Universal Design for Learning and Making Digital Content Accessible to All: University of...

Universal Design for Learning and

Making Digital Content Accessible to AllRaymond Rose

Rose & Smith AssociatesPort Aransas, Texas

ray@rose-smith.comSlides available at: http://www.slideshare.net/RaymondRose

                        This work by Raymond Rose is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2http://www.inacol.org/resource/access-and-equity-for-all-learners-in-blended-and-online-education/

Access and Equity for All Learners in Blended and Online Education

2014iNACOL

http://tinyurl.com/accessandequityforall

What about you?What is your preferred learning style?What’s your favorite content piece to teach?What is your least favorite content piece to teach?What content piece do students have the most problem with?What disabilities/accommodations do you experience in your daily living?Do you ever take advantage of accommodations designed to assist others?

What is Universal Design?

FROM THIS TO ….

What is Universal Design for Learning?Applies the general concept of Universal Design to learning environments. Sometimes organizations with use Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) rather than Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Definition of Universal Design for Learning A framework of guidelines that integrates accessibility into the creation of learning materials (for digital or face-to-face environments), so that all students have equal opportunity to achieve the learning objectives and goals, thereby being able to demonstrate the desired learning outcomes.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Principle I: Provide Multiple Means of Representation (the “what” of learning)

• Principle II: Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression (the “how” of learning)

• Principle III: Provide Multiple Means of Engagement (the “why” of learning)

http://www.udlcenter.org/

Why Universal Design for Learning?

Lecture and textbook have served higher education for decades. For those who have particular challenges, or come a little short of having an official diagnosis but still encounter difficulties with certain formats when learning material, implementing Universal Design for Learning can mean the difference between a student struggling through a course or being able to learn the material with "lower" barriers or no barriers at all.

EngagementFor purposeful, motivated learners, stimulate interest and motivation for learning.

RepresentationFor resourceful, knowledgeable learners, present information and content in different ways.

Action & ExpressionFor strategic, goal-directed learners, differentiate the ways that students can express what they know.

http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.V5aMHbh97IU

UDL principles provide flexibility in the teaching and learning processes in order to reduce barriers to learning.

Flexibility in the ways that..• information is presented• students can respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills• students are engagedReduces barriers...• in instruction• by providing appropriate accommodations, supports and challenges• Maintains high achievement expectations for all students

What UDL is not...UDL does not change curriculum or student outcomes.

UDL does not make it easier for students to cheat.

UDL does not give special privileges to only a few students

Implemented correctly, UDL creates a level playing field so that barriers are reduced and all students will be able to demonstrate the same outcomes at the same level.

Accommodation vs Modification

An accommodation is a change in the way information is presented or an activity is completed. Examples include providing a transcript for an audio clip or allowing extra time on a timed assessment.

A modification is a change in the curriculum or the level of expectations for a student. Legally, while institutions receiving federal funds are required to accommodate in documented cases of disability, changes in curriculum and/or level of expectations are not to occur unless the change affects all students.

Accessibility Needs and Preferences

Accessibility needs are needs that must be met in order for students to be successful. It should be kept in mind that a student with one or more accessibility needs is usually required to register with the institution’s office that supports students with disabilities in order to receive official accommodations. There are some students who choose not to register, but who still have accessibility needs. Accessibility preferences typically apply to individuals with a disability to the extent that the disability impacts the student's ability to be successful academically, but most probably will not cause the student to fail. An example would be someone with a significant hearing loss who may or may not be benefited with a hearing aid, but generally manages to pass his or her courses. In this case, the student may prefer a transcript for audio clips, but who could get most of what is said without it and chooses to do so.

UDL Helps All Students

Implementing the principles of UDL can help not only those students with official accommodations but also those who have not registered as having an accessibility need.

Additionally, UDL helps all students in that using UDL principles allows all students to learn in ways more closely aligned with their learning preferences.

When including "a thing" in a course, define the rationale for it, as well as for the delivery of it and for the [type and modality of student product] that is submitted in response to "that thing].". (lectures, readings, videos, web pages/sites, assignments, etc)

While UDL offers students choice in how they engage with the materials of the course and how they demonstrate achievement, care should also be taken to avoid overwhelming them with too much choice. Additionally, each option students have must be fully and carefully explained.

UDL Rubric http://www.leadingpbl.org/f/Rubric%20for%20Implementation%20of%20UDL.doc

UDL in AssessmentUDL in assessment includes the provision for multiple formats of products from which students can choose. These options can include written, verbal, role play, and digital formats.

