A recently released study has us thinking about online learning and issues of accessibility. Let’s first describe the study and then pose some questions about universal design of online learning environments and materials.
Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (2009) is a recently released report by the U.S. Department of Education.
Download the Full Report: PDF (816K) | MS Word (3.6M)
The report summarizes a systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 and identified more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning. Analysts screened these studies to find those that (a) contrasted an online to a face-to-face condition, (b) measured student learning outcomes, (c) used a rigorous research design, and (d) provided adequate information to calculate an effect size.
As a result of this screening, 51 independent effects were identified that could be subjected to meta-analysis. Key findings include:
* Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction. Learning outcomes for students who engaged in online learning exceeded those of students receiving face-to-face instruction, with an average effect size of +0.24 favoring online conditions. The mean difference between online and face-to-face conditions across the 51 contrasts is statistically significant at the p < .01 level.
* Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction. The mean effect size in studies comparing blended with face-to-face instruction was +0.35, p < .001. This effect size is larger than that for studies comparing purely online and purely face-to-face conditions, which had an average effect size of +0.14, p < .05.
* Few rigorous research studies of the effectiveness of online learning for K–12 students have been published. The systematic search of the research literature found just five experimental or controlled quasi-experimental studies comparing the learning effects of online versus face-to-face instruction for K-12 students. As such, caution is required in generalizing to the K-12 population because the results are for the most part based on studies in other settings (e.g., medical training, higher education).
As we have been thinking about the ubiquitous nature of online learning, we have been wondering how much impact universal design has had on learning management systems, online course materials, digital readings, and interactive online activities. In many cases it seems that this trend has moved along without much consideration of accessibility beyond general institutional statements about commitment to web accessibility. Is this true on your campus?
Some resources we have found useful in helping others learn about the importance of accessible online learning environments and practical strategies for implementing universal design:
Access eLearning
http://www.accesselearning.net/The Center for Accessibility in Distance Education
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cade/How-To Guide for Creating Accessible Online Learning Content
http://projectone.cannect.org/The Center on Accessible Distance Learning
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/accessdl.html
Are there other resources you have found useful in your work concerning accessible online learning?
