design of an assistive technology online class

Adaptive Learning Programs Lab

Design of an Assistive Technology Online Class

Joe HumbertAssistive Technology Specialist

E-Learning in Higher Education: Making Good on the PromisesWestern Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications

Friday, November 9, 2007

Previous Training Methods

Problems with Previous Methods

Reasons for the Class

How We Created the Class

How We Structured the Class

Challenges We Encountered

Future Plans

Questions and How to Contact Us

Presentation Overview

Adaptive Learning Programs Lab 2

Direct Training 1-on-1

Group Training

Technical Support

Previous Methods for training


Direct Training 1-on-1• Most lessons were overviews and took at least 1.5 hours• Took time away from Staff’s other responsibilities

Group Training• Students could not coordinate schedules• Privacy issues with students acknowledging disability to other

students• Never enough time to cover topics and questions completely

Technical Support• Over the Phone

» Hard to describe solutions without visual aids

• Direct Support (In Person)» Many Issues were about basic use of software and capabilities

Problems with Previous Methods


Previous methods to provide comprehensive training on Assistive Technology (AT)

Wanted to provide training to all of these groups:• Incoming Students• Students new to AT• AT Lab Assistants• Anyone wanting to learn about AT

Would provide answers for basic support issues

Free up staff to answer specific support issues and unique errors

Statistics

Relieve scheduling issues• Class is asynchronous

Reasons for the Class


Class Deployment• WebCT Vista

Video Tutorial Creation Software• Camtasia• Captivate• ScreenCorder

Difficult Software to Include in Class• Zoomtext• Jaws• Dragon NaturallySpeaking

How we created the class


WebCT Vista is the course management system used by Purdue

Features• Similar interface to other classes with which the student has been or will be

involved • Provides tools for logical structure of class materials• Provides assessment and data gathering tools to assist in determining the

effectiveness of the class materials

Asynchronous• Move at your own pace• WebCT Vista supports Asynchronous learning models

» Students with certain types of Learning Disabilities need more time to process information

» There are many different types of learning styles and everyone has their own– Asynchronous models allow people to learn in their own way

How we created the class:WebCT Vista


Tried a variety of software to capture the tutorials• Camtasia• Captivate• ScreenCorder

Needed to find software that would work with Assistive Technology• Needed to capture both video and audio put out by the computer

system

Finally settled on Camtasia because it would capture the audio output from JAWS screen reader

How we created the class:Video Tutorial Creation


We had difficulties with multiple pieces of software• Zoomtext (Screen Enlarger)• JAWS (Screen Reader)• Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Voice Input)

Zoomtext• Zoomtext inserts itself into the video driver chain• The video capturing software would not capture the Zoom features

and video features of Zoomtext» Solution was to video tape the screen and import it into the software

• To date no video capturing software works with Zoomtext

How we created the class:Difficulties with AT


Jaws• Many of the screen recording software we tried would not capture the

output from the JAWS screen reader» We solved that by finding the right software

• When JAWS crashed during recording the recording software would crash too

Dragon NaturallySpeaking• Capturing software can only capture one audio source at a time

without one audio stream overriding another» Solution: Record the audio separately

• Like with Zoomtext this is a temporary fix• In the future we will look for new software or hope that future versions

will work better

How we created the class:Difficulties with AT Continued


WebCT Vista Open campus

Pre and Post test model

Sub-divisions of the class• Student side versus Lab Assistant side• Sub-divisions of the student side

Setting up the class for future improvements

How we structured the class


WebCT Vista, at Purdue, has two different “Institutions” to in which to setup a class • Open Campus• Academic Campus

We chose the Open Campus for multiple reasons• Anonymity

» Many students with disabilities do not want others to know– Open Campus allows the user to create a unique user name instead of

requiring their Purdue Username as with the Academic Campus

• Open Access» Because a Purdue Username is not required, people outside the

university could be allowed to take the course

• Same features as Academic Campus• Can be ported to Academic Campus

How we structured the class:WebCT Vista Open Campus


We included tests and surveys• For statistical purposes

» How many students complete the different lessons

• To gage if students are learning from the course» See if improvements are needed

Pretest/Posttest model• Each sub-course, software/device, and lesson has a pre and post test• The course in general has both a pre/post test and pre/post course

survey• This ensures we have statistically significant data

How we structured the class:Pre and Post test Model


The class is divided into two main course paths which are our main audiences• Student (students, faculty, staff or other)• Lab Assistant

Student path• Divided into disability categories• Focuses on the software the student will find useful

