Ally, A11y and Online - Fiona MacNeill

Fiona MacNeill
Fiona MacNeillLearning Technologist at University of Brighton
a11y, ally, and online:
Service Design for Blackboard Ally
Fiona MacNeill | f.macneill@brighton.ac.uk | @fmacneill
University of Brighton
This presentation is about
Blackboard Ally…
…it is also about the services and people that
operate around Blackboard Ally
Concepts used in this presentation
Service Design
Big picture mindset
Before, during, and after use
Operations around the goal/s
Relationships between activities
User Experience Design
Big picture down to the minutiae
During use
Functions to support the goal/s
Individual activities
Methods + Tools
I am a learning technologist, but I am also a trained user-centred designer. I take
inspiration from Service Design and User Experience Design.
What we will
cover…
a11y
How we approached accessibility prior to having Ally
ally
How we implemented a service design for Blackboard
Ally at University of Brighton
online
How we drove engagement through online training,
guidance, and outreach
There will be time for questions at the end
Jill and Tucker are on-hand in the chat and Q&A
Tool Used: Proto Persona (Gothelf, 2013)
University of Brighton
Four campuses on
the South Coast of
England
Behaviours and Actions
• Emphasis on Inclusive Practice
• Widening participation a crucial driver
• Management buy-in for auditing
• Recognised need to improve resources
Demographic and Psychographic Details
• Students: 18,987 | Staff: 2,600
• Schools 13 (moving to 7)
• Disabled students 21%
Learning disability: 13% or 1 in 8
• Disabled staff 8.8%
Needs and Pain Points
• Student communications and support
• Limited staff resource for accessibility
• The pandemic: academic staff burnout
• Mismatch between expectations and
outcomes
a11y
~ a [ccessibilit] y
~ a [string of 11 characters] y
The emotion line of when
ally
~ an add-on for Blackboard VLE.
Blackboard Ally improves the experience for all
users by providing alternative document formats.
Blackboard Ally provides feedback to staff so that
accessibility can continually improve.
Blackboard Ally was announced on 21st May 2020
for launch on 17th August 2020
• Used Global Accessibility Awareness
Day (GAAD) as an opportunity for
outreach. Inspired by Govt. Digital
Service (Fry, 2020)
• Announced Blackboard Ally via a
webinar on Microsoft Teams and gave
a demo
• Celebrated GAAD via Twitter,
Periscope and an MS Teams Escape
the Room game
5,970 Tweet Impressions (21 May)
17 x the Twitter traffic of a typical day
We were totally ready for Blackboard Ally
Overall accessibility per month – Ally statistics for historic content 2018-2021
Based on the average of the accessibility scores of all content items that were added during each month
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Trough Accessibility Training (July 2019) GAAD 2020
Bb Ally
Our to-do list
1. Who | Identify and communicate with stakeholders.
Win over hearts and minds
2. What and When | Plan for a phased roll out of Blackboard Ally
3. Where and How | Deliver training completely online with self-service options
Tool used: Task Scenarios (e.g., McCloskey, 2014)
Task scenarios are
itemised stories about a
specific tasks in context
Helpful for finding pinch
points in an existing
workflow as the basis for
support and training
design
Scenario 1: Check existing documents:
Scanned PDFs without OCR
Practical Goal: Learn what is wrong with the
document using the Ally report tool and resolve
the problem.
Context: On a personal computer connected to
the Internet using a web browser at home. User
will login to the VLE and open their module…
User/s: Academic staff; Professional staff who
create student-facing resources.
to-do
1.1 Identify and communicate
with stakeholders…
The Task Analysis uncovered an
opportunity to establish a referral
pathway to our libraries.
Method used: Customer value chain
also known as an ecosystem map
(Kalbach, 2016, p. 86).
Task Scenarios: Students
Scenario 1:
Download content from the
LMS/VLE in a different format
Scenario 2:
Ask for help to report an issue
with a document
to-do
1.2 Identify and
communicate
with
stakeholders…
An opportunity to build and strengthen
internal collaborations
to-do
1.3 …Win over hearts and minds
Key points
Minimise
tracking/auditing due
to perception as
surveillance
Create a core message
in your own words
Core Message –
Three Things you Need to know about Ally
1. Ally saves time by automatically creating
alternative document formats
2. Ally supports the access needs of all
students
3. Ally provides feedback which is only visible
to instructors to help improve the
accessibility of content in My Studies
to-do
2. Plan for a phased roll out of
Blackboard Ally
Two phases were
planned with the ethos
of improvement first,
statistics later
Planned to delay release
of the ‘Course
Accessibility Report’
until Dec 2020
The Course Accessibility Summary
Consider how a service sits
alongside other software
and services
Delayed the ‘Course
Accessibility Report’ further
to May 2021 and renamed
it ‘Accessibility Summary’
Report ~ Reporting =
Tracking
online
~ the challenge of working online and reaching
people during a pandemic even when you are
a technical person
to-do
3. Deliver training
completely online
with self-service
options
Via MS Teams but using
Blackboard Learn with task
scenarios
With companion session:
‘Creating Accessible Digital
Documents’
The Ally Effect
Ally has helped us to
achieve and maintain a
higher level of
accessibility across
LMS/VLE page content
and uploads
By February 2021
improvement had
plateaued
Overall accessibility Jul-Feb in 2018, 2019, 2020
Semester 1 (Oct-Jan) to Semester 2 (Feb-June) transition – Based on monthly averages
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
