Design, development, and usability of a web-based animated teaching package for individuals with intellectual disability

This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate the teacher-based usability of a culturally responsive, web-based animated teaching package (WATP) aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Guided by a design-based research (DBR) approach, the study employed an instructional framework grounded in direct instruction to address the learning characteristics of individuals with ID. Formative evaluation was conducted across three iterative design cycles with 10 special education teachers and 5 instructional technologists, whose feedback informed continuous refinement of the WATP. Summative evaluation focused on usability testing and was conducted with 30 special education teachers who were not involved in the design process. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS). The WATP achieved a mean SUS score of 78.17, corresponding to a Good-Excellent level of usability. Internal consistency was acceptable to high (Cronbach’s alpha = .823 for positively worded items; .708 for negatively worded items). The findings demonstrate that integrating culturally responsive content, direct instruction, and UDL principles within an iterative DBR framework can result in highly usable and accessible instructional materials for learners with ID.