Accessibility and inclusion
Dr Michelle SelingerExecutive Adviser for Education
Cisco Systems, EMEA
Question
Is technology making education more accessible and inclusive?
Challenges
Disabilities
Technology dissonance
Digital divide
Technology dissonance
Global e-learning programs Cultural norms and prevailing pedagogy
Blended learning Online teaching
Increasing diversity of students in country Non-traditional students
Technology Dissonance
The imposition of an inappropriate technology into an unprepared cultural context and one that is incapable of reaping the benefits of the technology innovation
It is important to study cultural differences, expectations, and traditions surrounding teaching and learning in a variety of contexts, and examine how the recognition of cultural preferences can be used to make technology use more relevant
Research on cultural issues and implications for learning
Assumptions about learning and meaning of learning vary across cultures
Cultural contexts have an impact on thinking and learning Much of the global research focuses on e-learning which has
little face to face contact and in which tutors are remote Examples in materials are often drawn from another culture
Idioms often do not transfer between culturesThe style of writing may be alienScreen design and colour scheme could be inappropriate
Relationships between teachers and learners vary across cultures
Cultural disconnection
Affirmative & Affirmative & Deferential Deferential cultureculture
Individualistic Individualistic & & Collectivistic Collectivistic cultureculture
CulturCulture biase bias
High & Low High & Low Context Context cultureculture
Most of the current instructional principles concern on the separation of different cultural needs but neglect to provide an environment to help learners to share their experiences and make cultural connections. .
Ruolan WangRuolan Wang & & Patrick DillonPatrick Dillon
Linguistic disconnection
English English deficiencdeficiencyy
ConceptualConceptual structure structure differencesdifferences
The absence of The absence of gestural & gestural & bodily elementsbodily elements
Inner Inner speech speech differencesdifferences
Low speed in reading and writing in English Slow responses by constructing ideas in English Misunderstanding during the discussion with native
English speakers.
Ruolan WangRuolan Wang & & Patrick DillonPatrick Dillon
Digital divide
Economic and social divide In country Internationally
Digital literacy
Disability
Assistive technologies Physical disabilities Sensory disabilities Cognitive disabilities
Disfolks Cripping the Mainstream: Theorizing Being Disabled in a Culture of Ableism
Can these promises be met?
Multimedia and IP communications will provide increased access to understanding
Digital divide will be reduced through ease of use and both ubiquitous and new forms of access (e.g. set top boxes, mobile phones, etc and community access centres)
RLOs and content sharing will reduce costs
Multimedia and IP communications will provide increased access to understanding Video/audio/subtitles/text (Stratford, Sloan and
Stone)
Cultural norms Pedagogical practices Access to Internet
bandwidth Content and contexts VLEs Digital literacy
Digital divide will be reduced
Disability (Claire Stockton)
Age (wrinkly ware) Language Location (Pieter Conradie) Socially excluded Minority groups Legislation (and creativity) Ability – (NLN research in FE Maria Smith & Colin McCaig)
RLOs and content sharing will reduce costs Design issues
use of metaphorspersonalisationlanguagecolour (Yasmin Valli)imagescognitive demandscommunity learning (Fred Garnett)starting pointsstudent involvement
Open courseware – How open? Who pays and for what?
FE/HE
Plus factor
Teacher education (Skills for Access)
Technical support Reliability Employee awareness (SNCRU – Christopher Bailey)
Thank you