2020/21 2019/20 2018/19
Communications goals for Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2021
• To raise awareness of accessibility and why it is important.
• To highlight and remind people about Blackboard Ally.
• To provide practical tips for accessibility adjustments in university tools and
software.
• Link to the bigger picture of accessibility: legal standards for institution, and
future employer expectations for students.
Our new to-do
drive and sustain engagement
Objectives for
GAAD 2021 for
Staff
Increase attendance at our training
sessions
Increase conversion rates by at least 5%
(instructor feedback panel launch : no. of fixes)
Objectives for
GAAD 2021 for
Students
Increase conversion rates by at least 2%
(alternative formats window launches : downloads)
Benchmark period 22 March to 21 April
= 57%
Global Accessibility Day (GAAD) 2021
20th May 2021
Participant effort:
Low, Mod., High
Before During After
Tweets, micro tutorial videos
Weekly blog posts
Online pledge
Event attendance
Collaboration with University of Sussex
Workshop attendance
Fix Your Content Day
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Engagement with Instructor Feedback over time
22/3/21 – 21/05/21
Instructor Feedback Launches
Fixes
Course Accessibility Report Launches
Results for staff
Increase attendance at our
training sessions
– no change
22 April – 21 May:
no increase in conversion
rate (launch : fix)
Launched Accessibility
Summary 7 May 2021
Results for students
22 April – 21 May:
(alternative formats window
launches : downloads)
=64%
+7%
as compared to 57%
benchmark
+2% goal exceeded
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Alternative formats usage over time
22/3/21 – 21/05/21
Launches Downloads
Summary – Top tips that work
1. Focus on tool-based tasks and values to stay concise
2. Craft consistent and simple messages
3. Opportunities to collaborate are chances to remind and refine
4. Celebrate and cherish people who attend workshops/events
5. Iterate, iterate, iterate
6. Plan how you will continue to drive and sustain engagement
7. Staff awareness has a bearing on student engagement
We all do better when accessibility is better.
Accessibility is better when we all do it.
Thank you for coming!
Fiona MacNeill
f.macneill@brighton.ac.uk
@fmacneill on Twitter
Blogging at:
blogs.brighton.ac.uk/elearningteam
fionamacneill.co.uk/blog
Ally, A11y and Online - Fiona MacNeill
Methods and tools we used
• Proto Personae
• Information Architecture principles
• Task scenarios
• Customer value mapping
• Project planning template and interactive whiteboard (Mural template)
• Usable and context relevant language
• Data driven insights
References [1/4]
Advance HE (2020) Equality and higher education - staff statistical report 2020. Available at:
https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/equality-higher-education-statistical-report-2020
(Accessed: 27 June 2021).
Advance HE (2020) Equality and higher education - student statistical report 2020. Available at:
https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/equality-higher-education-statistical-report-2020
(Accessed: 27 June 2021).
Brand, S. (1995) How buildings learn: what happens after they’re built. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Fry, R. (2020) ‘What happened on Global Accessibility Day at GDS’, Government Digital Service Blog, 2
June. Available at: https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2020/06/02/what-happened-on-global-accessibility-
awareness-day-at-gds/ (Accessed: 4 July 2021).
References [2/4]
Gothelf, J. (2013) Lean UX applying lean principles to improve user experience. Edited by Seiden, J.
Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc.
Information about different types of disability (2020) University of Brighton (unpublished). Available at:
https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/ss/dd/Pages/information.aspx (Accessed: 24 March 2021).
Kalbach, J. (2016) Mapping experiences – a guide to creating value through journeys, blueprints, and
diagrams. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc.
Mapping from students in higher education publication to he student data tables (no date) HESA.
Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/releases/mapping (Accessed: 24
March 2021).
McCloskey , M. (2014) ‘Task scenarios for usability testing’, Nielsen Norman Group, 12 January.
Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/task-scenarios-usability-testing/ (Accessed: 24
March 2021).
References [3/4]
Office for Students (2020) Equality, diversity and student characteristics data. Available at:
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/equality-diversity-and-student-
characteristics-data/official-statistics/ (Accessed: 27 June 2021).
Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, no. 952.
Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/952/contents/enacted (Accessed: 31 May
2021).
Rosenfeld, L., Morville, P. and Arango, J. (2015) Information architecture: for the web and beyond.
Fourth edition. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Staff equalities monitoring report 18/19 (2020) University of Brighton Equality and Diversity
(unpublished). Available at: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/hr/equality/pubdocs/Internal-
staff/Internal%20Staff_Equalities_monitoring_report_1819%20FINAL.pdf
References [4/4]
Student population (2020) University of Brighton. Available at: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/about-
us/statistics-and-legal/facts-and-figures/student-population.aspx (Accessed: 24 March 2021).
Resources
All of University of Brighton’s GAAD related blog posts
Wakelet board for GAAD in 2020 | Wakelet board for GAAD in 2021
1 of 36