» More lessons focusing on common tasks

• Not mandatory

Lab Assistant Path• Not subdivided• Focuses on crucial information

» Common issues» Overview of the lab hardware/software

• Will become mandatory

How we structured the class:Student versus LA


Sub-divided into disability categories• Learning disabilities• Visual impairments• Mobility impairments

Sub divisions were decided upon for multiple reasons• Meeting with Disabilities Services group• Most students our lab supports would fall into one of the categories

Those sub-courses were further sub-divided• First by Software/ Hardware

» Finally individual lessons covering hardware/software features were decided upon

We have a picture of the course layout

How we structured the class:Student side


Technology is constantly changing• Updates and improvements would be mandatory

Designed course to be flexible• WebCT courses can be ported to new versions• Structure of course is simple, but expandable

» Physical class

» New divisions – Disability categories– Software

» Different course management system

We will talk about our future plans later

How we structured the class:preparing for the future


Planning the course

WebCT

Captioning the videos

Streaming the videos

Getting the information out to the students

Updating videos and content

Updates to new operating systems

Challenges we encountered


Deciding on the Basic design• Neither of us had designed a course before• How to deploy the course

» WebCT

» Physical meeting

» Web site

• Joe did much of the planning» Met with seasoned course designers

» Met with seasoned WebCT developers

• Dividing the course» Whether to have separate sections for students and LAs

» Naming of the student sub-courses– Met with DSS office

Challenges we encountered:Planning the Course


Neither of us had designed a course in WebCT• Had to learn about the tools• Proper way to design a course

» Student interaction

» Proper flow

» Anonymity

Portability of course• Certain tools in WebCT have problems when ported

» We will have to restructure some of the course for a new version of WebCT

Problems with multimedia and files• Only certain file types are supported• Video issues

Challenges we encountered:WebCT Vista


Recreating tests• Time consuming• Scoring / time limits

Accessibility• WebCT Vista has accessibility issues

» Screen reader access

» Extending time

» Frames

» JavaScript

» Keyboard controls

Challenges we encountered:WebCT Vista (continued)


Captioning the videos• How to caption

» Format– Closed– Open

» Using video capture program or external software

• Display of captions» Color

» Placement

» Number of lines

• Transcript» Very hard for Joe to read from script

» Format of transcript

Challenges we encountered:Captioning the Videos


Streaming the Videos• WebCT does not support embedding video• Decided to use Purdue’s streaming server• Streaming server supports certain file types

» Had to re-encode some videos• Videos would not play off campus

» Worked with multimedia group to solve server path issues

• Prepared solutions for alternate versions» Slow internet

» No internet

Challenges we encountered:Streaming the Videos


How to approach students with disabilities• We do not have direct contact with the entire disabled student

population» Office hours 8am-5pm while lab is open 6 days a week -- 7am-7pm

» Not all students use the lab

• Decided we would have the DSS office put the word out» Formalized a letter/email for distribution

Response was slow for student participation• Course went live during summer session• Issues of anonymity

Will continue to out the word and raise awareness

Challenges we encountered:Getting the Word Out


Updating videos and content• Because of the challenges with the Technology and AT, the course

was rolled out in stages• Still adding new videos and lessons• Constant cycle

» New versions of software– New features/ options– About every 6 months

» Hard to keep up– Takes up staff time

» New Operating Systems (OS)

Updates to new (OS)• Some AT still have issues with Vista

» Can’t create new lessons/videos till issues are fixed

Challenges we encountered:Dreaded Updates


Moving to WebCT Vista 4• New features/ tools• More accessible interface• Live chat

Looking into using Learning Modules• Easier to port to new version of WebCT• More options

Internal Statistical Report• We can compare pre and post assessments to show the effectiveness of the

training. We can also show the need for training.

Publication• Report to AT journal• Present at other conferences

Future Plans


Updating Videos and Content• New hardware• New software• Making course more individualized

» Each persons disability is different

Put in exercises for students to practice skills• Practice for potential support issues LAs will face• Lead to fewer detailed support issues

Possibly distribute e-text using the same class• Many students receive digital text files on CD• Other institutions distribute via CMS

Future Plans


Any Questions

Joe Humbert• IUPUI• [email protected]• (317) 274-4378

Links• Alps lab: http://www.itap.purdue.edu/tlt/idc/alps/• WebCT: http://www.webct.com/• Ecourses at Purdue: https://ecourses.purdue.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct

Thanks for your time and Attention!!!!

Questions and Contact Information


http://www.webct.com/

https://ecourses.purdue.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct

design of an assistive technology online class

Documents

class student

class challenges

scheduling issues class

class materials asynchronous

new software

screen recording software

variety of software

right software