Continuity of Education in Light of COVIS-19 Concerns

There's been discussion in both K-12 and higher education about what to do about the face-to-face instruction in light of ongoing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.  Given that academic institutions in other countries and in a few US communities have closed or have instituted "digital learning days" it's worth looking at the push for temporary online learning in light of quality online instruction and accessibility issues.

As I have pointed out in previous posts,  in the US, both higher education institutions and K-12 have the same obligations to ensure that all digital resources and learning situations are fully accessible.  I've recently seen a couple of higher ed institutions' continuity of education statements.  I like the statement that Yale has. 

Instructors should... review the information provided on the Student Accessibility Services website. ADA regulations apply to all courses, whether residential, online, or online temporarily in the case of a disruption to normal campus operations.

It does apply to both K-12 and higher education. I have found, especially in K-12 institutions, digital accessibility has focused on students' having a digital device, and if that device can be connected to the internet.  That may be the first step.  But, if once they have a device the content is still not designed to be accessible, it's like not having a device.

Institutions of higher education and K-12 education have a legal responsibility to ensure that all educational programs, whether residential, online, or online temporarily need to be accessible.

As K-12 schools are looking to create online learning opportunities they could benefit from applying the National Standards for Quality Online Learning.  These have been recently revised and are available for download without cost.  The standards are designed as a benchmark for the development and delivery of online learning.  Standards exist for Programs, Courses, and Teaching.  The standards address accessibility, so working to achieve the standards will also help in achieving accessibility.

Because at this point there's no good indication of how long school closures may last, it's better to think long-term and design online learning opportunities that do more than simply count as school days.  Design those online learning opportunities to ensure that students don't miss their education.