EduWAI: Disabilities & ict's 4 learning

Disabilities & ICTs 4 learning developing an accessible learning environment from a User Centered Design perspective Dr. Eva P. Gil-Rodríguez Pablo Rebaque Rivas Llorenç Sabaté Jardí Office of Learning Technologies Office of the Vice President for Technology Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Lorena Bourg-Arceo Ariadna Servicios Informáticos

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 0 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Distance University On-line Digital contents Virtual classrooms www.uoc.edu

0. AGENDA Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 0 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Introduction: Disabilities & ICT’s 4 learning User Centered Design of Virtual Learning Environments Theory Methodology: Participant Observation of final users Results & Recommendations Conclusions

Introduction: Disabilities & ICT’s 4 learning

1. Introduction: Disabilities & ICT’s 4 learning Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 1 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA ICT’s & Disabilities: Opportunity or Risk? Depending on the adaptation of technologies to people with disabilities

1. Introduction: Disabilities & ICT’s 4 learning Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 1 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA eduwai project: developing a specific learning environment for the inclusion of people with disabilities into the job market http:// eduwai.grupogesfor.com

User Centered Design of Virtual Learning Environments

2. User Centered Design of Virtual Learning Environments Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 2 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA

2. User Centered Design of Virtual Learning Environments Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 2 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Our users!

Theory

3. Theory Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 3 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA ICT make the construction of flexible and personalized learning routes possible (Beale, 2005) Besides this, it is clear that people with intellectual disabilities improve their quality of life when they have a job (Eggleton et al., 1999; O'Brien and Dempsey, 2005; Kraemer, 2003) No research about how technology may help people with intellectual disabilities to become included in the job market

3. Theory Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 3 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA The accessibility standards and e-learning communion does not guarantee a satisfactory experience for people with visual disabilities (Lawton & Grossnickle, 2005) The clearest example is the screen reader, which reads the website in a linear way, where reading in sighted people is holistic and hypertextual (Lazar, J. et al. 2006) No research about usability of Virtual Learning Environments for visually impaired people

Methodology: Participant Observation

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Learning Scenario 1: people with visual disabilities Learning Scenario 2: people with intellectual disabilities

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Learning Scenario 1: people with visual disabilities www.uoc.edu

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Learning Scenario 2: people with intellectual disabilities www.fundacionprodis.org

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA
Learning Scenario 1: people with visual disabilities
Participant Observations at home
Non Structured Interviews
User Tests of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with assistive technologies

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA 17 students: 2 screen reader, 8 magnifier, 7 zoom PC 7 men & 10 women, aged between 22 & 64 Most of them lived with their family Different studies

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA
Learning Scenario 2: people with intellectual disabilities
Participant Observations in 3 classes with 12 students each one (both genders, most of them with Down Syndrome, aged between 18 and 30)
Focus group with 8 educators and employment mediators

4. Methodology: Participant Observation Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 4 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Content Analysis, Workflows & Task Flows

Results & Recommendations

5. Accessibility and usability of Virtual Learning Environment is not enough: you should also provide access to accessible and usable contents IN ADVANCE Provide all possible formats (audio, word, pdf...), put self-explanatory links, priorize information! Train teaching staff in accessibility issues Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 5 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Results & Recommendations

5. Results & Recommendations Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 5 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Priority given to visual content over read content VLE should allow personalization VLE should adapt to the different stages of the student’s training (in class and while employed) VLE should help families and work coleagues to learn how to interact with students

Conclusions

6. Conclusions Office of Learning Technologies · learningtechnologies.uoc.edu 6 UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA Specific users require different solutions: Specific solution (platform to create videogames) is developing now Universal Design of VLE’s is possible!

learningtechnologies .uoc.edu WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK: The eduWAI project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, the Advanced R+D Programme (AETSI Avanza I+D 2009) TSI-020312-2009-27 UNIDISCAT, funded by the Agency for the Administration of University and Research Grants (AGAUR, the Catalan government), Case No. 11 More information: [email_address] @evapatriciagil

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EduWAI: Disabilities & ict's 4 learning

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