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UMUC/PBS Untangling the Web: Making Online Teaching and Learning Accessible This section provides additional information about the focus of the teleconference and the questions raised in each of its acts. The Web sites referenced here are intended as suggestions for further exploration rather than a comprehensive guide.
Accessibility and the WebUMUC's Accessibility in Distance Education (ADE) Web site provides an ideal introduction for anyone seeking to understand the important issues relating to accessibility in the online environment. The ADE site explains the impact of accessibility in the online environment and provides information about different types of disabilities, relevant laws, and best accessibility practices. There is a very extensive how-to section covering all types of Web content. The site also provides numerous accessibility scenarios and shows ways that faculty can work with Disability Support Services, academic computing staff, and others to anticipate and resolve problems. RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR ACT IDisability and the WebAct I of Untangling the Web discusses how students with disabilities navigate web content, and how inaccessible course content impacts the work of faculty and staff. Here are three sites that develop further understanding of this discussion:
Anyone interested in understanding these challenges in depth might benefit from taking an online training course with EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information), directed by Norman Coombs. Universal DesignAct I also introduces discussion of Universal Design. While the philosophy and practice of Universal Design have been applied to the built environment in general, many people, particularly in Disability Support Services, see it as a means of making accessibility operational in both the online and classroom-based environment. Here are five sites that explain dimensions of Universal Design highly relevant to educational settings:
RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR ACT IIInstitutional CoordinationOne of the focuses of Act II is how to develop institutional coordination processes that support accessibility in online teaching and learning. The WebAIM project at the University of Utah, directed by Cyndi Rowland, has led the way in examining the challenges involved in developing university Web accessibility policies. George Mason University's plan, led by Kristine Neuber, is based on WebAIM's research and offers a comparative model worth exploring. Both of these plans take into account the realities of how universities function and offer a thoughtful understanding of problems and strategies. For more information, see:
WebAIM will also be conducting an online symposium on Coordination and Leadership in June 2004. Faculty/Staff Professional DevelopmentAnother focus of Act II is collaborative and professional development models that often emerge from efforts by faculty and staff to redesign the learning environment. Numerous endeavors of this kind have been initiated at university campuses in the last five years. A short, very selective list of projects might include:
RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR ACT IIIIn Act III our panelists consider complex structural challenges in technology and higher education. As the recorded interviews with Gerald Heeger and Larry Goldberg suggest, making online teaching and learning accessible is not a simple matter. The Future of Online and Distance LearningThe vast and rapid growth of distance learning over the last five years has changed the face of higher education. A recent study by the National Center for Educational Statistics showed that 56 percent of the two- and four-year degree-granting institutions in the United States offered distance education courses in the 2000-2001 academic year. The popularity of online and distance learning will only increase. For more information about trends, see:
Universities and Technology EnvironmentsAlong with the huge growth in distance education, learning technologies are rapidly reinventing themselves. An example of this may be found in the widespread use of streaming media in higher education. Many faculty members now enhance PowerPoint slides by webcasting lectures related to them. These present accessibility challenges to students who are unable to play video or hear audio. Rendering streamed PowerPoint lectures accessible requires much time and expertise. Universities need to develop coordination plans that will not only implement accessibility but also take into account the pace of development in new technologies. Clearly they cannot do this in isolation from society. Great strides have already been made in developing ways to regulate and monitor information technology. The amended Section 508 standards developed by the Access Board in 1998 provide comprehensive guidelines for the formatting of Web content. The IMS standards develop and promote the adoption of open technical specifications for interoperable learning technology. Universities will need to work in partnership with these initiatives to ensure that all students have access to educational opportunities. These centers of excellence suggest models universities might adapt in making online teaching and learning accessible while keeping pace with technological development:
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