Presented at 10:30am in Cotton Creek II on Friday, November 17, 2017.
#10348Speaker(s)
- Marc Thompson, Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning Experiences, Program Director Information Accessibility Design & Policy, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
- Hadi Rangin, IT Accessibility Specialist, University of Washington
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: All Levels
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
This presentation shares impact study results on graduates of the Information Accessibility Design and Policy program at University of Illinois. The study examines two cohorts that have recently completed a 3-course, 24-week program to assess the effects of the curriculum and instruction on students' professional lives during and after the program.
Abstract
How does an accessibility curriculum impact its students? This presentation will share results of an impact study on over 40 graduates from the Information Accessibility Design and Policy program at University of Illinois. The study examines two cohorts that have recently completed a three-course, 24-week program to assess the effects of the curriculum and instruction on students' professional activities during and after the program. We will evaluate how students' acquired knowledge and skills in information accessibility, design and policy have impacted their day-to-day professional activities, career paths, and job placement. We will also consider how the program’s design may serve as an ongoing, online professional network for sharing information and practicing design and policy across a wide variety of occupations and disciplines, including computer science and engineering students, federal/state employees, UX designers, web developers, instructional designers, and administrators.
Keypoints
- What impact does an accessibility curriculum have on students' professional lives and practice?
- Do students create more universally-designed applications/content after completing an accessibility program?
- How can accessibility programs promote a community of practice across different occupations and disciplines?
Disability Areas
Topic Areas
Accessible Course Design, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Marc Thompson
Dr. Thompson is the Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning Experiences, and Director of the Information Accessibility Design & Policy program at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at the university level for over 30 years and has 20 years of experience teaching online courses and providing online teaching instruction. In addition to his teaching experience, he has a background in web design, instructional media, and web-based learning platforms. He is the accessibility liaison for the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning at the University of Illinois and has presented at a number of workshops and conferences on topics related to the creation of accessible course content and the accessibility of web conferencing systems and learning management systems.