Empowering access: Integrating multiple means of engagement when teaching accessible design principles

• Published in: Education and information technologies Vol. 30; no. 9; pp. 12661 - 12680
• Main Authors: Adler, Rachel F., Kletenik, Devorah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Access to Education; Accessibility (for Disabled); Blindness; Classroom Environment; Classrooms; Cognitive style; College students; Color; Color blindness; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computer Software; Computers and Education; Digital literacy; Disability; Education; Educational Needs; Educational Technology; Executive function; Games; Handicapped accessibility; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Instructional design; Instructional Materials; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning Motivation; Learning Processes; Pedagogy; People with disabilities; Physical Disabilities; Reflection; Service Learning; Simulation; Software; Student Interests; Student Motivation; Teaching; Teaching Methods; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; Computing education; Engagement; Computer games; Accessible design
• ISSN: 1360-2357; 1573-7608
• DOI: 10.1007/s10639-025-13324-y

Although digital accessibility topics are increasingly gaining inclusion in university computing classrooms, many instructors still encounter difficulties in engaging students with this subject. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, a pedagogical approach that emphasizes multiple means of engagement, offers a promising strategy to appeal to diverse learning preferences of students. In our study, we applied the UDL framework to design a set of five interactive accessibility games. These games were intended to supplement traditional classroom approaches to teach accessible design. We implemented these games in courses at two public universities, testing them on 236 students. The students not only found the games both educational and engaging, but they also demonstrated a heightened understanding of the software challenges faced by people with disabilities and a greater inclination to include users with disabilities as potential software users. Our findings strongly suggest that the integration of accessibility-focused games into the classroom setting can significantly enhance student learning outcomes.