Accessibility of OERs for Diverse Learners and Guidelines for Dyslexia in Modern Language Learning
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Transcript of Accessibility of OERs for Diverse Learners and Guidelines for Dyslexia in Modern Language Learning
Chetz Colwell, Open University, UKMatilde Gallardo, Open University UK
Andy Lane, Open University UKUna Daly, OCW Consortium
Considering OER & Accessibility for Diverse
Learners
March 11, 2014 1
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Today’s Agenda
• Introductions• Accessibility Needs and Goals• OER & Accessibility Considerations• Case Study: Dyslexia in Modern
Language Learning Staff Development• Resource Links• Discussion
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Welcome
Please introduce yourself in the chat window
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Una Daly, Community College
Outreach DirectorOCW Consortium
Chetz Colwell, Manager AccessibilityTeaching and Learning
Open University
Mathilde GallardoSL/Staff Tutor
Modern LanguagesOpen University
Andy Lane Environmental
Systems Professor Open University
Open Education
Accessibility Needs & Goals
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Una Daly, Community College Outreach DirectorOCW Consortium
Sources: UNESCO, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
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Open Educational Resources
Teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution. OER Logo 2012, J. Mello CC-BY
What is an Open License?
• Free: Free to access online, free to print
• Open: Reuse, Revise, Remix, Redistribute
• Creative Commons: less restrictions than standard copyright but author retains full rights.
Examples
Includes –
• Course materials• Lesson Plans• Modules or lessons• OpenCourseWare (OCW)• Open textbooks• Videos• Images• Tests• Software• Any other tools, materials, or techniques used
to support ready access to knowledge
8adapted from Judy Baker’s ELI 2011 OER Workshop cc-by license
Characteristics of OER
• Digital– Easy to customize– Free distribution
• Open License– Reuse, Revise, Remix,
• No/Low cost– Expands access to education
Labeled for reuse by MrKCoolsPhotostream
DIGITAL +
ACCESSIBLEOPEN LICENSE
OER Conundrum
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Need for Accessibility
• ~1 billion worldwide have form of disabilityWorld Report on Disability, 2011
• Disproportionate affect on health, education, employment, and poverty World Report on Disability, 2011
• 11% U.S. postsecondary students report disability AIM Commission Report, 2011
• Many experience accessibility barriersAIM Commission Report, 2011
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• United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)– Ratified by 141 countries
• United Kingdom Equality Act (2010)• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)• Canadian Human Rights Act (1985)
Treaties and Laws
Diverse Learner Challenges
• Cognitive learning disabilities• Sensory or motor impairments• Language deficits• Lack of engagement
Kersti Nebelsiek CC-BY
Source: http://cast.org
OCWC Accessibility Goals
• Improve learning for all– Universal, inclusive design
• Help curriculum developers– Design OER to be accessible
• Empower faculty adopters– Evaluate OER and adapt for accessibility
• Build a Community of Practice– Open Univ, MERLOT, Inclusive Design Centre, NFB,.
Used with permission from Virtual Ability, Inc
Design & Guidelines
• Universal Design for Learning– Providing multiple means of expression,
representation, & engagement
• Web Content Access Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
• Perceivable• Operable• Understandable• Robust
http://www.cast.org/udl/ 15
Open Textbook Accessibility Reviews
Textbook: Collaborative StatisticsAccessibility reviewed by: Virtual Ability, Inc.
collegeopentextbooks.org merlot.org
OER, Accessibility & Strategic Alliances
http://oeraccess.merlot.org
Considering accessibility of OERs for diverse learners
Chetz ColwellInstitute of Educational Technology
Open University, UK
Introduction
• The Open University (OU) has approx 200,000 students who are mainly studying at a distance
• Approx 20,000 students have declared a disability• OU provides OERs as part of its charter to provide
education to the public • OU has range of Open activities: OpenLearn, iTunes U,
OER Research Hub, Open Research Online, FutureLearn (MOOCs and platform).
