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As the new semester is in full swing, we instructional designers and technologists may find ourselves working with faculty who are now settled into their instructional groove whether fully online, blended, or face-to-face. Little communication may come about with faculty unless new projects are proceeding and could use support. Things may be otherwise in gear to go forward to successfully complete the semester. So, why might now be an opportune time to engage with faculty to improve the accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) of their course content? Let’s consider some key approaches that may open beneficial conversations. Key #1: Addressing Those Nagging, Lagging, Put-off for Now Issues. Have you worked with faculty that were completely satisfied with the accessibility of their online course content? Most will acknowledge things could be better, and they have every intention of dealing with it, someday. You could offer a semester check-in with the invitation to consider a few of those yet-to-be-addressed accessibility/UDL issues to get the conversation started. Rather than address current courses being taught, taking a proactive approach for a future semester may be an easier discussion. Referencing resources such as in TOPkit, WebAIM, or institutions known for their instructional accessibility services such as the University of Washington and the University of Central Florida can guide those conversations. Key #2: Acknowledging the Weight to Get in Better Shape. Factors such as online courses that have been taught for years with aging, large multimedia files can make accessibility improvements feel overwhelming. When you invite your faculty to meet with you, acknowledging this weighty challenge might be a relief in disguise. You could schedule your meeting to have a limited discussion of where the course content currently stands in its accessibility with the intention to address no more than five items at that time. Items could include individual files, pages, videos, or another category that is considered a prominent accessibility concern in the course. In other words, start small. A few limited steps can build momentum, reduce overwhelm, and lead to patterns of delivering more accessible course content
Key #3: Taking Advantage of the Tools, Training, and Services Available. Are your faculty aware of the range of online accessibility tools, training, and institutional services available to them? Might there be a support measure they should know more about? Consider whether training is needed, a job aid, or announcement would suffice. For example, at UCF the latest iteration of the Universal Design Online content Inspection Tool, or UDOIT (pronounced “You do it,”) was launched Fall 2022. Faculty that used UDOIT before will likely be good to go with a message from their instructional designer, while those who haven’t might benefit from an introductory training session. Canvas also has an internal Accessibility Checker, as does Office 365 and Adobe. There are other LMS accessibility checkers available which include Blackboard Ally, YuJa Panorama, and Cidi Labs UDOIT Cloud. These tools are used by many educational institutions, and some are available internationally. When faculty know they have a team of instructional designers, tech support, training, tools, and services to back up their efforts for improved access, their confidence, autonomy, and success builds. Key #4: Practicing an Invitational Design Approach. Often when the topics of accessibility and Universal Design for Learning come up, negative vibes can rise. It may be helpful to step back with your faculty for a moment to reconsider why accessibility and UDL are important in the digital teaching and learning arena. Isn’t the intent to more fully engage with students to facilitate their learning? An approach called, “Invitational Design” offers a perspective covering good pedagogy, accessibility, and UDL with the instructor serving as “host” for their “guest” students in their digital course “home.” Just as those who would go to significant effort to make their homes as welcoming, prepared, and navigable as possible for future guests to enjoy an extended visit, instructor “hosts” can prepare their digital course “homes” reflecting their instructional passions and personality. Student “guests” can feel at ease gaining more understanding of the instructional content because everything is readily available to them, and they know where to find what they need. If they have questions, feedback, or forgot their proverbial toothbrush, they are comfortable asking their instructor “host” for assistance. Comparable to a personal physical visit, this course with these students and their instructor will never happen again, and the relationships will be recalled more than the specific content. Taking an Invitational Design approach can open doors to a more remarkable instructional experience for all. As we continuously aim to work with our faculty to make more pleasant and accessible learning experiences for everyone in their online courses, taking a step back to open conversations on a few select accessibility and UDL issues can bring a wider perspective in the near term. Over the long term, improved patterns of access for all can develop for more memorable and enjoyable instruction because of those initial key conversations with faculty. |
