Instructional materials will include:

• Text materials to provide general information about key concepts, for assignments, and for short “cheat sheets” that can be used to complete various tasks. Rough draft assignments are included under “Assessments.”
• Software tools, including: Microsoft Word, D2L Brightspace, screen reader software (both third party and tools that are already part of Word and D2L), and Kaltura Mediaspace (for video editing and captioning).
• Audio and video materials: some information will be presented in synchronous lecture format and some information will be presented in video files, particularly to serve as short “tutorials” or “reminders” of skills already learned. Tutorials will be particularly helpful for remembering the specific skills of how to apply Styles in Word and D2L, or how to caption a video.

Although there are several video tutorials that already exist showcasing how to use Styles in Word or how to caption using Kaltura Mediaspace, these tutorials are generally aimed at showing students how to use a specific tool, rather than being presented as a method to increase accessibility.

Creating materials will make it easier to customize information and examples to those that employees encounter in their daily work environment. For example, one of the assessment drafts uses information from the “NHCC Campus Connection,” a newsletter that is regularly sent out (and has accessibility issues). Using real-world examples will help make the training more relevant and meaningful. For example, the “NHCC Campus Connection” does not use alt tags, and it is easy to demonstrate how lack of alt tags creates accessibility issues when trying to read the newsletter on a phone that does not automatically download images.

Creating materials will also make it easier to customize information to employees’ current skill levels.

The following criteria will be employed when creating educational materials:

• Materials are relevant to NHCC employees and rely on real examples from NHCC digital materials.
• Whenever possible, practice tasks will move quickly to applications relevant to the employees’ regular job duties.
• All assignments will be TILTed to ensure simplicity of language, transparency of learning objectives, and to model this educational practice to all employees.
• All informational materials (not assessment tasks) will follow accessibility standards: appropriate headings will be used; videos will be properly captioned and/or accompanied by a transcript; all informational images will be accompanied by appropriate alternative text; color will not be used to communicate important information, etc.
• All lectures will build in student/instructor interaction and use attention gaining strategies. Lectures will be brief, and they will be punctuated with practice sessions so that students have the ability to apply their learning immediately after being exposed to new concepts.
• All demonstrations will encourage students to “follow along” using appropriate software in a computer lab, rather than having students simply watch tasks being performed. Demonstrations will be paced so that all students have time to complete each step of the demonstration.

In addition to the above criteria, the instructor will frequently assess the effectiveness of instructional materials and adjust them as necessary to achieve learning objectives.