1. INTRODUCTION

This section outlines the process behind the design of a course currently in development: the Orientation Course for ITS Accessibility Interns. The course is in the design phase and is intended to prepare accessibility interns with the practical skills needed to remediate digital course materials and ensure compliance with the Department of Justice’s WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility requirements.

In this entry, emphasis is placed on the instructional approach guiding the design, the psychological learning theory supporting the pedagogy, the multimedia design principles applied to the learning materials, and the authoring tool selected for development. Together, these elements provide the rationale for the design choices, ensuring that the course is systematic, theoretically grounded, aligned with accessibility best practices, and developed through tools that meet both learner and institutional needs.

2. Instructional Approach and Psychological Theory Guiding the Design 

The design of this course is guided by the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), one of the most widely used instructional design approaches. ADDIE provides a systematic framework that ensures training is aligned with learner needs, organizational goals, and measurable outcomes. Alongside this, the psychological foundation for the training is Constructivism, which emphasizes that learners build knowledge through active engagement, reflection, and application. Together, ADDIE and Constructivism ensure that the Accessibility Interns not only learn technical skills but also internalize them through meaningful, hands-on practice. 

2.1 Using the ADDIE Framework to Guide Course Design 

Analysis

All course materials at the University of Tampa must comply with the Department of Justice’s WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility requirements by April 26, 2027. A learner analysis revealed that ITS Accessibility Interns already possess a basic theoretical understanding of accessibility principles but lack the hands-on skills necessary to remediate materials independently using tools such as Adobe Acrobat and Ally. The analysis also highlighted the interns’ demographic characteristics, including their status as undergraduate and graduate students, their remote work environment, and the need for flexible training that fits alongside academic responsibilities. These findings established the foundation for the course objectives and structure.

Design

In the design phase, the course framework was developed to move interns from guided learning to independent application. Instructional objectives were aligned with both the organizational mandate for accessibility compliance and the interns’ skill gaps. The course was structured into scaffolded modules covering essential remediation practices, such as adding alt text, correcting reading order, and ensuring proper metadata. Each module was designed to begin with demonstration and guided practice, followed by opportunities for independent application. The design intentionally reflected constructivist principles, ensuring that learners actively built on their prior knowledge of accessibility standards while engaging in authentic, task-based learning experiences.

Development

During development, the instructional materials and media assets were created. This included annotated screenshots, step-by-step guides, screen-recorded demonstrations with narration and captions, and practice files that mirror real university course materials. The development process prioritized accessibility features in the materials themselves, such as clear structure, alternative text, and captioned video content, ensuring that the training modeled best practices. Multimedia principles were applied to reduce cognitive load, using concise visuals and narration rather than cluttered or redundant elements. These decisions ensured that the course content was not only instructionally sound but also accessible and aligned with the very standards interns were being trained to implement.

Implementation

The implementation phase will focus on delivering the course through SpartanLearn (Canvas), the university’s learning management system. Hosting the course in Canvas is expected to provide interns with a familiar platform and integrate the training with the institution’s existing systems. The course will use a modular design, allowing interns to progress at their own pace and accommodate their part-time schedules and other responsibilities. Real-world remediation tasks will be incorporated to ensure direct transfer of skills to their work assignments. Supervisors and staff from the ITS Academic Solutions Department will support the implementation by monitoring progress, providing feedback, and facilitating reflection activities to help interns solidify their learning. 

Evaluation

The evaluation phase will incorporate both formative and summative methods. Formative evaluation will take place throughout the course, with feedback provided during practice activities and guided remediation tasks. This approach will enable learners to correct errors and refine their skills in real time. Summative evaluation will be conducted through independent remediation assignments assessed against WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance standards. Additionally, supervisors will collect feedback from interns to identify opportunities for course improvement. These evaluation processes will not only ensure that interns develop the intended skills, but also provide ongoing input to refine the course in response to evolving accessibility standards and learner needs. 

2.2. Message Design and Multimedia Principles 

The design of the Orientation Course for ITS Accessibility Interns incorporates research-based multimedia principles to ensure that learning is effective, efficient, and accessible. Central to the design is the segmentation principle, which posits that learners learn better when content is broken into smaller, manageable segments rather than presented as a single continuous stream. Given the complexity of accessibility remediation tasks, such as adding alt text, correcting reading order, and verifying color contrast, segmentation allows interns to focus on one specific skill at a time, reducing cognitive overload and supporting deeper learning.

