Instructional Designers’ Perceptions of Accessible and Inclusive Online Course Design
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v28i4.3719Keywords:
accessibility, instructional design, online learning, diversity, equity, andAbstract
As online learning in higher education expands, institutions are challenged to meet the needs of diverse students. COVID has further emphasized the need for inclusive online course design for all learners, especially those with disabilities. We interviewed instructional designers about their perceptions, knowledge, and responsibilities in accessible and inclusive online course design. Results indicated that instructional designers play a critical role in advocating and advancing initiatives related to designing accessible and inclusive online learning experiences. Participants described a desire for increased support and resources to help facilitate an institutional culture shift toward proactive course design strategies.
References
American Council on Education. (2022). The Carnegie classification of institutions of higher education: Size & setting classification description. https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/classification_descriptions/size_setting.php
Anderson, G. (2020, April 6). Accessibility suffers during pandemic. Inside Higher Ed.
Andrews, E. E., & Forber-Pratt, A. J. (2022). Disability culture, identity, and language. In M. L.
Wehmeyer & D. S. Dunn (Eds.), The positive psychology of personal factors: Implications for understanding disability (pp. 27-40). Lexington Books. https://lccn.loc.gov/2021044033
Author & Author. (in press).
Author et al. (in press).
Author & Author. (2022).
Author et al., (2021).
Baldwin, S. J., & Ching, Y. H. (2021). Accessibility in online courses: A review of national and statewide evaluation instruments. TechTrends 65, 731–742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00624-6
Bartz, J. (2020). All inclusive?! Empirical insights into individual experiences of students with disabilities and mental disorders at German universities and implications for inclusive higher education. Education Sciences, 10(9), 223. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10090223
Behling, K., & Linder, K. E. (2017). Collaborations between Centers for Teaching and Learning and Offices of Disability Services: Current Partnerships and Perceived Challenges. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 30(1), 5-15.
Black, R. D., Weinberg, L. A., & Brodwin, M. G. (2015). Universal Design for Learning and instruction: Perspectives of students with disabilities in higher education. Exceptionality Education International, 25(2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.5206/eei.v25i2.7723
Burgstahler, B. (2022). Leveling the playing field for students with disabilities in online opportunities. In M. Bonous-Hammarth (Eds.), Bridging marginality through inclusive higher education. neighborhoods, communities, and urban marginality (pp. 235–250). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8000-7_11
Burgstahler, S. & Russo-Gleicher, R. J. (2015). Applying Universal Design to address the needs of postsecondary students on the Autism spectrum. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 28(2), 199–212.
Chen, A. (2017). Addressing diversity on college campuses: Changing expectations and practices in instructional leadership. Higher Education Studies, 7(2), 17–22. http://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v7n2p17
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
Dolmage, J. T. (2017). Academic ableism: Disability and higher education. University of Michigan Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9708722
Evmenova, A. (2021). Walking the UDL walk: Designing an online course about UDL. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.51869/jaid2021102
Fichten, C. S., Ferraro, V., Asuncion, J. V., Chwojka, C., Barile, M., Nguyen, M. N., Klomp, R., & Wolforth, J. (2009). Disabilities and e-learning problems and solutions: An exploratory study. Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 241–256. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bpOvlrQLZ2D7TRQQqADi-EQ4QZNcfMdj/view
Fram, S. M. (2013). The constant comparative analysis method outside of grounded theory. The Qualitative Report, 18(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1569
Gladhart, M. A. (2010). Determining faculty needs for delivering accessible electronically delivered instruction in higher education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(3), 185–196. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ906692.pdf
Ginsberg, S. M., & Schulte, K. (2008). Instructional accommodations: Impact of conventional vs. social constructivist view of disability. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 8(2), 84–91. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ854849.pdf
Izzo, M. V., Murray, A., & Novak, J. (2008). The faculty perspective on Universal Design for Learning. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 21(2), 60–72. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ822094.pdf
Kent, M. (2016). Access and barriers to online education for people with disabilities. National Center for Student Equity in Higher Education. https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/handle/20.500.11937/55588/55669.pdf
Leech, N. L., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2007). An array of qualitative analysis tools: A call for data analysis triangulation. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 557–584. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/1045-3830.22.4.557
Linder, K. E., Fontaine-Rainen, D. L., & Behling, K. (2015). Whose job is it? Key challenges and future directions for online accessibility in US institutions of higher education. Open Learning, 30(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2015.1007859
Lombardi, A., Murray, C., & Gerdes, H. (2011). College faculty and inclusive instruction: Self-reported attitudes and actions pertaining to Universal Design. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 4(4), 250–261. https://www.doi.org/10.1037/a0024961
Mancilla, R., & Frey, B. (2020). A model for developing instructional design professionals for higher education through apprenticeship. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 9(2). https://doi. org/10.51869/92rmbf
Merriam, S. B. & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. CAST. http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/login
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE.
Nieminen, J. H., & Pesonen, H. V. (2019). Taking Universal Design back to its roots: Perspectives on accessibility and identity in undergraduate mathematics. Education Sciences, 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10010012
Park, J. -Y., & Luo, H. (2017). Refining a competency model for instructional designers in the context of online higher education. International Education Studies, 10(9), 87–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n9p87
Ritzhaupt, A. D., Kumar, S., & Martin, F. (2021). The competencies for instructional designers in higher education. EdTech Books.
Rogers, S. & Gronseth, S. L. (2021). Applying UDL to online active and interactive learning. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.51869/jaid2021101
Schelly, C. L., Davies, P. L., Spooner, C. L. (2011). Student perceptions of faculty implementation of Universal Design for Learning. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 24(1), 17–30. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ941729.pdf
Seale, J., Burgstahler, S., & Havel, A. (2020). One model to rule them all, one model to bind them? A critique of the use of accessibility-related models in post-secondary education. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 37(1), 6–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2020.1727320
Singleton, K., Evmenova, A., Jerome, M. K., & Clark, K. (2019). Integrating UDL strategies into the online course development process. Online Learning, 23(1), 206–235. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i1.1407
Tobin, T. J. & Behling, K.T. (2018). Reach everyone, teach everyone: Universal Design for Learning in higher education. West Virginia University Press.
W3C. (2022). WCAG 2 overview. https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/
West, E. A., Novak, D., & Mueller, C. (2016). Inclusive instructional practices used and their perceived importance by instructors. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 29(4), 363–374. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1133764.pdf
Xie, J., A. G., & Rice, M. F. (2021a). Instructional designers’ roles in emergency remote teaching during COVID-19. Distance Education, 42(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1869526
Xie, J. A. G., Rice, M. F., & Griswold, D. E. (2021b). Instructional designers’ shifting thinking about supporting teaching during and post-COVID-19. Distance Education,42(3), 331-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1956305
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Amy Lomellini, Patrick R Lowenthal, Jesús Trespalacios, Chareen Snelson

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
As a condition of publication, the author agrees to apply the Creative Commons – Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY) License to OLJ articles. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This licence allows anyone to reproduce OLJ articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the journal. This permission includes printing, sharing and other forms of distribution.
Author(s) hold copyright in their work, and retain publishing rights without restrictions