Integrating Web 2.0 into Accessible Online Learning

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Integrating Web 2.0 into Accessible Online
Learning
Thomas P. Mackey, Ph.D. Interim Dean Center for
Distance Learning
Kelly Hermann Director College-wide Disability
Services
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Outline for today

1. Introductions
2. Definitions
3. Emerging Technologies
4. Online Learning at Empire State College
5. Why is access important?
6. Considerations for access
7. When things dont work right access issues
8. Conclusion, wrap-up, opportunities for feedback

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What is a disability?

• A diagnosed condition that limits a persons
  ability to perform one or more major life
  activities.
• Major life activities include
• Reading, writing, learning
• Seeing, hearing, speaking
• Thinking, breathing, walking, etc

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Individual differences disability

• Each table has been assigned a case
• You will use this case for the rest of the
  workshop
• Take a few minutes to get to know your person

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Accessibility

• Accessibility individuals are able to
  participate in activities, engage in programs or
  access information

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Reasonable Accommodations

• Those modifications made to ensure that
  individuals with disabilities are afforded an
  equal opportunity to participate
• Legally defined in the ADA, accommodations do
  NOT
• Fundamentally alter the nature of the program or
  activity
• Reduce program standards
• Pose an undue burden.

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Assistive Technology

• Software or equipment used to mitigate the impact
  of disability.
• Many examples
• Screen readers
• Screen magnifiers
• Text-to-speech readers
• Speech-to-text dictation

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Adult Learning Theory In brief

• Many theories regarding how adults learn best and
  what they are looking for in their learning
  experiences
• Several principles
• Adults have limited time and attention due to
  competing demands, so
• Adults want learning experiences to be relevant
  and meaningful
• Adults want flexibility and individuality in
  their learning
• Adults want their experience and expertise to
  count

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Who are you designing for?
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Who are you designing for?
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Common Technology Tools
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Emerging Technologies
LMS
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Noteworthy TrendsHorizon Report 2011

1. E-books
2. Mobiles
3. Augmented reality
4. Game-based learning
5. Gesture based computing
6. Learning Analytics

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Noteworthy TrendsHorizon Report 2011

1. E-books
2. Mobiles
3. Augmented reality
4. Game-based learning
5. Gesture based computing
6. Learning Analytics

Pranav Mistry, MIT Media Lab 'Sixth Sense
Device W3C Mobile Web Initiative
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Noteworthy TrendsMobile Technology

• "59 of adults now access the internet wirelessly
  using a laptop or cell phone"
•  
• "Nearly half of all adults (47) go online with a
  laptop using a Wi-Fi connection or mobile
  broadband car."

The Rise of Apps Culture Pew Internet and
American Life Project
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Due in part to the web accessibility and
increased engagement many apps provide, it is
logical that apps users are more likely than
other adults to engage in almost every online
activity asked about in the survey. The Rise of
Apps Culture Pew Internet and American Life
Project
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Impact on learning environments
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Online learning at Empire State College

• Center for Distance Learning
• 500 online courses
• 45 of total enrollments are online
• 7,000 students

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Online learning at Empire State College

• New course features
• Blogs
• Map Blogs
• Wikis
• RSS Feeds
• Second Life
• E-lluminate video

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Online learning at Empire State College

• Working adults
• Average Age 35
• Study from locations in
• New York State
• United States
• Global

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Online learning at Empire State College

• Common Areas of Study
• Business, Management and Economics
• Community and Human Services
• Science, Math and Technology
• Humanities

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Online learning at Empire State College

• Global Programs
• International Programs
• International Distance Learning
• Nursing Program

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Benefits and assets of online learning

• Asynchronous anytime, anyplace
• Flexibility
• Small class size (20-22)
• Individualized Mentoring
• Peer discussions
• Emerging technologies
• Multiple literacies

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Challenges of online learning

• Evolving Learning environments
• Ongoing innovation
• Scalability
• Continuity in experience
• Access to emerging tools
• Building community

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Innovation thinking outside the box

• Mobile Learning Task Force
• Using iPad to Teach Math
• Exploring Content Delivery, Communication and
  Convenience with Mobile Technologies
• Studies in Mobile Media
• Kindling a Passion for Reading
• American Popular Music

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Innovation thinking outside the box
Reading Comprehension
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Innovation thinking outside the box
Map Blogs
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Innovation thinking outside the box
Multimedia Timeline
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Innovation thinking outside the box
Innovation in Online Learning
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Please fill in the blank

• But, Kelly, we have always done our
  presentations this way. And ___ ___ _____ ____
  __ _____ ______

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• IT HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE.

