exchange. This way, you also provide opportunities for unobtrusive follow-up questions. Encourage your course participants to jot down their thoughts in notes, as this also deepens the learning significantly.

In your blink.it learning platform, there is a feedback section where you can discuss the learning content with your course participants: Motivate them for direct exchange among themselves by initiating conversations in each Blink and actively inviting them to ask questions or simply leave comments on the learning content. This fosters a sense of community and reduces tensions.

For a diverse learning community

The success of your online courses increasingly depends on whether they consider the neurodiverse needs of all learners. By deliberately designing your courses inclusively, you reach a much broader audience and enhance the effectiveness of your learning content. Our suggestions for course design help you make your offerings accessible and attractive to all learning styles. This creates a learning environment that truly appeals to all participants and fosters positive feelings while learning.

We hope that this article has provided you with some enlightening information and insights, and we wish you much success in creating inclusive online courses!