Moodle accessibility Making the Moodle e-learning software more accessible Techshare 4-5 October 2007 Dr Nick Freear Dr Chetz Colwell

Making the Moodle e-learning software more accessible

Techshare 4-5 October 2007

Dr Nick Freear

Dr Chetz Colwell

The Open University Campus in Milton Keynes, 50 miles from London. Founded 1960s. Mission "open to people, places, methods and ideas" Only university in the UK dedicated to distance learning –"supported open learning". One of the largest universities in Europe – 150,000 undergraduate students, 30,000 postgraduates. 1 in 20 of our students declare disabilities.

Campus in Milton Keynes, 50 miles from London. Founded 1960s.

Mission "open to people, places, methods and ideas"

Only university in the UK dedicated to distance learning –"supported open learning".

One of the largest universities in Europe – 150,000 undergraduate students, 30,000 postgraduates.

1 in 20 of our students declare disabilities.

OU disabled students Students may have more than one disability 1. Fatigue/pain 22% … 6. Sight 5% (exclude other) Total 20154 Figures for August 2007 793 Unseen disability 3239 Mobility/Physical 59 Autistic Spectrum 1876 Dyslexia 1039 Sight 4361 Fatigue/Pain 375 752 777 Speech Personal care Hearing 2065 Other 2123 Manual 2695 Mental Health

Students may have more than one disability

1. Fatigue/pain 22% … 6. Sight 5% (exclude other)

Total 20154

Figures for August 2007

Moodle Course management system, virtual learning environment Social constructivist pedagogy – learner as teacher, interaction, observation Open source – GPL licence, free to modify, run. like Linux, Apache, Mozilla Firefox browser Founded: Martin Dougiamas, Perth Australia (school of the air, PhD project) – Moodle 1.0 2002 “ Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment”

Course management system, virtual learning environment

Social constructivist pedagogy – learner as teacher, interaction, observation

Open source – GPL licence, free to modify, run.

like Linux, Apache, Mozilla Firefox browser

Founded: Martin Dougiamas, Perth Australia (school of the air, PhD project) – Moodle 1.0 2002

“ Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment”

Moodle.org course page

Moodle (2) Modular: course formats, activities, blocks, question types, filters, languages, themes, authentication …(20) Default includes: assignment, blog, database, forum, glossary, quiz, resource, wiki … 25,000 registered sites, 176 countries (10 million users, 1 million courses), 75 languages, 3000 download/day. Universities, colleges, schools, government, companies, independents. Community, Moodle.com consulting, worldwide partners.

Modular: course formats, activities, blocks, question types, filters, languages, themes, authentication …(20)

Default includes: assignment, blog, database, forum, glossary, quiz, resource, wiki …

25,000 registered sites, 176 countries (10 million users, 1 million courses), 75 languages, 3000 download/day.

Universities, colleges, schools, government, companies, independents.

Community, Moodle.com consulting, worldwide partners.

OU and Moodle Adopted Moodle October 2005; live with 1.6 Beta April 2006. Currently running OUVLE 1.5/ Moodle 1.8 (PostgreSQL). A big installation: 395,000 users, 2900 courses! We're involved: Roles & Permissions, Quiz, Accessibility, Groups, offline Moodle, e-Portfolio Also, OpenLearn uses Moodle; Platinum IMS Global Learning Impact Award 2007.

Adopted Moodle October 2005; live with 1.6 Beta April 2006.

Currently running OUVLE 1.5/ Moodle 1.8 (PostgreSQL).

A big installation: 395,000 users, 2900 courses!

We're involved: Roles & Permissions, Quiz, Accessibility, Groups, offline Moodle, e-Portfolio

Also, OpenLearn uses Moodle; Platinum IMS Global Learning Impact Award 2007.

Accessibility evaluation Ongoing expert evaluation since February 2006 All available tools Long list of issues – still being addressed in each major release of Moodle Student evaluation 3 rounds of testing with disabled and non-disabled students (Dec 06 – Aug 07) Observational sessions using ‘think aloud’ Realistic tasks in educational context Tools included Course web site, Forum, Wiki, Quiz, Profile

Ongoing expert evaluation since February 2006

All available tools

Long list of issues – still being addressed in each major release of Moodle

Student evaluation

3 rounds of testing with disabled and non-disabled students (Dec 06 – Aug 07)

Observational sessions using ‘think aloud’

Realistic tasks in educational context

Tools included Course web site, Forum, Wiki, Quiz, Profile

Student evaluations

Problems & solutions Moodle 1.6, June 2006 Some ALT text, headings, layout tables, colour contrast, list markup, breadcrumb navigation trail 1.8, March 2007 Adoption of forms library to standardise forms Adding form labels and markup (ongoing) Removed deprecated tags, text editor keyboard shortcuts, not using colour/format alone, lists, Javascript, English help

Moodle 1.6, June 2006

Some ALT text, headings, layout tables, colour contrast, list markup, breadcrumb navigation trail

1.8, March 2007

Adoption of forms library to standardise forms

Adding form labels and markup (ongoing)

Removed deprecated tags, text editor keyboard shortcuts, not using colour/format alone, lists, Javascript, English help

Open University course page

Progress: lists, headings …

Solutions (2) Moodle 1.9, due October 2007 Fixing form markup Adding list markup Replacing mis-used markup in help files Course resource links, miscellaneous issues

Moodle 1.9, due October 2007

Fixing form markup

Adding list markup

Replacing mis-used markup in help files

Course resource links, miscellaneous issues

Issues outstanding Moodle 2.0, mid 2008 More removal of layout tables More forms markup Headings, lists in some modules Text editor

Moodle 2.0, mid 2008

More removal of layout tables

More forms markup

Headings, lists in some modules

Text editor

Challenges Retrofitting Size/ complexity (1 million lines of code) Accessibility of user generated content Raising awareness of issues & techniques 3 rd party modules, themes, language packs

Retrofitting

Size/ complexity (1 million lines of code)

Accessibility of user generated content

Raising awareness of issues & techniques

3 rd party modules, themes, language packs

Acknowledgements Open University colleagues Moodle.com including Martin Dougiamas, Jamie Pratt Contributors on Moodle.org forums

Open University colleagues

Moodle.com including Martin Dougiamas, Jamie Pratt

Contributors on Moodle.org forums

Useful Links Open University: http://www.open.ac.uk Accessibility in Educational Media team: http://iet.open.ac.uk/aem Moodle Accessibility Specification: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle_Accessibility_Specification Moodle accessibility wiki: http:// docs.moodle.org/en/Category:Accessibility Moodle development accessibility notes: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Accessibility_notes Moodle community: http:// moodle.org Moodle consultancy: http:// moodle.com

Open University: http://www.open.ac.uk

Accessibility in Educational Media team: http://iet.open.ac.uk/aem

Moodle Accessibility Specification: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle_Accessibility_Specification

Moodle accessibility wiki: http:// docs.moodle.org/en/Category:Accessibility

Moodle development accessibility notes: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Accessibility_notes

Moodle community: http:// moodle.org

Moodle consultancy: http:// moodle.com

Contacts Dr Nick Freear , Technical Developer, Learning & Teaching Solutions, [email_address] Dr Chetz Colwell , Project Officer (AEM), Institute of Educational Technology, [email_address]

Dr Nick Freear , Technical Developer, Learning & Teaching Solutions, [email_address]

Dr Chetz Colwell , Project Officer (AEM), Institute of Educational Technology, [email_address]