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Why is access important?

• Beyond the legal mandates for compliance.
• Participant expectations and satisfaction
• The information you need to present is important
  to you and those who need to hear it.

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Legal basis for requiring access

• Section 508
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• ADA Amendments Act of 2008
• NYS Division of Human Rights Law

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Considerations for access

• What are the characteristics of your audience?
• What are the resources available for your use?
• What tools or products will you be including in
  your online activity?
• What questions should I be asking? Of my tools
  and resources? Of my content?
• Always ask - Where are the potential barriers to
  access?

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Audience issues

• Disability affects individuals in different ways
  depending on severity, onset, etc.
• Acquired disabilities vs. congenital
• Sensory impairments are often the most
  challenging to accommodate

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Questions to ask tools

• What is it used for? How much flexibility is
  built in to how the tool can be used?
• What is the user interface like? How big are the
  icons? Is the interface intuitive? Or are
  detailed directions needed for successful use?
• Does it use a technology that is known to have
  compatibility issues with assistive technology?
  (e.g., white boards using flash)
• What does the producer say about accessibility?

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Examples of common tools

• Take a look at your tool
• Think about your case -
• What are the benefits of using the tool?
• What potential challenges to access do you see in
  the tool?

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Questions to ask content

• Why do I need to include this information?
• How have I broken this information up into
  pieces? Does it make sense?
• What language choices can I make to make sure the
  information is clear?
• How does this information need to be presented?
  Is there information that is communicated either
  completely visually or auditorily that I need to
  present in another way?

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Addressing Potential Barriers

• Accessibility is really about increasing
  usability and can benefit all participants, not
  just those with disabilities.
• Universal design
• The design of products and environments to be
  usable by all people, to the greatest extent
  possible, without the need for adaptation or
  specialized design.

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Universal Design

• Architectural concept developed by Ron Mace, a
  wheelchair user, in 1985

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Seven Principles of UDFrom the Center for
Universal Design, UNC http//www.ncsu.edu/www/ncs
u/design/sod5/cud/index.htm

• Equitable Use
• Flexibility in Use
• Simple Intuitive Use
• Perceptible Information
• Tolerance for Error
• Low Physical Effort
• Size Space for Approach Use

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Universal Design no access issues? Right?

• WRONG!!
• A universally designed training or workshop or
  website is the best start you can ask for and
  will eliminate some peoples needs to request
  accommodations but it is not the answer to all
  access issues

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What would you do?

• Time to design a new program!
• You know that the person described in your case
  will be attending.
• What steps will you take?
• How can the universal design principles help?

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Common accommodation needs

• Correctly formatted documents in electronic
  formats
• Be careful of PDFs and other file formats!
• Extra time to process information
• Assistance from a reader when technologies are
  incompatible or too cumbersome
• Live chat rooms notoriously difficult to work
  with for a number of disability diagnoses
• Using outside web resources, e.g., You Tube

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Other issues

• Technology can be anxiety provoking for those
  with and without disabilities
• You are not only asking someone to learn
  something new you may be asking them to learn in
  a way that is foreign to them.

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How do we fix it?

• Think about the purpose of the information the
  user needs and then think outside of the box to
  figure out how to make it work.
• Some examples
• You Tube assignment
• Online tutorial service white board use
• Traffic light example

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Equality vs. Equivalency
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FROM THE ACCESS MANIFESTOHTTP//JOECLARK.ORG/BO
OK/SASHAY/SERIALIZATION/ACCESSMANIFESTO.HTML

• EQUALITY IS A MISNOMER.
• EQUIVALENCY IS THE GOAL.

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Thomas P. Mackey, Ph.D. Interim Dean Center for
Distance Learning Tom.Mackey_at_esc.edu
Kelly Hermann Director College-wide Disability
Services Kelly.Hermann_at_esc.edu