2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Motivation and Evidence for Screen Reader Accessible Website as an Effective and Inclusive Delivery Method for Course Content in Higher Education

Presented at COED: Spotlight on Diverse Learners

Course books containing mathematical equations and images when delivered as physical copies, scanned ebooks or PDFs are not screen reader accessible. Current frameworks for classification of learning resources assume ‘equal’ access and ‘uniform’ engagement by students but lack consideration for student preference as well as inclusivity. In this study, using feedback from students and evidence-based design principles, we have developed a screen reader-accessible website to deliver Engineering Mathematics to 2nd year undergraduate students. Student surveys and usage statistics on the website indicated high level of engagement throughout the year with students shown to prefer this delivery method over PDF options. We have further extended the implementation to 1st year Mathematics course and propose a practical four-factor framework of ‘accessibility’ which can influence engagement and access by students. The proposed framework can be used to choose appropriate learning resources and screen reader accessible website can serve as a simple method to facilitate an accessible and inclusive learning environment for students.

Authors

Dr. Vijesh J. Bhute Imperial College London [biography]

Dr. Vijesh Bhute currently leads 1st and 2nd year modules on Mathematics in the Chemical Engineering Department at Imperial College London. He leverages technology to enhance delivery of abstract concepts and also uses math-aware assessment platforms to improve student learning. He collaborates with students on various projects and has also contributed to development of innovative hybrid experiential learning approaches. He was elected Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2021. He was recently recognised with Imperial College's President Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovation for his effort on developing accessible resources and use of state-of-the-art technologies for delivering engaging content.
Ellen Player
Dr. Deesha Chadha Imperial College London [biography]

I currently work as a senior teaching fellow in the department of chemical engineering at Imperial College London having previously worked in academic development for a number of years at King's College London

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