Technology-Enhanced Learning for All:The eAccess Framework

University of PiraeusDepartment of Digital Systems

Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas (CE.R.T.H.) Information Technologies Institute (I.T.I.)

D. G. Sampson CAVA 2011, Bogota, Colombia, November 2011

Advanced Digital Systems and Services for Education and Learning (ASK)

Technology-Enhanced Learning for All:The eAccess Framework

Demetrios G. Sampson

Department of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus&

Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/1.0 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California

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Outline• Technology-Enhanced Learning and Accessibility

– Short Overview and Current State-of-the-Art– Accessibility Dimensions

– Learner Dimension– Content Dimension: Create - Tag– Tools/Applications

• The e-Access2Learn Technology-Enhanced Learning (TeL) Framework– Main Stakeholders in the e-Access2Learn TeL Framework– The Needs of Main Stakeholders in e-Access2Learn TeL Framework– The e-Access2Learn TeL Framework Business Case– Empowering the Main Stakeholders in the e-Access2Learn TeL Framework

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National Academy of Engineering (USA)Grand Challenges for Engineering for the 21st

Centrury

Technology-enhanced Personalised Learning is recognized as one of the 14 most important

challenges of the 21st Century

National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Grand Challenges for Engineering for the 21st Centrury (http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/)

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http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9127.aspx 4/40





Is Technology-supported Personalised Learning for ALL?

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can students with disabilities have access to the institution’s course management system, the digital library, the web-based admission

system, the computer-based assessment ?

Technology-enhanced Learning and Accessibility

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• Historically, the issue of accessibility in Web-based Education has been treated in two main directions:– Provide with Accessible Learning Materials (De Marsico etal,

2006; Di Iorio, 2006)– Provide with Accessible Course Management Systems

(Desire2Learn, 2008)• Is this enough for today’s educational expections?

Earl, S., Felix, M., Gilson, C. and Petri, K. (2008). Desire2Learn: Accessible Learning Management Systems – Bridging the Gap between Vendor and User Knowledge

De Marsico, M., Kimani, S., Mirabella, V., Norman, K.L. and Catarci, T. (2006). A proposal towards the development of accessible e-learning content by human involvement, Univ Access Inf Soc Journal, 5, pp 150-169.

Di Iorio, A., Feliziani, A.A., Mirri, S., Salomoni, P. and Vitali, F., (2006). Automatically Producing Accessible Learning Objects, Educational Technology & Soiety, 9(4), 3-16


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• In practice, there are three main approaches for enhancing accessibility in technology-enhanced learning (Nevile et al, 2005):– To create Universally Accessible Resources (Web-based content and/or applications) that meet all

the accessibility requirements. The main drawback with this approach is that, typically, Resources are Accessible-by-Everyone, but Optimal-for-None (“one-size does not fit all” personalisation rule).

– To create multiple versions of the Resources, customised based on the different needs and expectations of the anticipated individual user. This is a rather unrealistic anticipation in practical terms. Typically, only the main version is updated and maintained to a high quality level over time.

– To built Universally Accessible Resource Systems, that is, systems that can handle user-centered configurations of resources, tools, applications. This Access4All Approach requires accurate descriptions of

• Learners’ Preferences and Needs• Resources (Content and/or Tools/Applications) and Services Characteristics

Nevile, L., Cooper, M., Heath, A., Rothberg, M. and Treviranus, J. (2005). Learner-Centered Accessibility for Interoperable Web-based Educational Systems, In: International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2005), 10-14 May 2005, Chiba, Japan.

Nevile, L., & Treviranus, J. (2006). Interoperability for Individual Learner Centred Accessibility for Web-based Educational Systems. Educational Technology & Society, 9 (4), 215-227.


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• Early systems implementation suffered by the lack of interoperability at various levels: content, interactions (learners-tutors, learners-learners, learners-tools), tools and applications, adding extra barriers to access4all.

