The session introduces a digital escape room created to motivate faculty to design accessible content. Participants will try to solve inaccessible puzzles used to evoke empathy and show the importance of digital accessibility in the online classroom. The session ends with a group discussion and Q&A.
Learning objectives:
- Describe how inaccessible content may hinder learning experiences
- Articulate the impact that intentions have on the willingness to develop accessible content
- Determine potential barriers to developing accessible online content
This session describes a digital escape room (DER) developed about digital accessibility. The DER incorporated game-based learning elements of the Integrated Design Framework for Playful Learning into the design. Also, the Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) constructs were used to examine how they impact faculty willingness to develop accessible content, which is the intended behavior. The construct intention is the most critical determinant of the behavior. The DER is focused on influencing faculty intentions to develop accessible content and their saliency towards the behavior. The experience was used to also provoke self-reflection on barriers that may hinder faculty's ability to create accessible online course content and how to overcome those barriers. The study's goal was to use the affective domain to evoke empathy as faculty explored an immersive, digital environment to experience issues in online learning that impact learners with disabilities.
The session will be split into an introduction, demonstration, brief group discussion, and Q&A. The introduction will consist of a brief overview of the study, including the IBM constructs: intentions, knowledge and skills, the salience of the behavior, habit, and environmental constraints. During the demonstration, you can choose to solve a couple of the inaccessible puzzles from the DER. Will you choose to talk to Hugh Hunter in the hallway, Capt. Closed in the celebrity suite, or Al Tex in the business suite? What can you learn from each suspect, and how does your experience with the puzzle relate to issues for online learners with disabilities? We will review a table that links each DER suspect/puzzle to the coordinating WCAG principle, guideline, and success criterion. During the group discussion, you will be asked to reflect on your intentions, knowledge and skills, saliency, habits, and environmental constraints regarding developing accessible content. We will talk about how the constructs of the IBM may impact whether or not we develop accessible course content. The discussion may uncover barriers or gaps that you may need to address. The session will end with questions and answers.
Takeaways:
- Experience learning activities through the lens of an online learner who may have a disability.
- See how the use a multidisciplinary approach to design is used to raise awareness about issues in distance learning regarding digital accessibility
- Identify your readiness and intentions to develop accessible course content