ERIC Number: EJ1092429
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Feb
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1527-9316
EISSN: N/A
Assessing Accessibility: How Accessible Are Online Courses for Students with Disabilities?
Massengale, Lindsey R.; Vasquez, Eleazar, III
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, v16 n1 p69-79 Feb 2016
Delivering course material in a manner that is accessible to all students including those with disabilities is important in the online environment. This article presents an analysis focusing on the accessibility of six courses presented through the Webcourses platform. Six professors volunteered one course for analysis. The tool used for analyzing the courses was the WAVE tool bar. Analysis of course was completed individually, but results were reported across courses. Overall, results indicated 13 types of challenges and of these 5 were the most prevalent across courses. The author discusses a brief history of distance education, the tool used for analysis, challenges that were identified within course and offers suggestion of how to minimize those challenges. Within the methodology, screen shots of the WAVE tool bar are provided. Visual analysis of the frequency of the 13 challenges is provided. Implications of the WAVE tool are shared with future research directions.
Descriptors: Disabilities, Teaching Methods, Delivery Systems, Web Based Instruction, Distance Education, Educational Technology, Accessibility (for Disabled), Access to Education, Online Courses, College Students
Indiana University. 755 West Michigan Street UL 1180D, Indianapolis, IN 46202. Tel: 317-274-5647; Fax: 317-278-2360; e-mail: josotl@iupui.edu; Web site: http://www.iupui.edu/~josotl
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: H325K130222