The course materials use a combination of screen-recorded demonstrations, annotated screenshots, and step-by-step written guides, allowing interns to process visual and verbal information through separate channels, consistent with Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer, 2009). Videos are divided into short segments corresponding to specific tasks, each accompanied by narration and captions to enhance accessibility. Step-by-step guides mirror these segments, giving learners the ability to pause, reflect, and practice independently before progressing.

Additional multimedia principles applied include coherence (removing extraneous information), signaling (highlighting important elements in screenshots or videos), and modality (combining spoken narration with visual demonstrations rather than redundant on-screen text). Together, these strategies support interns in actively constructing knowledge, following the constructivist approach, while ensuring the instructional design is aligned with best practices in multimedia learning.

By structuring content in segmented modules and providing complementary media, the course enables interns to build confidence gradually, reinforces retention, and facilitates the transfer of skills to real remediation tasks within their work environment.

To illustrate the segmentation principle, a screencast presentation has been created, breaking remediation tasks into short, focused segments. Interns can absorb one step at a time, pause to practice, and revisit segments as needed, reducing cognitive overload and supporting active, constructivist learning. 

3. Reflection on Media Tools 

Several media tools have been carefully selected to support the design and delivery of the Orientation Course for ITS Accessibility Interns. Replay will be used to record screencast demonstrations, providing interns with clear, step-by-step visual guidance for remediation tasks such as adding alt text, adjusting reading order, and checking color contrast. These screencasts are segmented into focused modules, allowing interns to pause, review, and practice each step individually, which reduces cognitive overload and aligns with multimedia learning principles. Quiz Maker will be employed to create interactive assessments that test learners’ understanding of accessibility standards and remediation processes. Immediate feedback from these quizzes ensures that learners can correct misconceptions early, supporting active engagement and knowledge construction.

Storyline has been selected as the primary authoring tool for course development because it offers the flexibility, accessibility features, and multimedia integration necessary for this type of hands-on training. Storyline allows the creation of interactive modules that combine text, images, videos, and quizzes in a single, structured course. Its branching and feedback options enable scaffolded learning, giving interns guided practice before moving to independent tasks. Importantly, Storyline includes a built-in accessibility checker that evaluates content against WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, ensuring that the course itself models the accessibility principles interns are learning to apply. Additionally, Storyline’s compatibility with Canvas (SpartanLearn) ensures seamless integration with the university’s learning management system, supporting modular navigation and tracking of learner progress. By combining multimedia elements, interactive exercises, and accessibility features, Storyline makes it possible to deliver a rich, learner-centered experience that mirrors real-world remediation work while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Together, these tools support the course’s instructional approach, reinforcing constructivist learning by allowing interns to actively build knowledge through practice and reflection. They also uphold the segmentation principle, ensuring that complex tasks are presented in manageable, focused chunks that optimize comprehension, skill development, and accessibility awareness.

The final section will showcase the course in Storyline’s Story View, providing a visual overview of modules, lessons, and interactive elements. This view illustrates the course flow, scaffolding, multimedia integration, segmentation, and accessibility features, offering a clear look at how the Orientation Course for ITS Accessibility Interns is organized and designed. 

4. Conclusion

The design of the Orientation Course for ITS Accessibility Interns demonstrates a thoughtful integration of instructional approach, psychological theory, and multimedia tools. By following the ADDIE model, the course is systematically developed to meet the interns’ needs, from analyzing skill gaps to evaluating learning outcomes. Grounding the course in Constructivist theory ensures that interns actively build knowledge by connecting prior accessibility principles to hands-on remediation tasks, promoting reflection, problem-solving, and independent application. Finally, the deliberate use of multimedia tools, including Replay for screencasts, Quiz Maker for interactive assessments, and Storyline for course development supports segmented, scaffolded learning while modeling accessibility best practices and aligning with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Together, these elements create a learner-centered, accessible, and practical training experience that prepares interns to confidently apply their skills in real-world contexts. 

5.  References

1. Articulate. (2023). Storyline 360 Accessibility Overview. Retrieved from https://articulate.com/support/article/Accessibility-in-Storyline-360

2. Branch, R. M. (2009). Instructional design: The ADDIE approach. Springer.

3. Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the Science of Instruction (4th ed.). Wiley.

4. Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

5. Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. Basic Books.

6. Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive Load Theory. Springer.

7. U.S. Department of Justice. (2010). 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/resources/2010-ada-standards/

8. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.