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Ann Marie VanDerZanden and Laura Bestler, [email protected]; [email protected] • Center for Excellence in Learning and Technology Top 10 Tips to Make Your Online Course Accessible The Teaching Professor Conference St. Louis, Missouri • June 2-4, 2017 Introduction Accessibility is not just about providing accommodations when requested. Accessible courses and course content anticipate the potential needs of diverse learners, and remove barriers or provide alternatives in advance. Tip 1: Take Time to Plan an Online Teaching-Learning Strategy Course elements (activities, assessments, etc.) follow a consistent structure and routine throughout the course. Student activities are varied and take into account different learning styles. To learn more about the Universal Design for Learning, visit the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) website (http://www.cast.org). Students have adequate time to complete activities and assessments. To help determine the student workload consider using Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence’s Course Workload Estimator website (http://cte.rice.edu/workload). Tip 2: Use Constructive Course Alignment Constructive alignment in teaching links the constructivist theory of learning (where students link new material to previous knowledge and experiences, and extrapolate to future understandings) with outcomes-based teaching. Implementing constructive alignment in course design results in explicitly linking teaching and learning activities, to classroom assessments and evaluation, to course learning objectives, and ultimately to course learning outcomes. Start with the end in mind. Consider including this type of flowchart, specific to your course, in the course syllabus to help students see the connections between course assignments and learning outcomes. Assessment Ongoing Positive Individualized Provides feedback Evaluation Provides closure Is judgmental Is applied against standards Shows shortfalls Both Require criteria Are evidence driven Visit CELT’s course alignment website (http://bit.ly/coursealignment) Tip 3: Develop Assessments & Evaluations to Support Course Learning Outcomes Once learning objectives are established, the next step is to create assessment and evaluation tools that will allow you to determine if students have accomplished/achieved a learning objective. This visual representation illustrates the relationship between assessment and evaluation. Using a combination of assessment (not graded) and evaluation (graded) approaches provides students a variety of opportunities to show their mastery of the course content. Tip 4: Use the Quality Matters (QM) Framework All of these 8 QM course components work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes. When aligned, each of these components is directly tied to and supports the course learning objectives. For more information or access to the full QM rubric visit the Quality Matters website (http://www.qualitymatters.org) Visit CELT’s QM website (http://bit.ly/isuqmtracks) Tip 5: Use Consistent Page Titles & Headings Example: Not formatted with headings Lack of headings, section divisions inhibit scanning and reading Examples: Properly formatted headings Headings created properly in Word will transfer when exported to a PDF Tip 6: Use Alt-Text & Long Descriptions on All Images Story about tulips alt = “Yellow tulips blooming in the Spring” Horticulture Class alt=“Tulipa gesneriana” Decorative Image alt=“” When writing alt-text, consider the context of the image. What information is the image conveying to users? (Sometimes the answers is none, if the image is purely decorative, and this is acceptable! The alt-text can be left empty if it serves no informational purpose.) Tip 8: Use Descriptive & Unique Hyperlinks Use descriptive and unique hyperlinks. This is another strategy to help screen reader users. When providing a link, the link text should describe where it is going Accessible For information about creating an accessible course, visit CELT’s Accessify Your Course website (http://bit.ly/celt-accessify). Not Accessible For information about creating an accessible course click here. Not Accessible For information about creating an accessible course http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/effective-teaching-practices/accessify-your-course Tip 9: Create Accessible Multimedia One of the most well-known accessibility features is video captions. However, they are only one of many items needed to make multimedia—video, audio, and audio/video recordings—accessible. Audio only Text Transcript (of spoken word) Video only Video Description (of key visual elements) Audio and Video Closed Captions Text Transcript Video Description Tip 7: Use Accessible Color Choices Use a color analyzer to see if the colors you are choosing for your website or PowerPoint will pass the contrast ratio. Ensure color is not the sole means of conveying important information. Red Team and Green Team Office Hours Provided Below Accessible Color Coding (Coding with descriptive words) Not Accessible insufficient color contrast Accessible adequate contrast Welcome to Fall Ornamentals John H. Doe, Horticulturalist and Susan Sanders, Specialist Example: Create a Syllabus Walk-Through A syllabus is a necessary task at the beginning of every class. Students need to know where to find resources, how you’ll be evaluating them, and to hear you set the tone for the learning ahead. But often it takes up a good portion of the first class – valuable time that could be spent learning. Instead of using class time, create a video that explains your syllabus. Your students can watch and re-watch it as many times as they need to. You can be certain that everyone hears and/or read the same message, even those who add the class later. Tip 10: Include the Accessibility Statement in Syllabus Include the university's syllabus statement on student with disability accommodations. Consider placing the information towards the start of your syllabus to emphasize the importance of the information. How: For the appropriate wording visit CELT’s Faculty Senate Recommendations for Syllabus Inclusion website (http://bit.ly/2mCpGWy). Next Steps: Scaffold for Success Break down the barriers, develop implementation strategies, and begin using a timeline to parcel out “Accessifying” your course. Use a resource such as CELT’s Individual Action Plan Digital Accessibility: Online Course Design (PDF) (http://bit.ly/2p63EK7) To download this poster, and additional resources visit CELT’s Accessify Your Course website ( http://bit.ly/celt-accessify)

