Accessible E-Learning Demonstrations Using IMS Accessibility Specifications Madeleine Rothberg WGBH National Center for Accessible Media Jutta Treviranus University of Toronto Adaptive Technology Resource Centre ATIA 2006

Accessibility Standards Efforts IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications IMS Access For All Specifications New! ISO JTC1 SC36 Standard in progress (IMS/DC/LOM)

Each Learner Learns Differently Varies even for the same learner: with context and discipline The major value added by on-line learning is the ability to personalize learning On-line learning gives us the ability to scale the individualized learning experience to a large group of learners

Disability in Learning Context Disability= Mismatch between learner needs and education offered Not a personal trait but an artifact of relationship between the learner and the learning environment or education delivery Accessibility= The ability of the learning environment to adjust to the needs of all learners Environment includes AT tools

Two Approaches to Meeting Accessibility Commitments One compliant resource for everyone –Rejection of valuable resources that are not compliant –Time and expertise required of all resource creators –“Accessible for everyone but optimal for no-one” –Two resource versions and maintenance neglect (diversity of people with disabilities) A transformable, flexible resource system –Cumulative authoring –Matching resources –Resource re-aggregation –Providing tools needed by each learner

Accessibility = Flexibility of education environment, curriculum and delivery Availability of adequate alternative-but- equivalent content and activities Access to AT

Serving… Learners with disabilities Learners with diverse learning approaches Learners with diverse hardware and software Learners in disabling environments Learners with diverse cultural or linguistic requirements Anyone who diverges from the hypothetical norm Any context, including commerce, government, publishing

Must avoid… Stereotypes and assumptions of requirements Labeling or classifying users/learners in politically sensitive ways Collecting irrelevant private information

Take advantage of ability to: Transform user interface of resource (display and control) Re-aggregate learning resources Configure tools to meet user needs

Advances Response to Equal Access Requirements Addresses legislative and regulatory requirements Does not compromise the experience of the student majority Does not unduly burden education provider Facilitates cumulative and collaborative authoring Respects unique individual requirements (learner-centric)

AccessForAll Standard A description of the learner’s or user’s personal needs and preferences (IMS AccLIP, ISO PNP) A description of a digital resource (IMS AccMD, ISO DRD) Can be used with or without other personal profiles and other resource metadata

Personal Needs and Preferences IMS Accessibility for Learner Information Package or AccLIP ISO PNP –How do I want/need things to be displayed? –How do I want/need things to be controlled? (includes AT information) –What content alternatives, equivalents or helpful tools do I want/need? –In what context?

Context When I’m tired When I’m using my portable When I’m at work...

Accessibility Metadata IMS Access For All Metadata or AccMD ISO Digital Resource Description or DRD Information about 1. The Original Resource Can the display be transformed, is the method of control flexible? Does it require hearing, sight, tactile sensation, or text literacy? What are the locations of any known equivalents?

Accessibility Metadata Information about: 2. The Alternative Pointer to the primary resource this is an equivalent for A detailed description that parallels the content requirements of AccLIP/PNP

Implementations Web-4-All TILE CWIS ANGEL Others

Web-4-All Developed for Industry Canada to ensure seniors, new Canadians, and people with disabilities or literacy challenges have computer access to services & information on the Internet. Each user can select, save, and deploy their own interface preferences using personal smart card technology that automatically configures a suite of assistive software & hardware. Makes public internet access locations accessible to those requiring "non-standard" computer technology. Developed by University of Toronto & Canadian partners

Web-4-All

TILE E-learning environment that enables learner-centric transformation of learning content and delivery Authoring support for transformable content and for metadata Browser Learning Object Repository Learner Preference System

CWIS: ACCLIP/ACCMD in Practice CWIS = “collection in a box” portal software package developed for NSDL by the Internet Scout Project CWIS is open source web software implemented using PHP and MySQL CWIS is a turnkey package with a low technology barrier to entry

ACCLIP with a Malleable User Interface CWIS supports multiple user interfaces and multiple user interface themes Interfaces are intended to be readily customizable by the portal implementer Interfaces are “cascading” so portal implementers only need to add or change what is necessary to add a new interface

ACCLIP and the CWIS UI Added “mini-wizard” to CWIS to solicit AccLIP values from users CWIS UI is CSS-based AccLIP values (visual settings) are used to customize user interface via dynamic modification of CSS

ACCMD and Finding Resources in CWIS Added AccMD fields to standard metadata schema used to describe resources Results are flagged based on matching AccMD metadata fields with AccLIP user settings when browsing resources Results can be filtered based on AccLIP user settings when searching resources

Looking at CWIS Software is free and downloadable at: (live demo also online there) CWIS requires PHP 4 and MySQL and is intended to run on a Linux or OS X web server CWIS includes mini-wizard and UI modifications based on AccLIP settings, AccMD fields and resource flagging/filtering

ANGEL Learning Commercial course management system Accessibility pilot in partnership with Penn State University Adapting UI to AccLIP settings Importing a content package with AccMD metadata and assigning appropriate resources to learners

More Information Visit: to find all the documents and links to implementations Contact us at:

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