a computer-assisted test for accessible computer-assisted assessment

Gill Harrison International CAA Conference 2006


A Computer-Assisted Test for Accessible Computer-Assisted

Assessment

Gill Harrison and John GrayInnovation North: Faculty of Information

and TechnologyLeeds Metropolitan University


Question 1

AMD (age-related macular degeneration) is a condition in which:

(a) peripheral vision is lost(b) central vision is lost(c) all vision is reduced


Introduction - What?

• Computer-Assisted test for Staff Development

• to increase awareness of disability in relation to technology generally and CAA in particular

• including some simulation of experience of people with impairments


Why?With respect to the DDA, 1995 and SENDA, 2001, and the responsibilities now placed on Higher Education institutions:

(a) I am confident that I am fully aware of all these matters

(b) I know something about them but think I should know more

(c) I realise that I don’t know nearly enough about all of this


But why use CAA?

• experience of impairment• short, interactive, fun!


Under what umbrella?

• CETL ALiC (Active Learning in Computing)• Durham, Newcastle, Leeds, Leeds Met• at Leeds Met

– John Gray: Lead Co-ordinator– Jakki Sheridan-Ross: Research Officer– Gill Harrison: Teacher Fellow

• Very wide brief, including disability and Staff Development


How? Decide strategy

TechDisOther sources

Disability Services Manager at Leeds Met


How? What to display

Display:• Question • Alternative (understandable) form• Guidance about how to display the alternative form, and about the impairment illustrated

• Advice and references


How? Grouping

Four areas:

visual impairment

hearing impairment

physical/motor impairment

cognitive/learning impairment


How?

I’m going to draw some storyboards

What about using BSL in a question?

I have an idea about a colour-blindness question

I’ll generate HTML pages


Example questions.....


Analysis of questionsFor each:• which of the four areas does it fall into?• specific impairment addressed by the question’s form?

• specific impairment addressed by the content?• alternative format needed (an escape route)?• relates to disability in relation to technology generally or CAA specifically?


First run June 13th 2006


Conclusion and future work

Feedback from staff taking the test

IMPROVEMENTS

Input from disabled students?



Issues around context - undeclared impairments?



Other potential areas of use?• “roadshows”• FE or schools


Conclusion

What they said...

a computer-assisted test for accessible computer-assisted assessment

Documents

peripheral vision

specific impairment

impairment illustratedadvice

lostb central vision

leeds metdisplay

use caa

awareness of disability

staff developmentto