Ryan,
It is really good to have diverse ways to communicate. Good work.
Renee Shaffer
Fortunately we have several forums for discussion. There is the live sychronous chat that happens once a week but there is also the discussion board which requires 3 posts each week. Additionally there is an online quiz that has to be completed each week with 25 questions but they have 300 minutes to complete the quiz. Assignments are posted at the beginning of the class and do not change from week to week.
Letitia,
Great work to ensure that all students can have access to your course materials.
Renee Shaffer
Prior to the course starting, all assignments, discussion questions and tests are posted. In addition, I have scaffolding tools for every week of the course. The presentation of the material is varied; some may be a power point presentation, some may be an article, some may be a YouTube video. I mix it up to ensure that I am capturing the "whole" student regardless if a disability exists or not.
Thanks for asking. I make sure all of my sessions are recorded. I also refer students to accessibility services on campus that are willing to transcribe notes, articles, etc.
I also try to use online resources that have closed captioning and other options.
Great ideas by others on this site too,
Rick
Nathan,
How do you do the transcript? Have you had to do them after the fact?
Renee Shaffer
To help my students understand the online chat lectures (real time) I provide a transcript of the lecture and additional resources and visuals to emphasis key points. This way those who want to take their time (or need the time) to digest the content they have it. It has worked well.
Lanny,
Great ideas. Clear expectations are so very important because many students don't really know what to expect. For many online course equate to "easy courses" and we know that is not the case.
Renee Shaffer
Some of the best practices I incorporate into my online environment to help ensure the course is accessible to all students include the following:
1. Clearly defined expectations are sent to every student. They are numbered, bold typed, colored, and highlighted in the key areas I wanted to emphasize.
2. A "road map" is available and set up as a weekly checklist to give each student step-by-step guidance on how to help them achieve success in the course.
3. I send each student a communication form and ask them their preferred method of communication (e-mail, text, phone, etc.). This will better help me to effectively address their concerns and questions through the term.
4. I am constantly monitoring the lower performing students. I continually inquire as to why they are having difficulty with the work (or not submitting it at all) and figure out the best way I can support them.
While there are due dates set for assignments, I try to build flexibility into those dates. One of the best things to do at the beginning of each class if to have each student send a personal email to me with any info they think is relevant to their learning.
George,
Sometimes the best form of communication is the old fashioned telephone! Glad that you haven't had much issues when it comes to students with disabilities.
Renee Shaffer
One of the good things that we employ is a system to ID students who may have disabilities. This is good for those students who self-report or have been identified in the “system†but it behooves instructors not to make assumptions about the students’ abilities to manage the course. While chat sessions are voluntary and students may just pick up information through accessing the recorded archives, lagging in assignment turn-in or group participation may be caused by a physical or psychological impairment. I try to communicate with students each week assignments are due if, for some reason, an assignment is late. I expect a response or continue to attempt to communicate via e-mail (second attempt) then by telephone. I have only had rare instances where students with any impairment have had issues with completing the course materials.
I send out expectations at the beginning of the course to ensure that all students are aware of the requirements to complete the course. I also send out a notice in the beginning to make sure all students have the materials they need to complete the course(books, computer etc). I also make sure that my office hours are at time that any student that may have other responsibilities can contact when a time is convenient for them. I feel we can make the online experience just at enjoyable as the real classroom setting if we are able to accommodate all students including the ones with disability
Charlene,
You are doing a great service by being proactive with the students. Letting them know that you are available is refreshing!
Renee Shaffer
I teach for several online schools. The ADA students are identified and I am notified. What I do not know is the reason for their status. I am given instructions on extending the allowed time for testing and/or submitting assignments. They may also be given extensions after the class has actually ended to submit their assignments. I make myself available to students and let them know not to hesitate to contact me if they experience any problems during the course.
LE,
It is so great that you make the time to answer students in a timely manner.
Renee Shaffer
I post all of the assignments at the beginning of the class. This allows students to plan their work schedules and activities. I maintain a consistent schedule of Live Chat sessions and offer regular office hours. I also encourage Online students to contact me by email if they have a question. I respond to questions immediately to avoid having students waiting several days for simple answers.
I also utilize multiple learning styles in my course learning materials (Video, Written and Audio) This allows the student to find the tool that is most useful to them and the best match to their learning style.
Thomas,
sometimes just by looking over your materials with a "fresh eye" you can see ways of making your content more accessible.
Renee Shaffer
To organize the course well at the beginning and to make the information available in different formats (audio, visual, etc)to make it more accessible. It is also very important to be clear in your presentation of materials and highlight key ideas.
Kristian ,
Good question. The problem is that all education whether it be online or f2f has to be made accessible for all students. Whether or not that would be the best education for them is somewhat irrelevant. I know plenty of non disabled students who probably shouldn't be taking online course because for example, they don't want to spend the amount of time needed to dedicate to the class. But having a disability should have nothing to do with completing the course or not.
Renee Shaffer