Recommended

Pre recording lectures by
Pre recording lecturesPre recording lectures
Pre recording lecturesFiona MacNeill
406 views41 slides
UCISA Case Study Slides: App Swap Breakfasts: Pedagogy, Mobile Devices and Le... by
UCISA Case Study Slides: App Swap Breakfasts: Pedagogy, Mobile Devices and Le...UCISA Case Study Slides: App Swap Breakfasts: Pedagogy, Mobile Devices and Le...
UCISA Case Study Slides: App Swap Breakfasts: Pedagogy, Mobile Devices and Le...Fiona MacNeill
3.7K views28 slides
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd by
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
20.3K views69 slides
Getting into the tech field. what next by
Getting into the tech field. what next Getting into the tech field. what next
Getting into the tech field. what next Tessa Mero
5K views22 slides
Google's Just Not That Into You: Understanding Core Updates & Search Intent by
Google's Just Not That Into You: Understanding Core Updates & Search IntentGoogle's Just Not That Into You: Understanding Core Updates & Search Intent
Google's Just Not That Into You: Understanding Core Updates & Search IntentLily Ray
5.8K views99 slides
How to have difficult conversations by
How to have difficult conversations How to have difficult conversations
How to have difficult conversations Rajiv Jayarajah, MAppComm, ACC
4.3K views19 slides

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns studio.pdf by
commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns  studio.pdfcommercial interior designers -Dortodesigns  studio.pdf
commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns studio.pdfPrasadgyb
5 views2 slides
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdf by
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdfDesign System in Figma A to Z.pdf
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdfAtiqur Rahaman
18 views16 slides
New Icon Presentation.pdf by
New Icon Presentation.pdfNew Icon Presentation.pdf
New Icon Presentation.pdfsydneyjrichardson
20 views5 slides
Designing Effective AR Experiences by
Designing Effective AR ExperiencesDesigning Effective AR Experiences
Designing Effective AR ExperiencesKumar Ahir
5 views46 slides
Doing Footwear - Footwear Factory by
Doing Footwear - Footwear FactoryDoing Footwear - Footwear Factory
Doing Footwear - Footwear FactoryDoing Footwear
10 views15 slides
Anti -Parkinsonian Drugs-Medicinal Chemistry by
Anti -Parkinsonian Drugs-Medicinal ChemistryAnti -Parkinsonian Drugs-Medicinal Chemistry
Anti -Parkinsonian Drugs-Medicinal ChemistryNarminHamaaminHussen
12 views36 slides

