Overview• Web 2.0 integrated with elearning

• Ease of Use & Accessibility -evaluation techniques.

• Strategies developed by students.

Web 2.0 integrated with elearning• Integrating elements of Web 2.0 type applications

within a Virtual Learning Environment.

• Students collaborating – using applications not provided by the institution.

• Categorising the features offered by Web 2.0 applications.

http://www.web2access.org.uk/activity

Personalisation• Will this do for all of you? Showing one size t-

shirt• No that won’t fit me • We are all unique with individual needs and

requirements

Evaluation for Ease of Use and Accessibility

•14 checks based on WCAG 2.0 guidelines.

•From login to use of rich text editors.

•Plain text may not be best – You Tube allows for captions and accessible players are available.

•Mind mapping and Time line applications tend to do badly.

Brain with legs and arms juggling on a tightrope

• Comment - There is only so much the brain can do

• Thinking as juggling - There are limits to multi-tasking!

What happens when you have several models for making online applications easier to use and accessible?

Description of 4 Models or Approaches to Web Access

• Image description• The picture is composed of three main objects with interconnecting lines and features. The first object is a blue sphere in

the upper right corner with the label "WWW." The sphere represents content available on the World Wide Web (or Web for short). To the left and center is a large white cloud which represents "cloud" computing. The cloud includes servers on the Web that provide accessibility services and features that would be run on servers out in the Web somewhere. The third main component is a rectangle across the bottom of the page labeled "Local Computer/Device". This represents the device that a person would have in front of them such as a desktop computer, a laptop or a small screen mobile device. The computer could be a personal computer or just a computer that a person runs into someplace.

• There is a line labeled "1" that has an arrow on the end and runs from the Web content directly down to the user agent (browser) in the Local Computer. This represents Model 1, where a browser directly reads and processes Web content.

• There is an arrow line labeled "2" that runs from the browser in the Local Computer up into the cloud, through a box labeled "Transcoding Services" and then back to the browser in the local computer. This represents Model 2, where a browser, content in the browser or the user sends content to a transcoding service that changes the content in some way and then sends it back to the browser for display.

• There is an arrow line labeled "3" that runs from the Web content in the upper right to the box labeled "transcoding services" in the cloud and then to the browser in the local computer. This represents Model 3 where all content is routed through a transcoding service in a proxy server that changes the content in some way before the user's browser ever receives it.

• The final arrow line labeled "4" runs directly from the Web content to a browser that is located mostly in the cloud, but partially in the local computer. This represents Model 4 where the user agent or browser with special access features built in is run as a service in the cloud. Only the basic human interface parts (keyboard, mouse, display, sound) are run on the local computer. The Local Computer aspect could be a special program on the computer, but would usually run as an app within a browser on the local computer

Added “Browser with or without additional Assistive Technologies?.”

Courtesy of Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D and Raising the Floorhttp://raisingthefloor.net/about

Digital Decisions

• Some students mentioned simplicity, skills, suitability and cost as a deciding factors.

• All students talked about their decisions being influenced by time considerations regarding use of assistive technologies, training and social networking applications.

…when I got all my software in autumn last year, and they said: “You need to have your training on this” – as you quite rightly have said – I did feel like I was doing 2 courses and that was, frankly, too

much. I had to stay with my old bad habits because I just didn’t feel I had the time to take out to learn something new to help me.

It was a viscous circle, really.

Keep the tools simple

• “I’m just going to knock this nail in.” (using a very complex bit of kit

• “So why over complicate things? This would do the job perfectly well.” (holding up a hammer)

Mindmap of learning choices and digital decisions

The technology hurdle

• Where technologies require Students to adjust their usual study practices, they can become a barrier. Such technologies require careful introduction and clear communication about the benefits of use.

• Quality academic digital content is regarded by Students as a significant benefit of FE/HE: they become significantly more adept at using it as they mature in their studies

My Technologies - 24/7 access

• Students really value 24/7 access to online learning materials which allows them to fit learning into their lives

• Students expect to be able to use personal technologies and services in institutional contexts

• Students are creating their own learning spaces, blending virtual with face-to-face, and formal with social networking.

LexDis website

• There may be more than 1 direction open to us• But as long as we have information • We can make informed choices

• The Learner Voice • Signposts to assistive technologies, applications,

guides and strategies from students.