Creating inclusive and engaging experiences for all learners is essential. That’s why earning certifications from organizations like CAST is a significant milestone. We are proud to announce that VEX Professional Development Plus (VEX PD+) has earned Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Product Certification! In this article, we’ll explore what this certification entails and how it can enhance your own learning and teaching.

Who is CAST?

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming education through innovation and inclusivity. CAST developed Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based framework designed to make learning more accessible and effective for all students. Through resources, training, and certifications, CAST empowers educators and organizations to create flexible learning environments that address the diverse needs of every student.

How is the Accessibility Baseline incorporated in PD+? 

To earn this phase of certification, the PD+ website itself must meet the guidelines for WCAG 2.1, which cover a wide range of criteria aimed at making web content accessible for all, including users with a wider range of disabilities or needs. There are three main areas in which accessibility improvements were focused – Keyboard Accessibility, Screen Reader Accessibility, and Visual Accessibility. These areas ensure that assistive technologies can interact with the PD+ website and present content to users in a way that is understandable, navigable, and accurate.

Keyboard Accessibility

The improvements in this area ensure that the webpages in PD+ are able to be navigated with keyboard controls, enabling users for whom controlling a mouse is difficult to engage with PD+ content easily. Keyboard accessibility updates include: 

• Focus indicators - Visual cues were added to enable users to more easily track their navigation position on a page. 
• Interactive elements keyboard navigable - All interactive elements, like the collapsable Chapter menus in Intro Courses and VEX Masterclasses, are now able to be operated with a keyboard. This enables users without a mouse to interact fully with course content.

Screen Reader Accessibility

Key changes in this area enable those with visual impairments who are using assistive technologies like screen readers, to navigate, consume, and understand content easily and effectively. Screen reader accessibility updates include: 

• Labeling decorative images - Accurately assigning alternative text that denotes decorative images in content enables screen readers to ignore them and present content with fewer unnecessary distractions.
• Updating links and headings for screen reader navigation - Screen readers use headings and uniquely named links to understand and convey the structure of a webpage. This allows users to navigate more efficiently. For example, Intro Courses are divided into Chapters, each with its own Introduction. It's important that these sections are clearly labeled (e.g., "Introduction to Chapter 1," "Introduction to Chapter 2," etc.). This helps the screen reader differentiate between sections, making the content more accessible and navigable.
• Accurate descriptions of interactive content - Elements like progress bars that visually communicate a user’s progress through a course are now able to be communicated accurately with a screen reader. Now a user can hear “25% of Chapter 2 completed”, allowing those with visual impairments to perceive their progress through the course as well.

Visual Accessibility

Updates for visual accessibility ensure that PD+ is a safe and readable environment for those with visual impairments, like color vision deficiencies, or photosensitive epilepsy, as well as those with attention or cognitive challenges. Visual accessibility improvements include:

• Higher contrast colors - All of the colors and color contrast of elements on PD+ pages have been adjusted to ensure that content is more readily visible and accessible for all users.
• Pause or stop animations - Controls were added for animations longer than 5 seconds, enabling users to pause or stop the animations as needed. This feature can help reduce distractions in the content, as well as cognitive load, supporting those with attention or cognitive difficulties.
• Removal of any ‘flashing’ images - The elimination of flashing imagery ensures a safe experience for those with photosensitive epilepsy.

Achieving both phases of the UDL Product Certification requires rigorous evaluation by CAST. Products are assessed based on their adherence to WCAG accessibility standards, their alignment with UDL principles, and their ability to foster flexible and engaging learning environments. Only products that meet these high standards in both phases earn the certification.

How is UDL incorporated in PD+?

One of the clearest ways to see how this has been achieved is through the VEX 123 Educator Certification Intro Course. Like other Intro Courses, the content features a mixture of readings, videos, and hands-on activities designed to introduce teachers to incorporating VEX 123 in their setting. Working toward this certification enabled us to think about the way in which course content is presented, and how to ensure that it was offering multiple means for engagement, representation, and expression of learning. This provides us the means to be sure educators taking this course are given the same opportunities for learning as we endeavor to give our students.

Engagement

The UDL guidelines for engagement highlight learners’ individual identities, and honors the idea that what sparks each of our motivation and enthusiasm for learning is as unique as we are. To enhance engagement, look for things like:

• Times per chapter - We added in approximate time estimates for Chapter completion, to offer educators another way to determine how they wish to engage with course content. Knowing the approximate time to complete activities can help educators to take on course content as best meets their needs and available time frames at any given moment.
• Introductory vignettes - Vignettes were moved to be part of Chapter introductions, to enable educators to see themselves and where they could be by the end of a Chapter’s content. This helps to paint a picture of learning, and gives the opportunity for learners to make a personal connection to learning goals.

Representation

The representation guidelines center around the idea that learners perceive and make meaning of information in a variety of different ways. To enhance representation, look for features like:

• Video summaries - Prior to each video in the course, a bulleted list of the main ideas or key takeaways from the video was added. This gives viewers an idea of what to look for as they watch the video, and a way to anticipate what to pay particular attention to within the video format.
• Multiple avenues for consuming content - Lessons give options for engaging with the content in a variety of ways: watching and listening to video content, reading articles, or with hands-on activities.

Action & Expression

The action and expression guidelines get at the heart of how learners navigate a learning environment, approach learning processes, and express their learning in varied and unique ways. To help augment opportunities for varied action and expression, look for things like:

• Keyboard navigation - Each page of the course is navigable using the keyboard, giving a more accessible option to those for whom using a mouse or touchpad is difficult.
• Clearly identified learning targets - We continue to include clear learning targets that are presented at the start of each Lesson. These give participants the opportunity to think about what they will learn, as well as targets to reflect back upon throughout the learning process.

This is just a sampling of some of the features of the Intro Course that help us to reach accessibility goals. We will be continuing to expand options and opportunities for incorporating UDL guidelines throughout all courses in PD+ in the coming weeks and months.

What does this mean for you?

These updates ensure that all educators can be successful with PD+ regardless of assistive technologies or how they engage with content. Incorporating UDL principles into your own teaching practice is an ongoing process. Often it involves incremental changes in the ways in which we engage with our students, so that over time, our teaching and learning becomes more accessible and flexible for all. Our hope is that experiencing UDL as you work through the Intro Course will spark interest and curiosity about how you can incorporate UDL in your own teaching practice.

Earning CAST’s UDL Product Certification reflects our commitment to making sure all students can learn engineering, computer science and STEM with VEX.

If you have questions about how UDL can benefit your students, or incorporating UDL principles when teaching with VEX, schedule a 1-on-1 with us - we’d love to talk to you about it!