• The emerge of – Learning Technology International Specifications (IEEE Learning Object Metadata,

SCORM, IMS Learning Design, IMS Questions and Test Interoperability, IEEE Reusable Competency Definitions, …)

– Web Accessibility Standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG], Evaluation and Report Language [EARL], User Agent Accessibility Guidelines [UAAG], Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines [ATAG], Accessible Rich Internet Applications [WAI-ARIA])

is now improving this situation, although still global adoption is at early stages and extra effort is needed to ensure synchronisation and orchestration of these specifications.


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• IMS Global Learning Consortium (a global consortium of organizations working together to develop specifications for learning technology) has produced:– The IMS Accessibility for Learner Information Package (IMS AccLIP) Information Model: it adds a new

element on IMS LIP to allow learner <accessibility> preferences to be defined. Rather than targeting at the description of the learner's disabilities, it allows users to explain how they interface and use a computer-mediated learning system, with their preferences being grouped into <display>, <control>, and <content> elements.

– The IMS AccessForAll Metadata (IMS AccMD) Information Model : aims for metadata that expresses a resource’s ability to match the needs and preferences of a learner’s AccLIP profile. It is intended to assist with resource discovery and also provides an interoperable framework that supports the substitution and augmentation of a resource or resource component with equivalent or supplementary components as required by the accessibility needs and preferences expressed in a learner’s AccLIP profile.

– The IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications: is a set of recommendations and resources for making e-learning accessible to people with a range of disabilities.

• This work has been now integrated into a new international ISO/IEC standard under the overall title of ISO/IEC 24751 “Individualized Adaptability and Accessibility in e-Learning, Education and Training” published 16-9-2008.


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ISO/IEC 24751-1:2008 “Individualized Adaptability and Accessibility in e-Learning, Education and Training” is intended to meet the

needs of learners with disabilities and anyone in a disabling context. ISO/IEC 24751-1:2008 provides a common framework to

describe and specify learner needs and preferences on the one hand and the corresponding description of the digital learning

resources on the other hand, so that individual learner preferences and needs can be matched with the appropriate

user interface tools and digital learning resources.


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“Learners experience a disability when there is a mismatch between the learner’s needs (or preferences) and the education

or learning experience delivered”

ISO IEC JTC1/SC36 24751-1:2008. “Individualized Adaptability and Accessibility in e-Learning, Education and Training.” Available online at:

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=41521

Defining Disability

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Accessibility Dimensions

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• This dimension includes the expression of the individual learner accessibility preferences and the modeling of those preferences into reusable information records.

• One way to do that is by using the IMS Accessibility for Learner Information Package (IMS AccLIP) Information Model

• IMS AccLIP adds a new element on IMS LIP to allow learner <accessibility> preferences to be defined. Rather than targeting at the description of the learner's disabilities, it allows users to explain how they interface and use a computer-mediated learning system, with their preferences being grouped into <display>, <control>, and <content> elements.

The Learner Dimension

IMS LIP, (2003). IMS learning information package specification. Available online at: http://www.imsglobal.org/profiles/ IMS AccLIP, (2003). IMS learner information package accessibility for LIP specification. Available online at: http://www.imsglobal.org/accessibility/acclipv1p0/imsacclip_infov1p0.html

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• This dimension includes the application of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in creating accessible learning objects.

The Content Dimension: Create

WCAG 1.0 (1999). Web content accessibility guidelines 1.0, W3C Recommendation, May 1999. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/ WCAG 2.0 (2008). Web content accessibility guidelines 2.0, W3C Recommendation, December 2008. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/

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• Typically, Learning Objects are described with the IEEE Learning Object Metadata Standard (IEEE LOM) (IEEE LOM, 2002), so as to be searched, find and retrieved thought Educational Resources Repocitories.

