October 4, 2011

Use Universal Design to make course syllabi and handouts accessible with screen readers

Universal Design describes an approach to design that eliminates problems with accessibility for all users during design rather than retrofitting and correcting obstacles.

Many students use screen readers to access electronic documents and web pages. A bit of planning will enable you to create electronic documents and web pages that can be accessed and correctly read by the screen readers used by students with disabilities.

How can you avoid creating common obstacles that interfere with correct interpretation of electronic text or web pages by screen readers?

Insert a table to organize and format material such as a course calendar or chart for assigning grades to exam or assignment scores

Screen readers do not always read text that is enclosed in a text box correctly. If you are in the habit of creating tables with tabs and indents (as was done on typewriters), the screen reader might not read this material properly. Format this material with the table function instead.

• Use the insert table function to create a table that will organize content in rows and columns.
• Use the first row of the table to clearly describe the type of information you plan to provide in each column. Define this row as a header row by opening the Table Properties dialog box. Click on the Row tab and select repeat as header row at the top of each page to identify this row as a header row (even for small tables that will not appear on multiple pages). Screen readers will read this header row information to assist users in interpreting the material in subsequent rows.

Provide a caption or “alternative text” to explain the meaning of images

Screen readers cannot interpret images for users unless you provide a text description that explains the image in the document. You can provide this information in one of two ways:

• Right click on the inserted image. Select the size dialog box from the menu and click on the Alt Text tab. The file name of the image appears in this window by default. Replace this text with a description or interpretation of the image that will help the student understand the content of the image. When the person using the screen reader moves a pointer over a picture, the alternative text appears and will be read by the screen reader. This operation works in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Create a descriptive text caption for the image. This text will be available to all students.

Based in part on advice from the Technology & Learning Program, California State University, Chico.

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October 26, 2010

Balance flexibility and fairness when designing courses

Learner-centeredness shifts responsibility for learning to students by creating varied learning opportunities and multiple evaluation options that allow students to make choices and determine how they will demonstrate their learning (Weimer, 2002). Learner-centered course designs simultaneously hold students responsible for their learning and provide allowances for flexibility when life “interrupts” their studies, while preserving our “lines in the sand” for academic standards and our sanity.

Students need to know that submitting work late creates obstacles for getting and using feedback effectively. Still, life sometimes gets in the way of the best of intentions. Instructors who provide flexible solutions for these situations create opportunities for students to manage deadlines and learn material without delivering instructions or course material multiple times.

Examples of course design ideas that accomplish this:

1. Include carrots that create incentives for on-time submission of assignments. Grant the option to rewrite a paper and incorporate your feedback for an improved grade only to those students who submit their work on time. You might accept papers late (up to a limit for efficient grading on your part, e.g., up to three days late) but only timely submissions earn the right to improve the work for a second review.
2. Create flexibility with reasonable boundaries. Give students a “syllabus quiz” in the first week of the semester. Every student who passes earns 5 credits that can be “cashed in” to offset penalties for turning in work late (1 credit = 1 day past the due date). Students can cash in all of their credits at once with one assignment, or they can split them across assignments at different times in the semester. In this case, students earn “wiggle room” for deadlines and must use their “late options” wisely.

Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

This tip was adapted from a contribution to the Teaching and Learning Writing Consortium, (sponsored by Western Kentucky University) by Mark Potter, Center for Faculty Development, Metropolitan State College of Denver.

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October 5, 2010

Request closed captioning feature or obtain a companion transcript when ordering DVDs to ensure compliance with ADA

Segments of video from a DVD can be a great way to liven up a lecture or engage students with material in an online course. However, instructors should be aware of the ADA implications associated with these materials, which might not be accessible to a student who has difficulty hearing.

Many commercial materials are available with closed captioning and/or printed transcript options. When ordering these materials, request these features to prevent future difficulties if a student who needs accommodations for hearing impairments enrolls in your class. Although making transcripts available to accommodate students with documented disabilities is necessary for ADA compliance, including these features for all students is beneficial to student learning. Hearing students appreciate having access to a transcript to clarify speech that might be garbled in the audio or to rapidly review the content in follow-up study. Arranging for closed captioning or transcripts for existing materials can be extremely costly. These expenses can be avoided if care is taken at the time departments place orders for these materials.

Learn how to turn on the closed caption or subtitles feature of DVDs used in class. In addition to being prepared to accommodate the needs of hearing impaired students, displaying the captions will benefit students who may have difficulty hearing the audio because of poor quality sound systems, a noisy air handler in the room, a groundskeeper running equipment adjacent to the building, or various auditory distractions created by other students. Many difficulties can be forestalled if these features are requested when placing an order.

