Report: Accessibility in Digital Learning Increasingly Complex

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/18/18
OLC Research Center

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) has introduced a series of original reports to keep people in education up-to-date on the latest developments in the field of digital learning. The first report covers accessibility and addresses both K-12 and higher education. The series is being produced by OLC's Research Center for Digital Learning & Leadership.

The initial report addresses four broad areas tied to accessibility:

  • The national laws governing disability and access and how they apply to online courses;
  • What legal cases exist to guide online course design and delivery in various educational settings;
  • The issues that emerge regarding online course access that might be unique to higher ed or to K-12, and which ones might be shared; and
  • What support online course designers need to generate accessible courses for learners across the education life span (from K-12 to higher education).

"As our first OLC Outlook report explains, accessibility in K-12 and higher education is becoming an increasingly complex terrain to traverse as schools increase online materials and instructional delivery options," said Jill Buban, senior director of research and innovation for OLC, in a prepared statement. "This report examines the critical terms, legal precedents, and other considerations for course designers, instructors, and administrators as they work to improve the educational experiences of learners with disabilities."

As the first report concluded, college and K-12 considerations come into play at multiple levels: institutional, department, program and course for higher ed; and federal, state, district, school and classroom for K-12. But at no level has there been a sufficient push for increasing accessibility to "stave off complaints, legal actions, and high attrition rates for students with disabilities."

Next up will be an examination of instructional design (expected this month), followed by leadership in August, business models in September, learning sciences in October and workforce development in November.

All reports in the OLC Outlook series will be available through registration in the OLC Research Center for Digital Learning & Leadership.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • simplified, abstract illustration focusing on the negative side of generative AI misuse, balancing the concepts of cybersecurity and human impact

    Researchers Provide Breakdown of Generative AI Misuse

    In an effort to clarify the potential risks of GenAI and provide "a concrete understanding of how GenAI models are specifically exploited or abused in practice, including the tactics employed to inflict harm," a group of researchers from Google DeepMind, Jigsaw, and Google.org recently published a paper entitled, "Generative AI Misuse: A Taxonomy of Tactics and Insights from Real-World Data."

  • clock with gears and digital circuits inside

    Report Pegs Cost of AI at Nearly $300K Per Minute

    A new report from cloud-based data/BI specialist Domo provides a staggering estimate of the minute-by-minute impact of today's generative AI boom.

  • stylized illustration of a college administrator lying awake in a cozy bed, looking thoughtful

    When Thinking About Data, What Keeps You Up at Night?

    The proliferation of technology in education means we have more data about how, what and if students are learning than ever before. The question is, how do we ensure that data gets into the hands of the people who can use it to improve teaching and learning, without invading a student or educator's privacy?

  • a glowing gaming controller, a digital tree structure, and an open book

    Report: Use of Game Engines Expands Beyond Gaming

    Game development technology is increasingly being utilized beyond its traditional gaming roots, according to the recently released annual "State of Game Development" report from development and DevOps solutions provider Perforce Software.