• However, IEEE LOM does not directly support the description of learning objects in terms of their relevance to accessibility characteristics

• On the other hand, the IMS AccessForAll Metadata (IMS AccMD) Information Model aims to provide with metadata that expresses the resource’s ability to match the needs and preferences of a learner’s AccLIP profile. It is intended to assist with resource discovery and also provides an interoperable framework that can support the substitution and augmentation of a resource or resource component with equivalent or supplementary components as required by the accessibility needs and preferences expressed in a learner’s AccLIP profile.

The Content Dimension: Tagging

IEEE 1484.12.1, Final draft standard for learning object metadata, 2002. Available online at: http://ltsc.ieee.org/wg12/ IMS AccMD, IMS AccessForAll Meta-data Specification, 2004. Available online at: http://www.imsglobal.org/accessibility/accmdv1p0/imsaccmd_bestv1p0.html ISO IEC JTC 1 Standard 24751. Available online at: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=41521

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The e-Access2Learn Technology-Enhanced Learning Framework

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The eAccess2Learn Framework• Implemented with funding from the European Commission

through the Leonardo da Vinci Programme• Started 1/1/2004 and it runs until the end of 2009• e-Access: Developing Web Content Supporting Learning and

Training of Disadvantaged User Communities • e-Access II: Supporting Vocational Education and Training of

Disadvantaged User Communities• http://eAccess.iti.gr -> http://www.eAccess2Learn.eu

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Main Stakeholders ineAccess2Learn Framework

• eTraining Content Suppliers: the entity responsible for designing and developing independent eTraining Resources in the form of [Learning Objects], verified in relation to accessibility requirements

• eTraining Courses Suppliers: the entity responsible for designing eTraining Courses as the synthesis of a number of appropriately selected eTraining Activities based on scenarios that reflect the training approach of this particular course, so as to meet the eTraining needs of the targeted user group.

• eTraining Services Providers: the entity responsible for designing eTraining Programmes as a synthesis of eTraining Courses and delivering eTraining Services to their end users (Learners and Tutors).

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eAccess I I -Acc-LOM-RM

eAccess I I -LDT

eAccess I I -Acc-LOM-AT

e-Access I I Web Portal

eTraining Content

Suppliers

eTraining Services Providers

inform

Accessible Resources/

Courses

eTraining Courses

Suppliers

Metadata Repository

inform

Produce Accessible eTraining Resources Metadata

Tagging

Retrieve/ Use Accessible eTraining Courses

Search for Accessible eTraining Courses

Use Accessible eTrainingResources

Produce eTraining Courses

Metadata Tagging

eAccess I I Guidelines for

Accessible Web Content

Accessibility Stylesheets

Use

inform

Accessibility Requirements


eTraining Scenarios Templates

inform


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The Needs of Main Stakeholders in the eAccess2Learn Framework

• eTraining Content Suppliers: need to convert their existing eTraining Resources (or create new digital resources) so as to meet accessibility requirements of people with disabilities

• eTraining Courses Suppliers: need to define training scenarios populated with appropriately selected accessible eTraining Activites in order to develop their accessible eTraining Courses.

• eTraining Service Providers: need to have access to accessible eTraining Resources, Activities and Courses in order to provide eTraining Services (activities and courses delivery, as well as, educational support) to their end users.

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eAccess2Learn Conclusions 1.0

• Tools to empower the different actors in Accessible Technology Enhanced Learning (AccTeL) for their various capacities are needed.

• It is important in Accessible TeL to adopt and possible enhance widely spread international Learning Technology specifications (such as IEEE LOM and IMS Learning Design), so as to be able to include accessibility requirements of people with disabilities in large scale TeL business cases.

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eAccess2Learn Conclusions 1.0To this end, the adoption of the IMS Learning Design as the enabling specification for the formal machine-readable description of e-learning activities is very important, so as to be able to inter-exchange them between different platforms.