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Page 1: Top 10 Tips to Make Your Online Course Accessible€¦ · teaching. Implementing constructive alignment in course design results in explicitly linking teaching and learning activities,

AnnMarieVanDerZandenandLauraBestler,[email protected];[email protected] •CenterforExcellenceinLearningandTechnology

Top10TipstoMakeYourOnlineCourseAccessible

TheTeachingProfessorConferenceSt.Louis,Missouri•June2-4,2017

IntroductionAccessibility is not just about providing accommodations when requested.

Accessible courses and course content anticipate the potential needs of diverselearners, and remove barriers or provide alternatives in advance.

Tip1:TakeTimetoPlananOnlineTeaching-LearningStrategyCourseelements(activities,assessments,etc.)followaconsistentstructureandroutinethroughoutthecourse.

Studentactivitiesarevariedandtakeintoaccountdifferentlearningstyles.TolearnmoreabouttheUniversalDesignforLearning,visittheCenterforAppliedSpecialTechnology(CAST) website(http://www.cast.org).

Studentshaveadequatetimetocompleteactivitiesandassessments.TohelpdeterminethestudentworkloadconsiderusingRiceUniversityCenterforTeachingExcellence’sCourseWorkloadEstimator website(http://cte.rice.edu/workload).

Tip2:UseConstructiveCourseAlignmentConstructivealignmentinteachinglinkstheconstructivisttheoryoflearning(wherestudentslinknewmaterialtopreviousknowledgeandexperiences,andextrapolatetofutureunderstandings)withoutcomes-basedteaching.Implementingconstructivealignmentincoursedesignresultsinexplicitlylinkingteachingandlearningactivities,toclassroomassessmentsandevaluation,tocourselearningobjectives,andultimatelytocourselearningoutcomes.

Startwiththeendinmind.Considerincludingthistypeofflowchart,specifictoyourcourse,inthecoursesyllabustohelpstudentsseetheconnectionsbetweencourseassignmentsandlearningoutcomes.

Assessment•Ongoing•Positive• Individualized•Providesfeedback

Evaluation•Providesclosure• Isjudgmental• Isappliedagainststandards•Showsshortfalls

Both•Requirecriteria•Areevidencedriven

VisitCELT’scoursealignment website(http://bit.ly/coursealignment)

Tip3:DevelopAssessments&EvaluationstoSupportCourseLearningOutcomesOnce learning objectives are established, the next step is to create assessment and evaluation tools that will allow you to determine if students have accomplished/achieved a learning objective. This visual representation illustrates the relationship between assessment and evaluation. Using a combination of assessment (not graded) and evaluation (graded) approaches provides students a variety of opportunities to show their mastery of the course content.

Tip4:UsetheQualityMatters(QM)FrameworkAll of these 8 QM course components work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes. When aligned, each of these components is directly tied to and supports the course learning objectives.

