When the pandemic hit Australian university campuses in March 2020, institutions were scrambling to transition to online learning. However, as luck would have it, in the first months of 2020, educational designer Frances Cochrane was in the early stages of piloting a project at James Cook University (JCU) to improve the accessibility of the institution’s online content - mostly for postgraduate programs.

Realising universities not only have legal and regulatory obligations in relation to the accessibility of content in catering for learners' different learning styles and needs, Cochrane and JCU staff saw the project as an opportunity to increase student engagement and provide a point of competitive difference. And from student feedback, the project appears to have been a success.

But staff at JCU weren't prepared to rest on their laurels and never revisit their online materials again, participating in Blackboard's "fix your content day" this year. Listen to JCU's journey in making their online materials more accessible and engaging. 

When the pandemic hit Australian university campuses in March 2020, institutions were scrambling to transition to online learning. However, as luck would have it, in the first months of 2020, educational designer Frances Cochrane was in the early stages of piloting a project at James Cook University (JCU) to improve the accessibility of the institution&rsquo;s online content - mostly for postgraduate programs.
Realising universities not only have legal and regulatory obligations in relation to the accessibility of content in catering for learners' different learning styles and needs, Cochrane and JCU staff saw the project as an opportunity to increase student engagement and provide a point of competitive difference. And from student feedback, the project appears to have been a success.
But staff at JCU weren't prepared to rest on their laurels and never revisit their online materials again, participating in Blackboard's "fix your content day" this year. Listen to JCU's journey in making their online materials more accessible and engaging.&nbsp;

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