Many lecturers in English have incorporated some aspect of e-learning into their teaching – they may not be podcasting or creating wikis yet, but a fair number now know their way around a VLE or use PowerPoint in lectures. The use of various electronic formats to provide material for students is a big step forward in terms of broader potential accessibility for larger numbers of students – as individual users can adapt the look and feel of a document to suit their requirements.
At its base level, enabling a student to access simple material online (e.g. a Microsoft® Word document) results in a student having the opportunity to amend and adapt that resource into a format that suits them (they could change the background colour, text colour or font, export the document to an MP3 file, use their own assistive technology to read the text aloud, magnify the screen or export the document to a mind map). The student is given the freedom to adapt the material, even if the format most applicable to them is to print out the text and store it physically.
Web Accessibility within an e-learning Context
TechDis have been working with other key players in the sector discussing the relevance of accessibility standards for e-learning object creation. Although a standards ‘checklist-based’ approach has its benefits within website accessibility (where the user-base is essentially unknown) it can be detrimental in the realms of e-learning and the creation of e-learning objects.
The use of standards in an e-learning context can be very inhibiting to staff who are just starting out in e-learning or using technology in a very iterative way with students. As Phipps and Kelly (2006) state ‘the application of accessibility-related standards and guidelines can be at best a discouragement or at worst damaging, preventing staff from exploring the potential of e-learning’.(1)
The holistic approach to e-learning places the need of the learner (any learner, not only disabled learners) at the centre and examines a number of different facets in investigating a solution to their learning need. In the holistic model the accessibility of a learning resource, the infrastructure of the institution, local factors (such as subject discipline or language), the intended learning outcomes and the usability of the resource are all considered in the context of a quality enhancement framework.(2)
It is important to understand that e-learning is only one part of the learning cycle for a student: there are many different experiences a student will undertake, some of which will be enhanced by e-learning, others may not. For example, in a course of study a student may experience: fieldwork, tutorials, library work, lecturers, group work, lab-work, problem based learning, viva voce, examination, assessment or work-based learning and many of these will have little to do with e-learning. E-learning is one of a number of tools a lecturer can have at their disposal, but they are unlikely to use only one technique. Within a holistic approach there is a need to provide accessible learning experiences as opposed to accessible e-learning experiences.(3)
No resource, whether electronic or physical, is going to be equally accessible to every learner. For example, a learning object which contains a drag-and-drop activity, is not likely to be very accessible to a blind or severely visually impaired learner; however the interactivity may engage a dyslexic learner more than a heavily textual document. Similarly, a ‘podcast’ of a short audio play would be very accessible to a blind learner, but not accessible to a deaf learner or one who does not have an auditory learning style. In both of the examples above, an issue may not arise if a lecture group was known and the resources did not disadvantage any learners within a specific group.
Furthermore, the accessibility of any learning resource relates heavily to the circumstances of the user at the point of delivery and the context in which it is being delivered. All resources are accessible to someone but some are more inclusive than others and some can be made more accessible at the point of delivery by effective staff intervention. Materials used in a distance learning context or produced for use by others in a different context (for example, within a repository) need a far higher degree of implicit accessibility than those used in a known context where human intervention can moderate the learning experience.
Key Considerations for an Inclusive e-learning Experience
To reiterate some of the comments above, the key considerations when examining inclusive e-learning include:
- • Adapting the learning experience for inclusion may be more effective and sustainable than adapting the resource.
- • Good practice is typically about variety of approach, flexibility, adaptability, innovation and responsiveness to learners. These are traditional teaching skills.
- • By considering the benefits of different types of experience to different learners, reflecting on accessibility should encourage diversity of learning experiences rather than monotonous convergence to ‘lowest common denominators of accessibility’.
- • The guiding questions should be ‘who will this benefit?’ and ‘what can I do for those who will be excluded by this?’ If a resource adds value to some of your learners and excludes none of your learners then there is no reason not to use it. You do, however, need to cultivate the awareness of what you might do if future learner cohorts included some who were unable to access that resource.
Accessibility in Everyday Practice
The information above suggests the concept of ‘accessibility for all’ is a misnomer. However, with certain best practice techniques lecturers can make materials more accessible for more people. For instance, within both Microsoft Word and Microsoft® PowerPoint, two of the most commonly used technologies in English Studies, there are basic accessibility features which can be easily implemented.
Accessibility Essentials of Microsoft® Word
Font Styles
When writing with Microsoft® Word, there
are a number of good practice techniques.
For example, a minimum size 12, Sans Serif
font (e.g. Verdana or Arial) should be used
as this increases readability for users. If
possible, avoid excessive use of capitalised,
underlined or italicised text and ensure all
text is left aligned, not justified, as justified
text can lead to some users focusing on the
‘rivers of white space’ between the words,
not the words themselves.
Structuring Documents
Microsoft® Word has an inbuilt structuring
system which should be used when
creating any document. Heading tags
can be used to denote headings and
sub-headings thus providing an intrinsic
document structure. When creating a
document use the Styles and Formatting
toolbar to create appropriate heading for
your document. From the ‘Style’ box in
the formatting menu a user can choose
an appropriate heading and style for the
structure of a document (see figure 1).
The ability to navigate a document by
structural headings will benefit all users
but give exceptional benefits to a range of
disabled people. For example:
• Visually impaired users may rely on a screen magnifier for reading. A long document can be awkward to navigate through a screen magnifier, requiring much horizontal and vertical scrolling. A properly structured document can be navigated via the Document Map.
