Rice, S. A. (2024). Understanding faculty experiences in implementing accessible course design strategies (Publication No. 30991754) [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2923139541

Walden University (Minneapolis, MN)

Accommodations were not specified; the focus was on faculty experiences implementing accessible course design practices to improve accessibility for students with disabilities, including proper document structure/format, flexibility with student work (flexible deadlines, flexible manners of demonstrating knowledge), and providing captioned videos or transcripts.

Sixteen faculty members from various academic programs at a 4-year public university in the Midwest participated in one-on-one in-person interviews about their experiences implementing accessible course design practices. The participants represented all colleges at the university and had teaching experience ranging from early career to more than 20 years. Faculty were selected through purposeful sampling from those who had participated in some form of professional development regarding accessible course design with the university's faculty center.

Data were collected through individual interviews guided by an interview protocol that explored faculty experiences implementing accessible course design strategies, motivation factors, barriers encountered, and resources needed.

Although faculty expressed positive feelings about their desire to implement accessibility strategies, only half described their courses as accessible. The most common motivators for implementing accessible practices were experiences with students or individuals with disabilities and a focus on overall student success. All participants identified time or workload as the primary barrier to implementing accessible course design, followed by lack of knowledge about how to make content accessible. Faculty indicated a need for more training opportunities, one-on-one consultations with accessibility experts, and technology resources to support them in implementing accessible course design strategies.