1. Check DVD Remote Controller for Closed Captioning On/Off Toggle. If present, set to "On".
2.  If the remote controller does not contain a closed captioning toggle, enable the Online Remote Menu of the remote control device to see if the Remote Control can be set to a closed captioning menu default for on/off for closed captioning.  Set this default to ON.
3. If running the DVD from a PC or Menu Enabled DVD Player, go to the extra features menu of the DVD, usually found on the main menu screen of newer DVD's. In the "extra features" determine if there is a Closed Captioning option from the extra features presented, usually these are located separately or with the other language options if present (e.g., French, Spanish options).
4. Contact ITS for assistance with a DVD player that uses a different protocol. Consider bringing your laptop for use in class that day. Laptop computers using either WinDVD (PCs) or a Mac DVD player can usually detect and display closed captioning.
5. If none of these options work or are available, request the library to purchase a transcript for the DVD. These are available for better quality DVD (e.g., a PBS documentary will always include a transcript option). The library will be happy to consider these purchases as necessary.

Thanks to the following members of the UWF community for assistance with this tip:
Dr. Vannee Cao Nguyen, SDRC
Dr. Ray Uzwyshyn, Head of Digital and Learning Technologies, Pace Library
Dr. Vance Burgess, Director, Distance & Continuing Education
Dr. Michael White, ITS

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April 13, 2010

What is Universal Design of Instruction?

Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) is an approach to teaching that consists of a proactive design and use of inclusive instructional strategies that benefit a broad range of learners including students with disabilities.

The seven principles of UDI provide a framework for faculty to use when designing or revising instruction to be responsive to diverse student learners and to minimize the need for "special" accommodations and retrofitted changes to the learning environment. UDI operates on the premise that the planning and delivery of instruction as well as the evaluation of learning can incorporate inclusive attributes that embrace diversity in learners without compromising academic standards.

Seven Principles of UDI

1. Equitable Use. The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. For example, a website that is designed so that it is accessible to everyone, including students who are blind and using text-to-speech software, employs this principle.
2. Flexibility in Use. The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. An example is a museum that allows a visitor to choose to read or listen to the description of the contents of a display case.
3. Simple and Intuitive. Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Science lab equipment with control buttons that are clear and intuitive is a good example of an application of this principle.
4. Perceptible Information. The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities. An example of this principle being employed is when multimedia projected in a noisy academic conference exhibit includes captioning.
5. Tolerance for Error. The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. An example of a product applying this principle is educational software that provides guidance when the student makes an inappropriate selection.
6. Low Physical Effort. The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue. Doors that are easy to open by people with a wide variety of physical characteristics demonstrate the application of this principle.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use. Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility. A science lab work area designed for use by students with a wide variety of physical characteristics and abilities is an example of employing this principle.

Information about UDI is from the University of Washington DO-IT program.

The guidelines are from The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina University.

Thanks to Vannee Cao-Nguyen, Ed.D., Assistant Director of the UWF Student Disability Resource Center for this teaching tip.

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October 7, 2008

Use a variety of strategies to engage students with varied learning skills

Universal Design is an architectural concept in which designers anticipate the needs of all potential users and design buildings that will be accessible to diverse users without retrofitting. Similarly, Universal Instructional Design (UID) is a proactive approach to the design of course instruction, materials, and content to accommodate diverse learning strategies and specific constraints imposed by documented medical conditions, physical disabilities, or learning disabilities without requiring additional modifications. Course concepts are designed to be educationally accessible regardless of learning style or ability by including instructional strategies that

• represent information in multiple formats using a variety of media,
• use a variety of instructional strategies to engage student interest and motivation, and
• create a variety of assignments to allow students to demonstrate what they have learned.

All students bring diverse learning strategies to the classroom. These varied learning styles may include preferences for one of the following activities:

• Listen to a well-organized lecture.
• Read the main points from PowerPoint slides while listening to a lecture.
• View a graph that organizes or illustrates the main points.
• Complete an activity that allows the student to practice new skills or apply a concept.

Although students may prefer to use one learning strategy more than other strategies, they should be encouraged to practice using less-preferred strategies. Practice with multiple strategies will strengthen their skill with less familiar or less preferred strategies and will enlarge the student’s repertoire of effective learning strategies.

Learn more about Universal Instructional Design:

Higbee, J. L., Chung, C. J., & Hsu, L. (2008). Enhancing the inclusiveness of first-year courses through Universal Instructional Design. In J. L. Higbee and E. Goff (Eds.), Pedagogy and student services for institutional transformation: Implementing Universal Design in higher education. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation.

University of Minnesota: Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation (University of Minnesota)

University of Washington: Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT)

Tip based on a contribution by:
Tasha J. Souza
Faculty Development Coordinator, Humboldt State University

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October 9, 2007

Engaging students with disabilities can sometimes be a challenge. When a student requests accommodations for a disability, refer the student to the Student Disability Resource Center (474–2387) for registration and determination of appropriate accommodations. This may be the student’s first step in attaining access to additional services and support for academic success provided through SDRC.

Faculty responses to students with disabilities sometimes require special awareness and education. For more information about working with students with disabilities, contact the Student Disability Resource Center (474-2387).

 

 

Updated 03/29/13 lrg