• People with poorer English skills (for example, British Sign Language users or others for whom English is a second language) can extract the key concepts before negotiating the dense text.
• A motor impaired user can access the whole document with minimal keyboard or mouse movement.
Once users have created a document using the styles and headings options a number of benefits accrue to both those reading the document and those creating them. Microsoft® Word has an inbuilt navigation system (accessed by navigating to View > Document Map) which can enable users to navigate an appropriately structured long document. Selecting the Document Map will allow the user to expand and contract headings or jump to the relevant section of a large document (see figure 2).
Hyperlinks
All users can benefit from access to
additional materials that hyperlinks can
provide, as well as from a screen tip
embedded within a hyperlink which
describes the linked resource enabling
the user to decide whether to access it.
There can be particular benefits for some
learners with specific needs, for example:
• A motor impaired user can have access to a variety of material more easily than would be possible if they were handling physical resources.
• On a well designed document a screen reader user could browse by hyperlink title, giving the user the ability to ‘skim read’ the resource to find the next level of information.
Microsoft® Word can be a very powerful learning and teaching tool when used effectively. When used appropriately, the features described above can add interactivity and exemplification to a traditionally inaccessible document.
Accessibility Essentials of Microsoft® PowerPoint
Within both the creation and delivery of a PowerPoint presentation there are a number of best practice techniques which should be considered:
• Write no more on a slide than you would on a postcard. Over-wordy or complicated slides will be more difficult for an audience to read.
• Use the inbuilt slide design options within Microsoft® PowerPoint wherever possible. (The slide design options can be accessed from Format > Slide Layout.) By using these slide layout options all text inserted will appear within the presentation outline and will thus be accessible when the document is exported.
• Ensure images and animations are used appropriately. A continuous animation will only serve to distract the audience from the information portrayed. Any images used for exemplification of concept should be explained by the presenter, for the benefit of anyone who cannot see or interpret the visual image.
• The colours chosen for the text and slide background should provide adequate contrast, dark blues and creams have been shown to be particularly legible.
• Use the inbuilt notes field within Microsoft® PowerPoint. The notes field is an ideal place to add additional notes explaining the slide text. Not only will this act as an aide memoir for presenters, but will ensure the context of the presentation is understood when not being delivered (for example if a presentation is uploaded onto a website or Virtual Learning Environment).
Presentation Technique
When physically presenting a session a
number of tips and techniques can ensure
that you engage as many members of the
audience as possible:
• Face forward at all times when speaking: you may not know whether there are any lip readers in the audience.
• Use a microphone, if available. It may be connected to an induction loop and your voice may not carry as far as you think it does!
• Ensure you vocalise everything which is present on the slides, otherwise a visually impaired learner (or one sitting at the back of a large auditorium) will not be able to access the material on the screen. Stating ‘this slide explains the concept’ is not acceptable.
• When taking questions from the audience, repeat it from the front, enabling all participants to hear the question.
Of course, there may be some participants who will still not be included by these techniques and where appropriate the needs of individual learners should be taken into consideration.
The use of Assistive Technology within the English Subject Community
The techniques mentioned above cover a number of the essentials of accessibility and as such will positively benefit a large number of learners. However, for some disabled learners, further assistive technologies may be required in order to fully access the learning materials. These technologies can be very specific to the learner and their learning environment.
TechDis have been working with the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre Network on the Higher Education Assistive Technology (HEAT) scheme, with the aim of raising awareness of the potential of technology to encourage inclusive teaching and learning and developing and disseminating good inclusive practice to the wider HE sector.
The English Subject Centre has successfully bid within this scheme to investigate the use of mind mapping software with dyslexic English students and the exploration of ideas and concepts in a non-linear style. This project will provide a broader insight into the value of visualization techniques for the study of literary texts. The results of this research are due to be published in late 2007.
The HEAT scheme ties into a larger project being undertaken by the English Subject Centre. This larger project is designed to investigate the experiences of a diverse group of disabled learners within the English Subject community and survey their expectations within the subject and any pedagogical, social, structural and technological factors which may have helped or hindered them in their progress. It is hoped this project will provide insight into the specific needs and requirements of disabled learners within the English discipline. This report is also due for dissemination in late 2007.
Conclusions
The process of creating more accessible and inclusive teaching practice and learning experiences is not a difficult one. It is important that the learners you are supporting have access to the resources in a manner most suitable for them. Ensuring resources are available online is the first (and probably most important) step. The other important issue is the use of everyday software to increase the accessibility, usability and interactivity of a resource. The basic practices covered above will, when utilised effectively, ensure a more inclusive experience for more learners.
Further information and Resources
• TechDis Helpdesk – If you have any queries relating to any accessibility or inclusion issues please email helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk.
• The information provided within this article has been distilled from the TechDis Accessibility Essentials Series. For further information on the TechDis Accessibility Essentials (or for detailed step-by-step information on how to achieve the techniques mentioned above) please visit www.techdis.ac.uk/accessibilityessentials.
• Creation of Learning Materials Section of TechDis Website: Effective and engaging e-learning materials can go a long way to meeting the accessibility needs of different learners – www.techdis.ac.uk/gettopiccreationlearningmaterials.
• TechDis Staff Packs – These self-supporting staff development materials are designed to enable staff development units to have the resources (presentations, activities, information sheets etc) available to run staff development workshops on a number of different technology and disability related topics – www.techdis.ac.uk/staffpacks.
