Title: Accessibility
Course: Digivisio DEMO: Planning and creating a MOOC > Section: Creating a MOOC in a virtual learning environment

(Alt text: The universal logo for accessibility, in which a blue human figure stands within a black circle with their limbs spread out.)

Accessibility is also important in the digital world. Accessibility means that as many people as possible can use websites and mobile applications as easily as possible. When accessibility is provided for as well as possible, people can use digital services independently. Accessibility also promotes the independence and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.

Accessibility of studies is a statutory requirement – not something that higher education institutions do on a voluntary basis. All municipalities and central government actors today have a duty to ensure that the materials they produce are accessible, and this perspective is also relevant to higher education institutions. Accessible materials are part of learners’ rights to equality in public education.

Accessibility in a nutshell: international WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (in Finnish, Verkkosisällön saavutettavuusohjeet). The Finnish Act on the Provision of Digital Services requires compliance with the A and AA level criteria of the latest WCAG guideline version, or WCAG 2.1. As an exception, live webcasts (video or audio) do not have to comply with the criteria.

Thinking of accessibility is essential when preparing a MOOC, and at best, it will significantly promote the progress of all learners on the course. Accessible, clear and well-structured digital material consequently has an essential role in course planning for increasing the retention rate of the MOOC or, simply put, the number of learners who pass the course

In the context of the retention rate: a MOOC pilot was conducted by Oulu Business School, in which the entire course content was directly offered to all learners not only as a text version but also a version read out by an AI-generated voice. In other words, learners could decide whether to read or listen to the course material, or both at the same time. After the first academic year, it was found that approx. 60% of the learners who passed the course had made use of its audio materials, and the completion rate of the course was approx. 23% of learners who entered the course area (normally 7% to 10%).

When considering accessibility and producing accessible courses and materials, note at least the following in your MOOC course.

Make sure that you use text when creating heading and paragraph styles. This means that a screen reader can distinguish the headings from the body text and makes it possible to browse the material by heading.
Enable video captions and text alternatives. Also, provide text alternatives for all audio material (such as podcasts) you use for your course.
Use accessible links. Describe the destination and main content of the link in the link text. For example, visit https://www.webaccessibility.fi/ for examples of accessible implementations.
When using images, also add descriptive alt texts to them. If you generate the image using AI, your prompt often works as an excellent alt text.
Ensure that the structure and order of the content are clear. Make sure that topics and the entire course progress logically and even repeat the same structures at certain points. The structural elements of the virtual learning environment or any course templates of your higher education institution will help you do this.
Make sure navigating around the course is easy. Make transitions clear, provide instructions for transitions to new sections, create a ready-made navigation if this is allowed by the platform, and simplify transitions within the course area. For example, you can limit access to different areas before certain assignments have been completed and time the opening and closing of sections as needed, and you can use a course map with links that direct learners to the correct sections. The main thing is that you make navigating in the virtual environment as easy, intuitive, and simple as possible, both for learners using visual clues and those relying on a screen reader.

When producing media content for a course, make sure that you select accessible fonts, font sizes, and colours that match the text content and that contrast sufficiently with the background or other content. See the H5P element below for an example.
When producing media content, make sure that you also have a text alternative for all multimedia content (videos, podcasts, etc.) for screen readers.
Test interactive elements from the perspective of accessibility. Sometimes different platforms (certain Moodle versions and their additional components, list of accessible H5P tools) also offer accessibility testing or pre-tested elements. You can also test your learning environments yourself, for example using the built-in screen readers of browsers.

There is often room for improvement in accessibility, which is why you should be prepared to test, develop and update the content. Feedback on the accessibility of content is particularly valuable, and you should try and collect it in connection with your course. Examples of this include open questions about the clarity of the course structure, about which parts of the course learners felt they benefited from pedagogically, etc.

EXAMPLES OF ACCESSIBILITY

Summarised content of the accessibility section in plain language with a font and background colour offering sufficient contrast.

Key points to keep in mind:

1. Heading and paragraph styles: Use clear heading and paragraph styles, which allow screen readers to tell the headings apart from the body text.
2. Captions and text alternatives: Add captions and text alternatives to videos. This also applies to audio materials, such as podcasts.
3. Accessible links: Write out the destinations and contents of links clearly in link texts.
4. Alternative texts for images: Add descriptive alternative texts to images. In AI-generated images, the prompt can work well as an alt text.
5. Clear structure: Make sure that the course content progresses logically and repeats the same structures if necessary.
6. Make navigation easy: Ensure clear and intuitive navigation around the course. Provide instructions for transitions to new sections and create ready-made navigation elements.
7. Accessible fonts and colours: Select fonts, font sizes, and colours that stand out clearly from the background.
8. Test interactive elements: Test interactive elements from the perspective of accessibility. If necessary, use ready-made tools tested for accessibility.
9. Feedback and development: Collect feedback on the accessibility of the course and be prepared to update the content based on it.

An example of an accessible H5P tool. The content includes key issues related to accessibility.

Accessibility.h5p

An example of an extremely inaccessible poster that was actually produced for a conference. Make sure that the content you produce is not like this.

HEI:

At the top level, the higher education institution ensures the accessibility of the materials it produces and monitors accessibility. The higher education institution is responsible for compliance with legislation and providing teachers with training related to accessibility.

Teacher:

The teacher is responsible for the accessibility of the materials they produce and always strives to produce accessible materials. The teacher acquires information on accessibility and, with the support of the higher education institution, participates in training that enables them to produce accessible material. The teacher also collects feedback on accessibility from learners and prepares a report on shortcomings in accessibility.

Learner:

If necessary, the learner gives feedback on the accessibility aspects of the course as part of learner feedback or through other channels. A learner also always has the right and possibility to file an accessibility complaint or request a report on accessibility.

  Tools:

The purpose of various tools that facilitate accessibility work is to help produce accessible materials and to ensure accessibility. These tools include automatically generated (AI) captions and text alternatives, automatically generated alt texts for images, audio alternatives for image and text files or text alternatives for audio recordings, various pre-made accessible interactive elements, and, for example, ready-made document and slide templates.

Now fill in the accessibility of the MOOC in your pedagogical manuscript. Pay attention to at least the following.

- Are you planning to use images? How will you ensure that they are accessible?
If you are using videos, should they have captions?
- If you are using multimedia content, how will you produce text alternatives?
- Do you intend to use links to content found elsewhere? How will you ensure that the links and the content to which they take learners are accessible?
- If you use plenty of colours in your teaching material, have you provided adequate contrast?
- Do not forget to use the workspace accessibility check tool.

References

Briefly about accessibility  - Accessibility overview

https://www.webaccessibility.fi/

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