Module 1 Book: Formatting Course Content so it's Accessible

Module 1 Overview

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

Topics

This module will cover the following topics:

Introduction

Whether you are teaching in the classroom, online, or, more likely, some blend of the two, you are likely already in the habit of uploading some of your course content online for students to access. This may take the form of uploading documents such as Word files, PDFs, or PowerPoint slides, or authoring content directly in Moodle or on a webpage. It is easier than ever to make content available online and make that content media-rich and multimodal. The modern teacher is both a designer and a curator of content, deciding what content is included and how it is presented. Whether content is an original creation or an external resource that you have decided to include in your course, it is important to ensure that all students are able to access and engage with the material. This benefits all students, not just with those disabilities. Everyone benefits from well designed content.

This module will begin by discussing what we mean by accessibility and why it matters, and how the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) serve as a useful underlying framework for designing for accessibility. We will then look at some common assistive technologies that students may be using in your courses to consider how the design of your content may impact compatibility with these devices. Finally, we will introduce some general accessible design principles, as well as how to build and check for accessibility within several common formats.