Evaluating Instructor Strategy and Student Learning Through Digital Accessibility Course Enhancements

This is a 12-page research article written by a team of researchers from Michigan State University, New York University, and City University, New York, in response to survey findings that "60% of tech companies believed it was difficult or very difficult for their organization to find job candidates with accessibility skills." This lead to the creation of Teach Access, a higher-education and tech industry consortium to stimulate teaching and learning about digital accessibility best practices. This study surveyed "student attitudes toward accessibility pre- and post-instruction of [digital accessibility] modules, as well as, instructor strategy." This paper addresses four research questions:

• What learning objectives, instructional methods and resources do instructors use?
• What do instructors think supports learning?
• What resource materials and delivery methods support student learning?
• What learning objectives around accessibility influence outcomes?

This resource includes a literature review of the trends in teaching accessibility, accessibility learning outcomes, and accessibility education; and the methodologies employed to evaluate the impact of the 2018-2019 Teach Access Cohort through surveys of students and faculty. This article also includes the results of the surveys, discussions of how the findings illuminate the research questions posed in this study, and reflections on course materials and encouraging careers in accessibility.