Creating Accessible Online Learning

David Sloan @sloandrSarah Horton @gradualclearing

Copyright © 2014 The Paciello Group

What we plan to do• Take a user experience (UX) perspective to

accessibility and online learning• Current challenges• Key aspects of a strategy for delivering

accessible online learning experiences

What we ask you to do• Contribute your own experiences• Ask us questions• Share the session

Some assumptions

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Online learning has substantial potential to make education more accessible, including to people with disabilities.

Optimizing the learning experience for people with disabilities can lead to enhancements for other learners.

There may be pedagogic justification to require certain levels of sensory, motor and cognitive capability in learners.But educational organizations have an obligation not to discriminate against learners or instructors with disabilities.

Defining an accessible online learning experience

Photo credit: Flickr user @mikecogh https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/7691519996/

The journey a learner with a disability takes through a learning program, accessing and interacting with learning resources, communicating with the instructor and their peers, and demonstrating the skills and knowledge acquired.

Constraints• Authoring tools and platforms• Preserving educational validity• Diversity in learner background, location,

engagement and learning styles• Instructor perspective on accessibility

Keystones of an accessible online learning experience

Photo credit: Flickr user @53825985@N02 https://www.flickr.com/photos/53825985@N02/9075524312/

Navigation• Learners can navigate through an online learning

system efficiently and effectively– Regardless of input device used or assistive technology

• Key destinations are prominently identified– Course material– Grade books– Discussion areas

Media accessibility• Graphic and video content is accessible to

people who can’t see it• Audio content is accessible to people who

can’t hear it or understand it• Media can be controlled and manipulated by

people regardless of input device used

Forms• Learners with disabilities can understand the

layout and functionality of forms such that they can enter or select appropriate data for each control

• Learners with disabilities can successfully access feedback when submitting an answer

Communication• Learners with disabilities can receive

notifications of essential messages• Learners with disabilities can participate fully

in online discussions with their peers and instructors

Personalization• Learners with disabilities can independently

configure the display and behavior of a system according to their needs– Visual display– Ordering of content– Timing settings

• Configuration options are easy to find, easy to change, and reliable

Assessment• Learners with accessibility needs can make the

appropriate adaptations before taking a summative test

• Tests focus on intended learning outcomes in a fair way to learners with disabilities

Educational content creation tools

Photo credit: Flickr user @tomswift:

Current learning platform support• Accessibility support is inconsistent!• Hadi Rangin and colleagues reviewed four

popular learning management systems and found flaws in each– In accessibility to learners and instructors

• MOOC platforms also have limitations

Content variability• HTML• PDF• Video, audio, animation• eBooks• Embedded apps• Social media

Tools need to support accessible authoring

• Tools that help instructors create:– Static content– Video and audio– Interactive features – quizzes, tests

• Tools that help students navigate to and interact with learning resources

Responsibility for online learning accessibility

Photo Credit: Wellspring Community School https://flic.kr/p/7FMn8b

Vendors• Eliminate or mitigate accessibility barriers present in

learning platforms and in educational material• Focus on supporting accessible authoring– Course authoring and management tools should be

accessible– Learning resource authoring systems should optimize

accessibility

Learning technologists• Research and document the nature of current problems• Configure LMS and courseware tools to minimize output

of inaccessible content• Train instructors to use tools with accessibility in mind;

and to focus on the learning experience holistically• Include accessibility in procurement/selection criteria for

new systems, tools and resources

Instructors• Use authoring tools with accessibility in mind• Be creative in using multiple approaches to

help your learners achieve the same learning objectives

• Monitor your learners’ performance for potential accessibility problems

Learners• Learn how to configure the learning platform

to make it work best for you• Ask for learning resources in accessible format• Report accessibility problems• Communicate with your peers in an inclusive

way

Everyone• Co-ordinate efforts to pressurize platform and

resource providers to raise their accessibility game

• Be specific in what is needed and what success looks like

The future

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The future: a standards approach?• IMS Access For All• Standardizing:

– Accessibility in learner profiles– Accessibility in learning and assessment resource descriptions– How this information can work together to support customized

experiences• Success relies on gathering and maintaining accurate

information

Delivering accessible online learning experiences is a multi-faceted, complex challenge requiring a holistic approach – but one worth taking.