Recently uploaded(20)

commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns studio.pdf by Prasadgyb
commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns  studio.pdfcommercial interior designers -Dortodesigns  studio.pdf
commercial interior designers -Dortodesigns studio.pdf
Prasadgyb5 views
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdf by Atiqur Rahaman
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdfDesign System in Figma A to Z.pdf
Design System in Figma A to Z.pdf
Atiqur Rahaman18 views
Designing Effective AR Experiences by Kumar Ahir
Designing Effective AR ExperiencesDesigning Effective AR Experiences
Designing Effective AR Experiences
Kumar Ahir5 views
Doing Footwear - Footwear Factory by Doing Footwear
Doing Footwear - Footwear FactoryDoing Footwear - Footwear Factory
Doing Footwear - Footwear Factory
Doing Footwear10 views
217 Drive - All on upper.pptx by vidstor282
217 Drive - All on upper.pptx217 Drive - All on upper.pptx
217 Drive - All on upper.pptx
vidstor28214 views
SS25 Fashion Key Items trend book by Peclers Paris
SS25 Fashion Key Items trend bookSS25 Fashion Key Items trend book
SS25 Fashion Key Items trend book
Peclers Paris123 views
StratPlanning Manual 220713.pdf by Lakewalk Media
StratPlanning Manual 220713.pdfStratPlanning Manual 220713.pdf
StratPlanning Manual 220713.pdf
Lakewalk Media15 views

Featured

The six step guide to practical project management by
The six step guide to practical project managementThe six step guide to practical project management
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
36.6K views27 slides
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright... by
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...RachelPearson36
12.6K views21 slides
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present... by
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...Applitools
55.4K views138 slides
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work by
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at WorkGetSmarter
401.6K views64 slides
ChatGPT webinar slides by
ChatGPT webinar slidesChatGPT webinar slides
ChatGPT webinar slidesAlireza Esmikhani
30.3K views36 slides

Featured(20)

The six step guide to practical project management by MindGenius
The six step guide to practical project managementThe six step guide to practical project management
The six step guide to practical project management
MindGenius36.6K views
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright... by RachelPearson36
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
RachelPearson3612.6K views
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present... by Applitools
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Applitools55.4K views
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work by GetSmarter
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work
12 Ways to Increase Your Influence at Work
GetSmarter401.6K views
Ride the Storm: Navigating Through Unstable Periods / Katerina Rudko (Belka G... by DevGAMM Conference
Ride the Storm: Navigating Through Unstable Periods / Katerina Rudko (Belka G...Ride the Storm: Navigating Through Unstable Periods / Katerina Rudko (Belka G...
Ride the Storm: Navigating Through Unstable Periods / Katerina Rudko (Belka G...
DevGAMM Conference3.6K views
Barbie - Brand Strategy Presentation by Erica Santiago
Barbie - Brand Strategy PresentationBarbie - Brand Strategy Presentation
Barbie - Brand Strategy Presentation
Erica Santiago25.1K views
Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well by Saba Software
Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them wellGood Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well
Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well
Saba Software25.2K views
Introduction to C Programming Language by Simplilearn
Introduction to C Programming LanguageIntroduction to C Programming Language
Introduction to C Programming Language
Simplilearn8.4K views
The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and Maintaining a Creative Company (fr... by Palo Alto Software
The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and Maintaining a Creative Company (fr...The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and Maintaining a Creative Company (fr...
The Pixar Way: 37 Quotes on Developing and Maintaining a Creative Company (fr...
Palo Alto Software88.3K views
9 Tips for a Work-free Vacation by Weekdone.com
9 Tips for a Work-free Vacation9 Tips for a Work-free Vacation
9 Tips for a Work-free Vacation
Weekdone.com7.2K views
How to Map Your Future by SlideShop.com
How to Map Your FutureHow to Map Your Future
How to Map Your Future
SlideShop.com275.1K views
Beyond Pride: Making Digital Marketing & SEO Authentically LGBTQ+ Inclusive -... by AccuraCast
Beyond Pride: Making Digital Marketing & SEO Authentically LGBTQ+ Inclusive -...Beyond Pride: Making Digital Marketing & SEO Authentically LGBTQ+ Inclusive -...
Beyond Pride: Making Digital Marketing & SEO Authentically LGBTQ+ Inclusive -...
AccuraCast3.4K views
Exploring ChatGPT for Effective Teaching and Learning.pptx by Stan Skrabut, Ed.D.
Exploring ChatGPT for Effective Teaching and Learning.pptxExploring ChatGPT for Effective Teaching and Learning.pptx
Exploring ChatGPT for Effective Teaching and Learning.pptx
Stan Skrabut, Ed.D.57.6K views
How to train your robot (with Deep Reinforcement Learning) by Lucas García, PhD
How to train your robot (with Deep Reinforcement Learning)How to train your robot (with Deep Reinforcement Learning)
How to train your robot (with Deep Reinforcement Learning)
Lucas García, PhD42.5K views
4 Strategies to Renew Your Career Passion by Daniel Goleman
4 Strategies to Renew Your Career Passion4 Strategies to Renew Your Career Passion
4 Strategies to Renew Your Career Passion
Daniel Goleman122K views
The Student's Guide to LinkedIn by LinkedIn
The Student's Guide to LinkedInThe Student's Guide to LinkedIn
The Student's Guide to LinkedIn
LinkedIn87.9K views

