Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, college instructors were forced to radically rethink their teaching methods and publish more instructional materials online. Experts point out that the trend of online education will continue after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Faculty struggle with the technical nature of making their course material ADA compliant, i.e. “accessible” for students who use assistive technology. As part of their preparation, educators currently attend technical workshops on accessibility compliance to understand why and how to make their documents accessible for people with disabilities.

For video and audio content, there are several competing solutions to help faculty create captions and transcripts including Youtube, Temi, Otter, Sonix, Trint and Rev. However, faculty still need support making their documents ADA-compliant.

Our team focused on the syllabus--the document that outlines all course requirements for students. The syllabus serves as the contract between the faculty and the student, and the syllabus is an integral part of every course across all disciplines, and it is mostly text-based.

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Problem Space

We interviewed 12 faculty with different levels of experience with technology. The following insights were developed through individual interviews with higher education staff and faculty during the Spring of 2021.

ADA compliance does not fit in naturally with the current process of making educational documents
Instructors need help structuring syllabi, and instructors need assistance to make documents accessible- education and technical support.
Because it's the law, it puts a lot of pressure on professors (potentially decreasing empathy for why it is necessary).
Overall it feels overwhelming, in addition to an already challenging transition to online instruction because of Covid-19.

Solution Space

Our project was guided by the following question:

How might we provide professors with a positive experience creating ADA compliant syllabi that integrates into their current routine and sets up faculty for success?

Our team aligned around the idea of creating an “Syllabus Builder” web application. The aim of the solution was to help faculty create ADA compliant documents without a steep learning curve.

Elements of Syllabus Builder

We broke the syllabus content down into three parts: (1) logistical course information, (2) content required by the college/university, and (3) instructor generated content. For Co.Lab, we focused on creating a strong proof of concept for the first section of the syllabus--the logistical identifying data for the course/instructor.

Low-Fidelity Design

Using our custom web application, teachers can upload their syllabus content, save and then export an ADA compliant syllabus. With over 4,000 institutions of higher education nationwide, Inclusive Syllabus Builder has tremendous growth potential. It can also be adapted for use by all entities subject to ADA standards. Using our product reduces potential ADA liability while also providing vital support that will serve all students with or without disabilities.

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High-Fidelity Design

Learnings

Product Manager Learnings:

Gregory Mena

Through the Co.Lab experience, I learned so many principles and strategies, but most importantly, I learned the process of developing products with a remote cross-functional team. The development of this project was driven by talking with customers every week.

We inched closer and closer to creating value for our users only because we consistently asked users along the way.

Designer Learnings:

Avani Mody

My main takeaway from working on Inclusive Syllabi was learning how to integrate agile and collaborative processes with the team, in addition to holding a UX framework. The way product teams function today, is a UX experience in itself.

Additionally, in this project, we got to conduct three rounds of usability testing, and for me it helped to highlight how much the principles of human behavior and centering the needs and perspectives of the user lead the design process, down to the smallest details. The users facilitate the roadmap of the design from the initial wireframes or foundations of the product, to the color scheme and placement of each micro-feature, and the usability testing, user interviews and other research processes, really bring this roadmap to life.

Designer Learnings:

Jo Sturdivant

Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.

Developer Learnings:

Janelle Schuh

I am a new, self-taught developer and my goal with Co.Lab was to learn how to collaborate and function within a Product Team.

My 6-week experience taught me how to properly work in an Agile environment and what the responsibilities are for each member of the team. I also learned that during product development there are a multitude of parts shifting at the same time. For this reason, communication and organization is key to keeping team progress moving forward.

Overall, I'm so thankful to the Co.Lab team for providing me the opportunity to learn how to collaborate with a Product Manager, a designer, and another developer to create a real-world product.

Developer Learnings:

Vanady Beard

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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.

Developer Learnings:

Stephen Asiedu

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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.

Developer Learnings:

Denvinn Magsino

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As the Front-End Functionality Developer for Inclusive Syllabi, my key takeaways from this project was transforming my team’s collaborative solution design into code as well as properly assimilating to team’s dynamics for a more productive overall experience. The process of properly developing a coded-up solution can get extensive yet rewarding.

In this project, accessibility was the constant problem we as a team were trying to solve. Being able to utilize and combine the wide variety of customizable NPM packages available made it much more feasible to devise a solution. The team’s collective effort and support through clear communication played a major role in setting up a much more desired work environment and a comprehensible solution.

Developer Learnings:

Maurquise Williams

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Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.

Developer Learnings:

Jeremiah Williams

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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key

Developers Learnings:

Justin Farley

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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.

Full Team Learning

Our team learned that the accessibility space is complex and requires continued research and development. We are proud of our ability to develop a working proof of concept in such a short period of time.

Please reach out to any of us, using our contact information above, if you would like to start a conversation about our product or our process.