Accessibility in MOOCs: The current state and next steps

An effective open eLearning environment should take into account each learner’s abilities, learning goals, where learning takes place, and which specific devices the learner uses. Technologies used in Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms are not necessarily accessible, blocking the access to such educational environment to a big number of users. This research will benefit the MOOC providers who would be able to use the project's outputs and learners with disabilities to improve their lifelong learning and re-skilling. Providing accessible MOOCs could offer the flexibility of learning and benefits to all irrespective of their disability. In my research project, I am working towards developing a MOOC accessibility audit which will combine the use of both automatic tools and manual evaluation procedures. The evaluation criteria include usability and user experience characteristics alongside accessibility of the user interface design, and accessibility characteristics of the pedagogical design. I need to understand the multiple viewpoints of stakeholders in accessibility practice, such as those of educators who create materials and facilitate learning, and of technologists who develop and maintain platforms. It is therefore essential to identify how these stakeholders can be involved in achieving accessibility in MOOCs. As such, I am carrying out empirical investigations with design teams of MOOCs suggested capturing their practices and constraints of integrating accessibility. I will also investigate the experiences, constraints and requirements of the learners who have accessibility requirements