• OU has long history of supporting disabled students. Has programme of work to embed inclusion in its curriculum
OER accessibility policy
• OU working towards a policy to address questions such as:– Is accessibility support in OERs ‘required’ or just
‘nice to have’?– To what extent should OERs conform to the Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines?– How can we achieve full inclusion of OERs without
stifling openness and innovation?• Need to consider these in legal and pedagogic
contexts
UK legal context
• UK Equality Act requires Universities to avoid discrimination against disabled people by making 'reasonable adjustments'
• Covers both formal and informal teaching & learning
• How do we define what is ‘reasonable’?– No test cases (as yet!)– Some technical guidance on weighing up costs and
benefits, e.g. whether it is a core service and whether it affects educational outcomes
Pedagogic context
• Regardless of legal context, the moral position to enable disabled people to participate in formal and informal learning
• Still need to resolve issues around access to subject areas, such as STEM, Arts, Languages, – These exist in formal teaching, but there may be less
resource available for making adjustments in OERs• Floe Inclusive Learning Design Handbook provides
useful guidance and techniques but does not help prioritise adjustments or navigate legal contexts
Technical context
• WCAG gives us technical guidance, with priorities, but lacks learning or legal context
• Authoring tools are beginning to support accessibility, such as OERPub
In an ideal world• Authors would fully understand the needs of diverse learners
– And know how to address them– And not feel accessibility stifled their openness or innovation
• Institutions would have policies to guide authors and technical developers
• Authoring tools would support authors in considering accessibility– E.g. would create / prompt for accessibility-related metadata
• Delivery platforms would be fully accessible, e.g. MOOC platforms• Further recommendations are made in Anna Gruszczynska's report:
– Creators would be supported with policies and guidance, and strategies for simple fixes
– OER projects would address accessibility, etc.
Questions
• If accessibility for diverse learners is required and not just nice to have, what steps are we taking towards that ideal world?
• Acknowledgments:– Tony O’Shea Poon, Head of Equality, Diversity and
Information Rights, OU– Megan Beckett, Siyavula Education (Pty) Ltd.
Developing inclusive practice through OEP and OER: the
Dyslexia and Modern Languages project
Matilde Gallardo The Open University, [email protected])
Overview
A Staff Development project at the Department of Languages (OU) in 2013.
Aimed to:-raise awareness of SpLD and dyslexia in ML
learning-share knowledge and good practice among tutors-work collaboratively to design inclusive ML OER-develop confident practitioners and, by extension,
support dyslexic students in their learning goals.
The context
Second Language Acquisition, SLA, research and dyslexia; concepts of learning and transferable skills.
Adult language learners with dyslexia in Higher Education.
Areas of possible difficulties (students and teachers) Identified gaps:
Lack of subject-specific resources for teachers Need for greater awareness of the challenges faced by
dyslexic adult language learners Guidelines for course writers, advisers and teachers
The work
Attention deficit disorder
Dysphasia
Autistic spectrum disorder
Dyspraxia
Dyslexia
Labels and definitions
Aspects of collaboration in the groups
• Roles and responsibilities • Communication: timing, setting out work, choice of tools• Differences between individuals:
- expectations, personal goals- amount of time- knowledge of subject matter- level of engagement
• Sharing work – OER and OEP• Commenting and peer review• Sharing and developing expertise on an area of common
interest
Presentations in Elluminate
Staff Development
LOROhttp://open.ac.uk
Resources on the LORO home page http://loro.open.ac.uk/3353
http://loro.open.ac.uk/3340
http://loro.open.ac.uk/3353/
http://loro.open.ac.uk/3912/
Resource Links• OER and Accessibility MERLOT Community
– http://oeraccess.merlot.org/
• FLOE Project Handbook– http://handbook.floeproject.org/index.php/
• Open University OER– http://www.open.ac.uk/about/open-educational-resources/
• OER Research Hub http://www.oerrhub.org
• A Guide to Good Practice: Supporting Students with Dyslexia in Modern Languages http://loro.open.ac.uk/3912/
• CCCOER-OCW Open Textbook Reviews– http://www.collegeopentextbooks.org/opentextbookcontent/acce
ssibility-reviews-
• OCW Toolkit Accessibility Issues– http://www.ocwconsortium.org/resources/toolkits/accessibility/ 39
Questions for Panelists
Contact Info:
Chetz Colwell, [email protected]
Una Daly, [email protected]
Matilde Gallardo [email protected]
Andy Lane, [email protected]
http://openeducationweek.org