FormoreinformationoraccesstothefullQMrubricvisittheQualityMatters website(http://www.qualitymatters.org)

VisitCELT’sQMwebsite(http://bit.ly/isuqmtracks)

Tip5:UseConsistentPageTitles&HeadingsExample:NotformattedwithheadingsLackofheadings,sectiondivisionsinhibitscanningandreading

Examples:ProperlyformattedheadingsHeadingscreatedproperlyinWordwilltransferwhenexportedtoaPDF

Tip6:UseAlt-Text&LongDescriptionsonAllImages

• Storyabouttulipsalt=“YellowtulipsbloomingintheSpring”• HorticultureClassalt=“Tulipa gesneriana”• DecorativeImagealt=“”

When writing alt-text, consider the context ofthe image. What information is the imageconveying to users? (Sometimes the answers isnone, if the image is purely decorative, and thisis acceptable! The alt-text can be left empty if itserves no informational purpose.)

Tip8:UseDescriptive&UniqueHyperlinksUse descriptive and unique hyperlinks. This is another strategy to help screen reader users. Whenproviding a link, the link text should describe where it is going

AccessibleForinformationaboutcreatinganaccessiblecourse,visitCELT’sAccessifyYourCourse website(http://bit.ly/celt-accessify).

NotAccessibleForinformationaboutcreatinganaccessiblecourseclickhere.

NotAccessibleForinformationaboutcreatinganaccessiblecoursehttp://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/effective-teaching-practices/accessify-your-course

Tip9:CreateAccessibleMultimediaOneofthemostwell-knownaccessibilityfeaturesisvideocaptions.However,theyareonlyoneofmanyitemsneededtomakemultimedia—video,audio,andaudio/videorecordings—accessible.

AudioonlyTextTranscript(ofspokenword)

VideoonlyVideoDescription(ofkeyvisualelements)

AudioandVideoClosedCaptionsTextTranscriptVideoDescription

Tip7:UseAccessibleColorChoicesUseacoloranalyzertoseeifthecolorsyouarechoosingforyourwebsiteorPowerPointwillpassthecontrastratio.

Ensure color is not the sole means of conveying important information.

RedTeamandGreenTeamOfficeHoursProvidedBelow

AccessibleColorCoding(Codingwithdescriptivewords)

NotAccessibleinsufficientcolorcontrast

Accessibleadequatecontrast

WelcometoFallOrnamentalsJohnH.Doe,Horticulturalist

andSusanSanders,Specialist

Example:CreateaSyllabusWalk-ThroughAsyllabusisanecessarytaskatthebeginningofeveryclass.Studentsneedtoknowwheretofindresources,howyou’llbeevaluatingthem,andtohearyousetthetoneforthelearningahead.Butoftenittakesupagoodportionofthefirstclass– valuabletimethatcouldbespentlearning.

Insteadofusingclasstime,createavideothatexplainsyoursyllabus.Yourstudentscanwatchandre-watchitasmanytimesastheyneedto.Youcanbecertainthateveryonehearsand/orreadthesamemessage,eventhosewhoaddtheclasslater.

Tip10:IncludetheAccessibilityStatementinSyllabusIncludetheuniversity'ssyllabusstatementonstudentwithdisabilityaccommodations.Considerplacingtheinformationtowardsthestartofyoursyllabustoemphasizetheimportanceoftheinformation.

How:FortheappropriatewordingvisitCELT’sFacultySenateRecommendationsforSyllabusInclusion website(http://bit.ly/2mCpGWy).

NextSteps:ScaffoldforSuccessBreakdownthebarriers,developimplementationstrategies,andbeginusingatimelinetoparcelout“Accessifying”yourcourse.UsearesourcesuchasCELT’sIndividualActionPlanDigitalAccessibility:OnlineCourseDesign(PDF)(http://bit.ly/2p63EK7)

Todownloadthisposter,andadditionalresourcesvisitCELT’sAccessifyYourCourse website(http://bit.ly/celt-accessify)