Best Prac*ces in Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning. Rozy Parlette, Instruc*onal Designer Center for Instruc*on and Research Technology

Transcription

1 Best Prac*ces in Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning Rozy Parlette, Instruc*onal Designer Center for Instruc*on and Research Technology

2 Purpose The purpose of this session is to iden*fy best prac*ces in accessibility and universal design for learning (UDL) that will enhance the usability of online courses.

3 Accessibility vs. UDL Accessibility UDL U*lizes prescrip*ve design standards as outlined in ADA, Sec*on 508 & 504. Pedagogical framework that allow access without the need for adapta*on or specialized design. Considers specific needs of people with disabili*es. Requires sensi*vity to and knowledge about people of all abili*es. Aims to benefit all students Designed to be invisible, safe, and physically/ emo*onally accessible to users.

4 Accessibility Accessibility is the ability of the learning environment to adjust to the needs of all learners. An accessible course removes barriers to par*cipa*on and engagement in online experiences and the degree to which someone can access an online resource regardless of their disability, technology, or environment. - E- Learning and Disability in Higher Educa6on, 2014

5 Accommoda*ons Accommoda*ons are design changes or strategies that are used to enable students with disabili*es to gain access to and engage with the course content and materials. Common accommoda*ons may include: Extended test- taking *me Note- takers Video cap*ons or transcripts ASL interpreters Large print materials

6 Assis*ve Technology Assis*ve technologies are items, so\ware, equipment, system, etc. used to increase, maintain or improve func*onal capabili*es of those with disabili*es. Assis*ve technologies may include: Screen readers (JAWS) Communica*on boards A^achment/posi*oning devices Communica*on hardware or so\ware

7 Accessible Courses An accessible course: Employs accessible technologies and provides guidance on how to obtain accommoda*ons. Contains equivalent alterna*ves to mul*media. Facilitates readability and minimizes distrac*ons through design. Allows for the use of assis*ve technologies.

8 Color and Fonts Using Color Color alone should not be used to convey meaning. Reds, greens, and blues are the hardest colors to dis*nguish. Use color contrasts of 4.5:1 h^p://webaim.org/ resources/contrastchecker/ Avoid pa^erned backgrounds. Selec4ng Font Choose sans- serif fonts. Verdana, Tahoma, Arial Apply text styles as: Strong (instead of bold) Emphasis (instead of italic) Quote (instead of italic) Hyperlink (instead of underline) Minimum size of 12pt. Spacing 25-30% of font size. Avoid all caps.

9 Headings and Tables Headings Use proper heading structure in Word. Use bullet tool when crea*ng itemized lists. Use slide layouts in PowerPoint. Avoid using text boxes. Be careful with anima*ons. Use Outline View or the naviga*on pane in Word to check for proper headings. Tables Iden*fy row and column headers in tables. Avoid using empty columns/ rows in tables. Create a table cap*on for screen readers. Can be done in html markup using <th>, <tr> and <td> tags.

10 Documents and Mul*media Documents Use Accessibility Checker feature in Office if available. Avoid using scanned PDFs. Use Word or PowerPoint to create document then export to accessible PDF. Use link names that make sense out of context. Read the accessibility ar*cle. Read the ar*cle here. Mul4media Include alt text for images. A textual alterna*ve to non- text content. Alt text should be a succinct descrip*on of the content and func*on of the image. Think of it as a Tweet of no more than 140 characters. Include cap*ons or accessible transcripts for video and audio.

11 Crea*ng Alt Text Image retrieved from: h^p:// photo/rectum.html Image retrieved from: h^ps://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/william_shakespeare

12 Universal Design for Learning Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework for curriculum development that provides a flexible approach for crea*ng instruc*onal objec*ves, materials, and assessments that can be used to meet the needs of a variety of learning styles.

13 UDL Objec*ves Representa4on Expression Engagement Recogni*on networks the what of learning. Present informa*on and content in different ways. Strategic networks the how of learning. Provide mul*ple op*ons for students to express what they know. Affec*ve networks the why of learning. S*mulate interest and mo*va*on for learning.

14 Mul*ple Means of Representa*on Strategy Offer alterna*ves for audio & visual informa*on. Example Provide transcripts and/or cap*ons. Clarify vocabulary, symbols, jargon, etc. Provide a glossary of important terms in the course. Ac*vate or supply background knowledge. Highlight pa^erns, cri*cal features, important ideas, and exis*ng rela*onships. Incorporate opportuni*es for review and prac*ce. Frontload/pre- teach cri*cal concepts; link content to relevant or cross- curricular concepts; scaffold content appropriately. Use outlines, graphic organizers, diagrams, example work, consistent instruc*on language, etc. Use prac*ce tests, peer review assignments, mul*ple submissions, etc.

15 Mul*ple Means of Expression Strategy Use a variety of tools and strategies for communica*on (instructor and student). Provide mul*ple samples of solu*ons to authen*c problems. Guide appropriate goal- serng. Embed opportuni*es to stop and think and show/explain your work. Enhance capacity for monitoring progress. Example Compose content in mul*ple media (text, speech, illustra*on, film, music, social media, etc.). U*lize varied examples of past student work that demonstrates mul*ple approaches to successful end result. Provide goals, objec*ves, schedule and syllabus in an obvious place. Scaffold module content appropriately; use skills- based assessments to engage higher- order thinking skills. Provide grading rubrics, assignment checklists, and self- assessment strategies.

16 Mul*ple Means of Engagement Recruit interest. Strategy Invite self- assessment and personal response. Sustain student effort and persistence. Foster collabora*on and communica*on. Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies. Example Allow learners to self- select or par*cipate in interest- based assignments and projects; allow for varied degrees of performance. Use surveys and journals to encourage student reflec*on which can lead to higher- order thinking skills. Divide summa*ve assessments into smaller forma*ve assessments collected at intervals; provide detailed and construc*ve feedback. Create roles & expecta*ons within groups; create opportuni*es for peer interac*on; maintain instructor presence in course. Provide resources for campus- wide support (prepopulated in the course template).

17 Helpful Resources Na*onal Center on UDL WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) UNF Disability Resource Center CSUN Accessibility Educa*on (info, tutorials, etc.) tsengcollege.csun.edu/accessibility

18 References CAST. (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author. Seale, J.K. (2014). E- learning and disability in higher educa6on: Accessibility research and prac6ce. New York: Routledge. WebAIM. (2014). Introduc6on to Web Accessibility. Logan, UT: Author.