Kivelä M (University of Helsinki)
27.5.2024, 10:30–11:10, F3010
This paper examines the user-perceived accessibility of a fully online course for Uni Helsinki undergraduates. The course has been running since August 2017, first on Confluence Wiki, then Teams and nowadays in Moodle. We focus on comparing delivering the same content on two different platforms in relation to problems reported by the participants. Our theoretical framework builds on the deleuzoguattarian concept of arrangement with some luhmannian influences. Thus we examine selecting and organising matters to primarily enable communication. Data: This paper is based on one-to-one mid-course discussions, mandatory onymous and optional anonymous written course feedback. At the time of writing, Moodle 51 students have completed the course in Moodle. Last academic year in Teams the number was 61. Some students had tried the course in Teams before completing it in Moodle and thus could compare both iterations. Findings: 1. The students’ familiarity with and frequent use of Moodle instantly improved both technical and cognitive accessibility. 2. The basic UI layout feels clearer to many students in Moodle than in Teams when the course content is organised the same way. 3. Flexible course design both enables and hinders accessibility. Discussion: The data and findings tell mainly about the way a group of users encountered one course. Therefore we do not make any claims concerning the accessibility of a particular Moodle installation or Teams tenant.