Ally, A11y and Online - Fiona MacNeill

  • 1. a11y, ally, and online: Service Design for Blackboard Ally Fiona MacNeill | f.macneill@brighton.ac.uk | @fmacneill University of Brighton
  • 2. This presentation is about Blackboard Ally… …it is also about the services and people that operate around Blackboard Ally
  • 3. Concepts used in this presentation Service Design Big picture mindset Before, during, and after use Operations around the goal/s Relationships between activities User Experience Design Big picture down to the minutiae During use Functions to support the goal/s Individual activities Methods + Tools I am a learning technologist, but I am also a trained user-centred designer. I take inspiration from Service Design and User Experience Design.
  • 4. What we will cover… a11y How we approached accessibility prior to having Ally ally How we implemented a service design for Blackboard Ally at University of Brighton online How we drove engagement through online training, guidance, and outreach There will be time for questions at the end Jill and Tucker are on-hand in the chat and Q&A
  • 5. Tool Used: Proto Persona (Gothelf, 2013) University of Brighton Four campuses on the South Coast of England Behaviours and Actions • Emphasis on Inclusive Practice • Widening participation a crucial driver • Management buy-in for auditing • Recognised need to improve resources Demographic and Psychographic Details • Students: 18,987 | Staff: 2,600 • Schools 13 (moving to 7) • Disabled students 21% Learning disability: 13% or 1 in 8 • Disabled staff 8.8% Needs and Pain Points • Student communications and support • Limited staff resource for accessibility • The pandemic: academic staff burnout • Mismatch between expectations and outcomes
  • 6. a11y ~ a [ccessibilit] y ~ a [string of 11 characters] y
  • 8. ally ~ an add-on for Blackboard VLE. Blackboard Ally improves the experience for all users by providing alternative document formats. Blackboard Ally provides feedback to staff so that accessibility can continually improve.
  • 9. Blackboard Ally was announced on 21st May 2020 for launch on 17th August 2020 • Used Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) as an opportunity for outreach. Inspired by Govt. Digital Service (Fry, 2020) • Announced Blackboard Ally via a webinar on Microsoft Teams and gave a demo • Celebrated GAAD via Twitter, Periscope and an MS Teams Escape the Room game 5,970 Tweet Impressions (21 May) 17 x the Twitter traffic of a typical day
  • 10. We were totally ready for Blackboard Ally Overall accessibility per month – Ally statistics for historic content 2018-2021 Based on the average of the accessibility scores of all content items that were added during each month 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Trough Accessibility Training (July 2019) GAAD 2020 Bb Ally
  • 11. Our to-do list 1. Who | Identify and communicate with stakeholders. Win over hearts and minds 2. What and When | Plan for a phased roll out of Blackboard Ally 3. Where and How | Deliver training completely online with self-service options
  • 12. Tool used: Task Scenarios (e.g., McCloskey, 2014) Task scenarios are itemised stories about a specific tasks in context Helpful for finding pinch points in an existing workflow as the basis for support and training design Scenario 1: Check existing documents: Scanned PDFs without OCR Practical Goal: Learn what is wrong with the document using the Ally report tool and resolve the problem. Context: On a personal computer connected to the Internet using a web browser at home. User will login to the VLE and open their module… User/s: Academic staff; Professional staff who create student-facing resources.
  • 13. to-do 1.1 Identify and communicate with stakeholders… The Task Analysis uncovered an opportunity to establish a referral pathway to our libraries. Method used: Customer value chain also known as an ecosystem map (Kalbach, 2016, p. 86).
  • 14. Task Scenarios: Students Scenario 1: Download content from the LMS/VLE in a different format Scenario 2: Ask for help to report an issue with a document
  • 15. to-do 1.2 Identify and communicate with stakeholders… An opportunity to build and strengthen internal collaborations
  • 16. to-do 1.3 …Win over hearts and minds Key points Minimise tracking/auditing due to perception as surveillance Create a core message in your own words Core Message – Three Things you Need to know about Ally 1. Ally saves time by automatically creating alternative document formats 2. Ally supports the access needs of all students 3. Ally provides feedback which is only visible to instructors to help improve the accessibility of content in My Studies
  • 17. to-do 2. Plan for a phased roll out of Blackboard Ally Two phases were planned with the ethos of improvement first, statistics later Planned to delay release of the ‘Course Accessibility Report’ until Dec 2020
  • 18. The Course Accessibility Summary Consider how a service sits alongside other software and services Delayed the ‘Course Accessibility Report’ further to May 2021 and renamed it ‘Accessibility Summary’ Report ~ Reporting = Tracking
  • 19. online ~ the challenge of working online and reaching people during a pandemic even when you are a technical person
  • 20. to-do 3. Deliver training completely online with self-service options Via MS Teams but using Blackboard Learn with task scenarios With companion session: ‘Creating Accessible Digital Documents’
  • 21. The Ally Effect Ally has helped us to achieve and maintain a higher level of accessibility across LMS/VLE page content and uploads By February 2021 improvement had plateaued Overall accessibility Jul-Feb in 2018, 2019, 2020 Semester 1 (Oct-Jan) to Semester 2 (Feb-June) transition – Based on monthly averages 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb 2020/21 2019/20 2018/19
