Ed.D. student literature review published on First Monday  

Posted On: January 21, 2025

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — January 21, 2025) A literature review by Denise Russo, an Ed.D. candidate at Empire State University, was published in First Monday, a peer-reviewed journal. Russo’s work, titled “Under the lens: Learning management system (LMS) platforms and DEIA components” examines accessibility and diversity initiatives in higher education and the need for accessible learning management systems.  

“Seeing what I view as my magnum opus, to date, published in a peer-reviewed journal gives me a thrilling validation that my doctoral research endeavors are worthy, genuine, and beneficial to not just higher educational institutions, but all educational entities that use an LMS for online teaching and learning,” Russo said.  

Russo is an Ed.D. candidate in leadership and change at Empire State University. She holds a master of science degree in information science from SUNY Albany and a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from St. John’s University. She has a background in information technology and information services, instructional design, leadership, entrepreneurial ventures, and health care. She currently works as a Manager of the Adult Therapies Division and Business Development Analyst at TalkPath Live, a telemedicine company.  

As an Ed.D. candidate at SUNY Empire, Russo said her focus is directed towards educational technology and DEIA elements within learning management system platforms.  

“Many global higher education institutions emphasize accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity in areas like assignments, documents, syllabi, and assessments,” Russo said. “However, the critical need for genuine accessibility within learning management systems has yet to be fully addressed by academia. An ideal LMS should effectively present course content in ways that all students, including multilingual learners and those with learning differences, can access and understand. Yet, current LMS platforms often lack these capabilities.”  

Russo said her research shows faculty and academic leaders do not receive universal training on the best practices for LMS use and content cannot be automatically translated into other languages, generate alternative text for images, or be generally accessible without extensive customization.  

“My scholarly exploration will cover the balance of using alternative text, scripting, translation, and other accessibility tools within LMS platforms, highlight the need for global LMS best practices training, and address barriers to student success in online learning environments,” Russo said.  

Russo hopes her published work will open up a dialogue amongst stakeholders in higher education to see how educators can better adapt accessibility, diversity, and inclusion into content presented within learning management systems.  

“It is important to me that students with disabilities and those who speak English as a foreign language have the podium to express their DEIA LMS wants and needs, so that they become successful in degree completion within their respective chosen careers,” Russo said.  

Once she completes the Ed.D. program, Russo said she hopes to work at a higher education institution with international programming and conduct research on promoting inclusivity for all students who use LMS to enact lasting change.