There are several benefits from this design decision:– e-Learning activities designed for learners with disabilities will not be

isolated from other e-Learning activities– Different e-learning service providers can deploy and re-use e-learning

activities from common pools (such as repositories with e-Learning activities in the form of Learning Designs)

– e-Learning activities designed for learners with disabilities can be inter-exchanged between different e-training systems and platforms

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The eAccess2Learn

Services/Tools

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Empowering eTraining Content Suppliers (1/4)

• The eAccess2Learn framework synchronize existing Guidelines (namely, W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications) into a set of guidelines for the design and development of accessible eTraining Resources

• By following these Guidelines existing eTraining Resources can be verified and upgraded, in relation to accessibility requirements.

• In our case studies accessiblity of eTraining Resources has been verified using the ADesigner Tool (http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/trl/projects/acc_tech/adesigner_e.htm)

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• The eAccess2Learn framework developed a set of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for HTML-based content, which facilitate eTraining Content Suppliers to make their eTraining Resources accessible to people with certain disabilities (in our case studies: visually impaired and motor disabled people)

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Advanced Digital Systems and Services for Education and Learning (ASK)HTML Content without Style Sheets

Examples of Using eAccess2Learn Cascading Style Sheets

HTML Content with Style Sheet for People with Low Vision

HTML Content with Style Sheet for People with Color Blindness

HTML Content with Style Sheet for Motor Disabled People

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Empowering mTraining Content Suppliers (3/4)

IEEE LOMIMS Learner

Information Package Accessibility for LIP

(AccLIP)

Learner SpecificGuidelines

Content Specific Guidelines

IMS AccessForAll Metadata (AccMD)

IEEE LOM Accessibility Application

ProfileThe eAccess2Learn framework developed a proposal for educational metadata to describe accessible eTraining resources

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5. Educational

6. Rights

9. Classification

4. Technical

3. Meta-metadata

10. Competence

2. Life Cycle

1. General

IEEE LOM

7. Relation

8. Annotation

10.3 Context

10.1 Title

10.2 Description

4.10 Color Brightness

4.8 Color Avoidance

4.9 Color Difference

….

Accessibility

Competence

5.8.1 Proficiency Level

5.8 Difficulty

…

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• Facilitates eTraining Content Suppliers and eTraining Courses Suppliers in their educational metadata authoring

• Provides eTraining Content Suppliers and eTraining Courses Suppliers a user-friendly authoring wizard for describing their eTraining Resources and Courses with educational and accessibility metadata conformant with IEEE Learning Objects Metadata (IEEE LOM) Standard

• By using the e-Access2Learn Accessible Learning Objects Metadata Authoring Toolkit, eTraining Course Suppliers can provide descriptions of available eTraining Courses with emphasis to accessibility aspects, so that to enable eTraining Services Providers to take more informed decisions on the design of their eTraining Programmes.

ASK eAccess2Learn Accessible LearningObjects Metadata Authoring Toolkit

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• The eAccess2Learn framework created a Reference Set of Generic eTraining Scenarios (in the form of Course Templates) implementing different eTraining Strategies for learners with disabilities.

Empowering eTraining Courses Suppliers (1/2)

Activity 1: Lesson

Introduction

Activity 2: Prerequisites

Activity 3: Presentation of the New Concept

Activity 4: Preparation

Activity 5: Enact

Phase 1: Orientation

Phase 2: Presentation

Phase 3: Guided Practice

Phase 4: Independent Practice

Activity 6: Exercise

Competence Based Training – Learning Activities Flow

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Empowering eTraining Courses Suppliers (2/2)

• Enables eTraining Courses Suppliers to design and develop eTraining Courses using a Reference Set of predefined Generic eTraining Scenarios Templates.

• Provides eTraining Courses Suppliers with a graphical user-friendly interface for creating eTraining Courses conformant with IMS Learning Design Specification and packaging them along with their related e-Training Resources following the IMS Content Packaging Specification

• By using the e-Access2Learn Learning Design Toolkit, eTraining Courses Suppliers for people with disabilities with similar needs around Europe (and globally) can exchange eTraining practices and assess their application at a local/national context of use.