  • 22. Communications goals for Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2021 • To raise awareness of accessibility and why it is important. • To highlight and remind people about Blackboard Ally. • To provide practical tips for accessibility adjustments in university tools and software. • Link to the bigger picture of accessibility: legal standards for institution, and future employer expectations for students. Our new to-do drive and sustain engagement
  • 23. Objectives for GAAD 2021 for Staff Increase attendance at our training sessions Increase conversion rates by at least 5% (instructor feedback panel launch : no. of fixes)
  • 24. Objectives for GAAD 2021 for Students Increase conversion rates by at least 2% (alternative formats window launches : downloads) Benchmark period 22 March to 21 April = 57%
  • 25. Global Accessibility Day (GAAD) 2021 20th May 2021 Participant effort: Low, Mod., High Before During After Tweets, micro tutorial videos Weekly blog posts Online pledge Event attendance Collaboration with University of Sussex Workshop attendance Fix Your Content Day
  • 26. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Engagement with Instructor Feedback over time 22/3/21 – 21/05/21 Instructor Feedback Launches Fixes Course Accessibility Report Launches Results for staff Increase attendance at our training sessions – no change 22 April – 21 May: no increase in conversion rate (launch : fix) Launched Accessibility Summary 7 May 2021
  • 27. Results for students 22 April – 21 May: (alternative formats window launches : downloads) =64% +7% as compared to 57% benchmark +2% goal exceeded 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 Alternative formats usage over time 22/3/21 – 21/05/21 Launches Downloads
  • 28. Summary – Top tips that work 1. Focus on tool-based tasks and values to stay concise 2. Craft consistent and simple messages 3. Opportunities to collaborate are chances to remind and refine 4. Celebrate and cherish people who attend workshops/events 5. Iterate, iterate, iterate 6. Plan how you will continue to drive and sustain engagement 7. Staff awareness has a bearing on student engagement
  • 29. We all do better when accessibility is better. Accessibility is better when we all do it.
  • 30. Thank you for coming! Fiona MacNeill f.macneill@brighton.ac.uk @fmacneill on Twitter Blogging at: blogs.brighton.ac.uk/elearningteam fionamacneill.co.uk/blog
  • 32. Methods and tools we used • Proto Personae • Information Architecture principles • Task scenarios • Customer value mapping • Project planning template and interactive whiteboard (Mural template) • Usable and context relevant language • Data driven insights
  • 33. References [1/4] Advance HE (2020) Equality and higher education - staff statistical report 2020. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/equality-higher-education-statistical-report-2020 (Accessed: 27 June 2021). Advance HE (2020) Equality and higher education - student statistical report 2020. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/equality-higher-education-statistical-report-2020 (Accessed: 27 June 2021). Brand, S. (1995) How buildings learn: what happens after they’re built. New York, NY: Penguin Books. Fry, R. (2020) ‘What happened on Global Accessibility Day at GDS’, Government Digital Service Blog, 2 June. Available at: https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2020/06/02/what-happened-on-global-accessibility- awareness-day-at-gds/ (Accessed: 4 July 2021).
  • 34. References [2/4] Gothelf, J. (2013) Lean UX applying lean principles to improve user experience. Edited by Seiden, J. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc. Information about different types of disability (2020) University of Brighton (unpublished). Available at: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/ss/dd/Pages/information.aspx (Accessed: 24 March 2021). Kalbach, J. (2016) Mapping experiences – a guide to creating value through journeys, blueprints, and diagrams. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc. Mapping from students in higher education publication to he student data tables (no date) HESA. Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/releases/mapping (Accessed: 24 March 2021). McCloskey , M. (2014) ‘Task scenarios for usability testing’, Nielsen Norman Group, 12 January. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/task-scenarios-usability-testing/ (Accessed: 24 March 2021).
  • 35. References [3/4] Office for Students (2020) Equality, diversity and student characteristics data. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/equality-diversity-and-student- characteristics-data/official-statistics/ (Accessed: 27 June 2021). Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, no. 952. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/952/contents/enacted (Accessed: 31 May 2021). Rosenfeld, L., Morville, P. and Arango, J. (2015) Information architecture: for the web and beyond. Fourth edition. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, Inc. Staff equalities monitoring report 18/19 (2020) University of Brighton Equality and Diversity (unpublished). Available at: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/hr/equality/pubdocs/Internal- staff/Internal%20Staff_Equalities_monitoring_report_1819%20FINAL.pdf
  • 36. References [4/4] Student population (2020) University of Brighton. Available at: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/about- us/statistics-and-legal/facts-and-figures/student-population.aspx (Accessed: 24 March 2021). Resources All of University of Brighton’s GAAD related blog posts Wakelet board for GAAD in 2020 | Wakelet board for GAAD in 2021

