FCS Faculty Prioritize Accessible Design
Blackboard Ally is an accessibility awareness tool available to CSULB instructors within their BeachBoard courses. Prior to its campus-wide release in May 2021, Academic Technology Services invited campus departments to participate in a pilot test to gather feedback and identify support issues.
As one of the first to come forward, the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Department took the pilot test one step further by creating a custom training program for instructors and offering incentives to encourage participation.
At the Forefront of Access for All
FCS Department Chair Dr. Wendy Reiboldtknows her faculty like to be on the cutting edge and relish the challenge of trying something new. As the largest department on campus focusing on individuals, families, and communities in a diverse society, accessibility is part of their mission. In their work with children in Child Development and Family Studies and older adults in the Gerontology Program, FCS faculty are devoted to equity and access at all stages of life. Recognizing that Blackboard Ally would support her faculty in this mission and benefit students, Dr. Reiboldt seized the opportunity to jump in early with Blackboard Ally.
One thing I learned a long time ago is that accessible design is really universal design. That is, even when we do something for a person that needs accommodation, we see others benefiting as well.
A Pilot to Support Faculty Success
After identifying three large, multi-sectional courses (GERN 400, NUTR 132, and CAFF 427) as candidates for the study, Dr. Reiboldt invited instructors in over 66 course sections to participate, potentially impacting upwards of 2,000 students.
In collaborating with ATS, full-time lecturer Casey Goeller created a BeachBoard instructor training course that included an orientation to Ally, and a catalog of resource materials to support the learning process.
By sharing examples of their improved course materials, instructors showed how effectively Ally can guide the remediation process. In addition, instructors who completed the pilot study achieved a minimal 80% overall compliance score, as measured by the Ally “Course Accessibility Report.”` With only a small investment of time, instructors can now easily re-use this high-scoring content in other course sections, quickly multiplying the benefit for a large number of students in future courses.
Faculty Jump In
As intrepid early adopters of Blackboard Ally, FCS faculty members discovered how easy it was to just "jump in" and start using this tool to fix issues in their course content- without extensive preparation. Ally's online feedback tools provide accessibility tips and training as part of the course development process. Learning about accessible design has never been easier.
Hear about faculty experiences with Blackboard Ally in these interviews with ATS' Assistant Director of Instructional Design, Mariza Hernandez:
Dr. Virginia Gray
Associate Professor
Listen to the Interview [audio]
Read the Transcripts [PDF]
"This tool makes me so much more confident [about accessible content]. Before, I really did kind of worry, “Have I done enough to make this document accessible for students who need it in alternative formats?” But now, I don't have to question that because the tool lets me know."
Dr. Maria Claver
Professor
Listen to the Interview [audio]
Read the Transcripts [PDF]
"I really would encourage faculty to just take a shot. Even though we've been faced with a lot of different tools that we can use for our online instruction, this is one that is very worth taking the opportunity to do and to learn. It really helps your class and takes it to the next level without that much of an investment of time and energy."