ASK eAccess2Learn Learning Design Toolkit

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Empowering eTraining Providers

The eAccess2Learn framework provides access to web-based Repositories of accessible eTraining Resources

and eTraining Courses (http://www.eAccess2Learn.eu)

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The eAccess2Learn Repository in Numbers• 2.694 accessible e-Training Resources (in the form of HTML Files) for three disability

categories namely, motor disabled, low vision and color blindness• 198 accessible e-Training Short Courses (for three disability categories), in the

following, among others, subject domains:– Software and Hardware Assistive Technologies– Business English– e-Business– Web Design– Introduction to Programming– Legislations about People with Disabilities

• Based on different training strategies such as: (a) Competence based Training (b) Active Learning, (c) Problem-based Learning, (d) Skills Development, …

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• D. Sampson and P. Zervas, "Supporting Accessible Technology-Enhanced Training: The eAccess2Learn Framework", IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies (TLT) (ISSN 1939-1382), vol. 4(4), pp. 353-364, IEEE Computer Society, October 2011

• D. Sampson and P. Zervas, "Technology-enhanced Training for People with Disabilities: The eAccess2Learn Framework", in Proc. of the 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Networking and Collaborative Systems (INCoS 2010), Thessaloniki, Greece, 24-26, November 2010 [BEST PAPER AWARD]

• D. Sampson, D. Fytros and P. Zervas, "Supporting Lifelong Learning Programmes: Defining an Accessibility and Competence Based Application Profile for Educational Metadata", in Proc. of the 11th IASTED International Conference on Computers and Advanced Technology in Education (CATE 2008), Heraklion, Crete, Greece, October 2008

• D. Sampson and P. Zervas, "eAccess2Learn: Supporting Technology-Enhanced Training for All", in Proc. of the 8th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2008), pp. 1034-1035, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, IEEE Computer Society (ISBN: 978-0-7695-3167-0), 1-5, July 2008

• P. Karampiperis and D. Sampson, "Facilitating Learning Objects Reusability in Different Accessibility Settings", in Ulf-Daniel Ehlers and Jan M. Pawlowski (Eds.), Handbook on Quality and Standardisation in E-Learning (ISBN 3540327878), Chapter 20, pp. 248-262, Springer, May 2006

• P. Karampiperis and D. Sampson, "An Architectural Approach for Supporting Accessible Hypermedia in Web-based Learning Systems", in Proc. of the 5th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2005), pp. 138-142, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, IEEE Computer Society (ISBN: 0769523382), 5-8, July 2005

• P. Karampiperis and D. Sampson, "Designing Learning Systems to Provide Accessible Services", in Proc. of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A) in 14th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2005), pp. 72-80, Chiba, Japan, ACM Press (ISBN: 1-59593-219-4), 10-14, May 2005

• P. Karampiperis and D. Sampson, "Supporting Accessible Hypermedia in Web-based Educational Systems: Defining an Accessibility Application Profile for Learning Resources", The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia (ISSN 1361-4568), Special Issue on Accessible Hypermedia and Multimedia, vol. 10(2), pp. 181-197, Taylor & Francis, December 2004

• P. Karampiperis and D. Sampson, "Learning Object Metadata for Learning Content Accessibility", in Proc. of the 16th World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (ED-MEDIA 2004), ISBN: 1880094533, vol. 7, pp. 5204-5211, Lugano, Switzerland, AACE Press, June 2004

Related Publications

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• The issue of accessibility in Technology-enhanced Learning is too important to be ignored.

• However, it is about time to move beyond the basic consideration for accessible educational materials and accessible course delivery systems.

• It is about time to take up the challenge of providing accessible learning experiences to every individual learners at any given context.

• To this end, it is more than essential to synchronise and orchestrate international efforts in standardisation of both Learning Technologies and Web Accessibility, before it is too late.

Conclusions

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Documents

Technology-Enhanced Learning for All:The eAccess Framework