Editor's Notes

  1. Introduce myself
  2. What is Blackboard Ally? Excellent session from yesterday, Implementing Accessible Practices at the University of Lincoln, from Michael Shaw, touched on some similar ideas.
  3. Who am I and why do I care about this stuff?
  4. Introduce colleagues Jill and Tucker on the chat.
  5. Declared disability - Sector average for disabled students in the UK: 14.5% in 2020 (OfS, 2020) - Sector average for disabled staff in the UK: 5.3% in 2018/19 (p. 84; Advance HE, 2020)
  6. PVC = Pro-Vice-Chancellor || PSBAR = Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, no. 952.
  7. Month accessibility score: The average of the accessibility scores of all content items that were added during that month. Add labels… Rectangle 1: First rectangle annotation over the scatter plot. It shows the pattern of a trough then a peak due to triggering of new course areas in May/June. It is coloured grey because this was prior to specific accessibility training being offered to staff. Rectangle 2: Coordinated accessibility training happened from July to October 2019 Rectangle 3: Course triggering can account for the peak in May, but the depth of the trough as compared to previous years is lessened suggesting that our Global Accessibility Awareness day in 2020 may have helped to lay the groundwork for the introduction of Ally. Rectangle 4: Indicates when Ally was introduced in on 17th August 2020.
  8. Training for SSGTs, Specialist student support For all academic staff with some bespoke sessions for staff. - In professional development module/course on Blackboard for staff - In Emergency Teaching Blog - Use of gov.uk digital standards (GDS) - Guidance for Libraries and Service Desk - Guidance for students
  9. Staff: increase conversion rates within Blackboard Ally by at least 5% in comparison to benchmark period. Students: increase conversion rates within Blackboard Ally by at least 2% in comparison to benchmark period.
  10. Staff: increase conversion rates within Blackboard Ally by at least 5% in comparison to benchmark period. Students: increase conversion rates within Blackboard Ally by at least 2% in comparison to benchmark period.
  11. Weekly blog posts During the four weeks leading up to GAAD. Staff weekly newsletter, noticeboard, and tweets. Tweets and micro tutorial videos for staff and students YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter Workshops, and two collaborative events with the University of Sussex Collaborators: Learning and Teaching Hub; Brighton Students Union; Decolonising the Curriculum Lead; Accessibility Lead for Libraries; University of Sussex TEL; Local User Experience Design Community
  12. To paraphrase a combination of Eleanor Roosevelt and Paul Wellstone with my own spin.