Salsa: accessible HTML syllabus documents

The syllabus is often a student's first encounter with a course. Today's web-enabled learning environments are dynamic in nature, and often have a set of requirements that exceed those of traditional face-to-face courses. The SALSA framework was developed to guide an instructor through a process to create a next-generation syllabus document to provide complete information in a format that optimizes accessibility for the largest group of students––HTML.

SALSA stands for "Structured & Accessible Learning Service Agreement". Most institutions of higher education require their students to format their papers according to a formal system––most often the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association style guides. Syllabus documents that have a formal structure are easier for a student to read, comprehend, and remember. Salsa allows an institution to develop a template that is pre-populated with institutional policies, which saves time for an instructor, and ensures that a student has the most up-to-date information. When a student has complete information on an instructor’s expectations, how a course is organized, and an institution's policies, as an adult learner, she or he is empowered to exercise rights, and assume responsibilities.

• Participants will receive an overview of the components of an accessible syllabus.
• Participants will learn how Salsa automatically adds much of the semantic structure needed to support assistive technologies.
• Participants will receive an overview of Salsa's step-by-step process for creating an accessible HTML syllabus.