IDL Resources Guide: Course Accessibility, Design and Evaluation

Course Accessibility

Along with the Electronic Information Resource Office (IER) and Student Disability Services (SDS), IDL supports accessible content, clear structure, and equitable learning experiences.

If you encounter any accessibility issues with ETAMU web pages, please reach out to [email protected].

The Importance of Accessible Course Design

Course Accessibility ensures that all students—regardless of ability—can fully engage with your course. Creating accessible materials supports equitable learning, improves usability for everyone, and aligns with university and legal requirements. The staff of IDL is here to help by providing guidance, tools, and consultations to make your courses accessible, well-designed, and barrier-free for all learners.

ETAMU is required to ensure that digital course materials meet established accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines outline how to make online content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users, including those with disabilities. Meeting WCAG 2.1 is required for public institutions by Title II of the American with Disabilities Act. For more information, please see the Fact Sheet on the ADA website.

Panorama Accessibility Tool

Enhance the universal design of your course and make your content in D2L more accessible with Panorama. Panorama is an integrated tool and supports instructors and students by:

  • Automatically checking course materials against WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards
  • Providing clear, actionable guidance to help instructors improve the accessibility of their content
  • Offering students alternative formats—such as audio, e-braille, and more—to support diverse learning needs

To use the Panorama accessibility tool, click on “Accessibility” on your course homepage’s navbar (to learn more about your course’s navbar, please see the D2L Basics section of this guide). This will open a new tab in your browser that will include your course’s accessibility report. For more information about Panorama and your accessibility report, please see Getting Started with Panorama for Instructors in D2L or Submit a Ticket.

Course Design

Strong course design is essential for creating learning experiences that are clear, engaging, and accessible for all students. Well-designed courses help learners navigate content more easily, stay motivated, and understand expectations from the start. To support this level of quality, we follow the principles of Quality Matters (QM)—a nationally recognized framework for effective online and hybrid course design. By using QM standards as a guide, we emphasize clarity, alignment, accessibility, and meaningful learning activities, ensuring that every course is built with student success at the center.

Course Evaluations

Course evaluations are administered in accordance with the requirements of Texas H.B. 2504. They serve as a survey instrument composed of both quantitative and qualitative questions, giving students the opportunity to provide feedback at the end of the semester about their course experience. Student responses are collected securely and managed by the Innovative Digital Learning (IDL) staff, providing faculty with valuable insights into teaching effectiveness and course management. These evaluations are also used in personnel processes, including merit, promotion, and tenure decisions.

Course evaluations represent one important avenue of feedback available to instructors. Summary report data is also made publicly accessible to meet H.B. 2504 requirements.

All course evaluations are completed online using eXplorance's Blue Course Evaluation Software. Faculty are encouraged to set aside class time during the evaluation period to allow students to complete their evaluations.

Composition of the Course Evaluation Survey

The survey contains 18 questions:

  • Questions 1–2: Demographic information
  • Questions 3–8: Instruction of the course
  • Questions 9–13: Course design
  • Questions 14–17: How the course supports the university's Quality Enhancement Plan
  • Question 18: An open-ended question for student comments

These questions were developed collaboratively by faculty and administrators and approved by the Academic Affairs Division, with additional input from the Faculty Senate.

Most questions use a 5-point Likert scale with the following options from left to right: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.

Please note:

  • Before Spring 2018 (Fall 2017 and earlier): Strongly Agree = 1 point, Strongly Disagree = 5 points.
  • Spring 2018 and after: Strongly Agree = 5 points, Strongly Disagree = 1 point.

Courses Not Surveyed

  • Independent Study
  • Dissertation
  • Masters Thesis
  • Internship programs
  • Courses with fewer than 4 student enrolled
  • Orientations
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