Welcome to the College of IST Learning Design eNewsletter
November 2024
Accessibility: What can I do now?
One easy thing you can do to help improve your course accessibility score is to create an “archive” folder. Then, move old and unused course content and files into the archive folder. Any content that is archived, meaning it is not changed or revised, is one of the exemptions in the DOJ ruling, so long as it is created before April 24, 2026.
The new DOJ ruling on Accessibility is not exclusive to World Campus courses. Resident instruction courses with digital content are also required by law to adhere to those same standards (WCAG 2.1 AA).
Generative AI Events
Stay up-to-date with GenAI via these upcoming opportunities:
- Talking About Teaching and Artificial Intelligence
- Wed, 11/20, 12:20-1:05pm via Zoom
- AI Horizons Monthly Meetup
- Join the AI Horizons Team channel
- Tue, 11/19, 10:30-11:30am, via November AI Horizons Zoom
- IST Learning Design GenAI Collaboration with Faculty
- Once a month. Next meeting is 12/6 at 11am. Contact IST LD to join.
Learning Opportunities
There are many opportunities to enhance your teaching by learning something new.
- New DOJ Rule on Web/App Accessibility: The Impact on Your Role at Penn State
- Tue, 11/5, 1-2pm via Zoom
- Thu, 11/14, 10-11am via Zoom
- Video and Animation Accessibility
- Wed, 11/6, 9-10am via Zoom
- Image Description from ALT Text to Long Description
- Mon, 11/11, 1:30-3:30pm via Zoom
- PDF Accessibility: Beginning Steps
- Mon, 11/18, 1-3pm via Zoom
World Campus Online Faculty Development Sessions
If you are teaching a World Campus course, check out World Campus Online Learning Courses such as Essentials of Online Teaching, Canvas Hands On, and Integrating Open Educational Resources into Your Course!
Accommodation Requests
Are you receiving accommodation requests from the Disability Service Office (World Campus) or the Office of Student Disability Resources (University Park)? Unsure of how to make these accommodations in a quick, efficient, and effective way? Let us know if you want to consult with a Learning Designer.
Request World Campus Course Templates
If you are teaching a Resident Instruction (RI) version of a College of IST course, you can request a copy of the World Campus (WC) course template for that course. Many of the courses that run in RI have an online WC version, and while the format is different from the RI section, you may find useful elements that you can utilize in your course. Specified versions are available for IST 140, IST 210, and SRA 111. You can also request the RI shell (empty of course content) or just the Academic Integrity module. Make sure that you also contact the Course Champion for info about the course.
IST Learning Design
The Learning Design team is available to help you! Email the Learning Design team with specific questions or to schedule a consultation at istlearningdesign@psu.edu and one of the team members will get back to you as soon as possible. The IST Teaching site at https://teaching.ist.psu.edu/ is a helpful resource for you.