Examples:• self-quiz, graded (number, letters, or pass/fail) or ungraded• verbal expression F2F, by phone/web conferencing, or recorded• report - analog or digital, essay or PowerPoint with full expression (words,

graphics and other media) to meet the requirements of assignment

Reflect for a moment - How might you modify some elements of your course to incorporate some of the variety in assessment listed above?

A question to ponder...

Why would we want to leave barriers in place that cause students to spend time creating workarounds (if they exist) to access the material? Would it not be more efficient to use that additional time and effort on additional activities that deepen and/or extend their learning?

Universal Design for Learning brings benefits for all students.Good practice in undergraduate education: 1. Encourages contacts between students and faculty.2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.3. Uses active learning techniques.4. Gives prompt feedback.5. Emphasizes time on task.6. Communicates high expectations.7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson's Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.

Dyslexia Simulation

Dyslexia Simulations

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3480257/What-s-REALLY-like-read-dyslexia-Simulator-reveals-letters-words-appear-people-condition.html

• http://webaim.org/simulations/dyslexia• http://geon.github.io/programming/2016/03/03/dsxyliea

Tools students may use to make content more accessible• Hearing aid• Screen magnifier• Screen reader• Closed/open captioning of video• Automatic translation

Suggestions: Reading Order

Many Microsoft programs provide templates and tools to improve accessibility, beginning with structure and reading order. Two common examples are Styles in Word and the ability to check the reading order of each slide in PowerPoint. Some individuals with vision issues choose to use screen readers. These features ensure that screen readers recognize the correct order of your content.

Color Contrast –

Certain color combinations can be difficult to see for individuals with color blindness or low vision. The WebAIM Color Contrast Checker lets you compare foreground and background colors using hex codes. The Colour Contrast Analyser by The Paciello Group provides an assessment of your color contrast from sampled colors within your content. It also allows you to simulate different visual conditions, such as color blindness or cataracts.

Closed Captioning

Organizations now use videos for marketing and outreach, training, and projects. Closed captioning allows you to expand your audience to include individuals with limited hearing abilities. YouTube offers several closed captioning options, including automatic captioning, in several languages.

Specific actions that can make content more accessible• Provide lecture notes in readable formats• Ensure PDFs are readable by a screen reader• Provide transcript for podcasts/audio files/videos• Use captioned video (caption videos)

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Resource

Cheatsheets1 page accessibility resources for a variety of

applications including MS Office and Adobe http://ncdae.org/resources/cheatsheets/

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Resources

Tools and Tips for creating accessible digital imageshttp://diagramcenter.org/

Image Description Resourceshttp://

ncam.wgbh.org/experience_learn/educational_media/accessible-assessments/image-description-resources

Guideline to Provide access to graphs for users who are blind or visually impaired

http://ncam.wgbh.org/invent_build/web_multimedia/accessible-digital-media-guide/guideline-f-graphs

Diagrams Charts Graphs

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ResourcesPDF Information: Adobe and Accessibility websitewww.adobe.com/accessibility.html

http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/accessibility/products/acrobat/pdfs/acrobat-xi-accessibility-checker.pdf

http://webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/acrobat

Creating Accessible Tables and Data Tableshttp://webaim.org/techniques/tables/

http://webaim.org/techniques/tables/data

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ResourceColor Blindness Simulator

http://www.seewald.at/en/2012/01/color_blindness_correction_and_simulator

See through the eyes of your red, green or blue colorblind student.

Android only

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Resources FREE Video Captioning AppsNCAM.wgbh.org

MAGpie (captions and video descriptions to QT, Windows Media, Real and Flash)CCforFLASH, ccPlayer, ccMP3Player

How to add closed captions to YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K4WJs94FfY

CART service $http://www.captionfirst.com/CART(communications access realtime translation)

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Resource

FREE Screen ReaderNVDA http://www.nvaccess.org/

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free “screen reader” which enables blind and vision impaired people to use computers. It reads the text on the screen in a computerized voice. You can control what is read to you by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or the arrows on your keyboard.

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Resources

10 Free Screen Readers

http://usabilitygeek.com/10-free-screen-reader-blind-visually-impaired-users/

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Resource

Raymond Rose ray@rose-smith.com 512.791.3100

Presentation slides on this topic are available at:http://www.slideshare.net/RaymondRose

And at my blog: http://rmrose.blogspot.com