Digital Badges to Promote Improving Accessibility of Digital Course Materials and Being a Champion for Accessibility

Concurrent Session 7

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Learn about a new digital badges initiative at one large public institution to recognize faculty for their great work improving the accessibility of their course materials and motivate them to become champions for accessibility. 

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Jason Rhode, Northern Illinois University

Jason Rhode, Ph.D. is Associate Vice Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Digital Education at Northern Illinois University (NIU). In his role he serves as chief online learning officer, oversees NIU's Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, oversees university-wide accreditation, and provides strategic leadership for the design and delivery of high quality digital learning.

Co-presenter: Jason Underwood, Northern Illinois University Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center

Jason Underwood is the Director of Instructional Design and Design for Northern Illinois University. Jason provides leadership on instructional design and development activities for faculty, instructors, teaching staff, and teaching assistants, overseeing all aspects of instructional design and development initiatives for Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center including supervising and evaluating all classification of staff dedicated to online course design and development, providing expertise on current and emerging practices in online learning and instructional design, and overseeing online course design and development. Jason has been teaching face to face and online courses in Instructional Technology, Instructional Design, Research, and Evaluation for more than 15 years.

Co-presenter: Megan Holt, Northern Illinois University

Megan offers programs and consultations to faculty, teaching staff and teaching assistants on effective online teaching and learning, integration of digital learning tools and techniques, and application of quality standards. She assists in planning, coordination, and implementation of online teaching professional development activities and large-scale digital course materials accessibility programs and initiatives. Megan is also enrolled in NIU's Instructional Technology PhD program.

Additional Authors

Stephanie Richter, Northern Illinois University

Stephanie Richter is the Director of Faculty Development and Instructional Support for the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She consults with and provides professional development for faculty on integrating technology into teaching and supports the online teaching and learning initiatives at NIU. She holds a Master of Science in Education in Instructional Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Instructional Technology at Northern Illinois University. Research interests include online learning, online course design, social media and networking, faculty development, and faculty use of learning management systems.

Tracy Miller, Northern Illinois University

Tracy Miller is the Assistant Director of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at Northern Illinois University. At NIU she is responsible for operations, quality assurance, and compliance process and reporting for the center.

Extended Abstract

In an effort to further promote faculty adoption and use of available tools and approaches for improving the accessibility of digital course materials, this institution has established a new digital badges program to recognize faculty for being champions for accessibility. Through this new digital badges program, faculty can earn digital badges for their work being student-centered, increasing their overall course accessibility score, finding and fixing accessibility issues using Blackboard Ally, and adding captions to multimedia materials. Because improving accessibility is an ongoing process and not an all-or-nothing endeavor, most of the badges offer multiple levels. Faculty are encouraged to start small and work their way up to the top! When faculty earn them all, they can become an Ally Hero! 

During this session, learn about this institution’s new digital badges program implemented in the spring 2022. Preliminary feedback and lessons learned will be shared and we will discuss principles for success that can be applied to any similar faculty recognition and incentive initiative.