Transcript Advancing educational opportunities for people who are

Options for Accessible Distance
Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Students
Cindy Camp & Michelle Swaney
www.pepnet.org
One National Center
Mission:
To increase the educational, career and lifetime
choices available to individuals who are deaf or
hard of hearing.
Goal:
To improve postsecondary outcomes individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing, including those
with co-occurring disabilities.
What is Distance Learning?
• Fully online
• Hybrid or Blended classes
• Traditional classes with a course management
component
• Synchronous
• Asynchronous
What Does Accessible Mean?
• Barrier Free
• Obtainable
• Can easily be
used, reached,
entered
Benefits of Synchronous DL
• Fits non-traditional students
• No travel time
• Connects students from
various locations
• Maintains face-to-face contact
Benefits of Asynchronous DL
• Unlimited access to course materials
• Flexibility in class participation
• Access to the class at any time and from any
computer with Internet access.
• Access to adaptive technology without
requesting a specific accommodation
For some individuals with
disabilities online can be
more accessible than
face-to-face classrooms.
Drawbacks of Distance Learning
•
•
•
•
•
The myth of accessibility
Inaccessible formats & content
Need for technology
Lack of IT support for students
Lack of personal contact
It is not for everyone but not everyone knows that.
Avoiding Problems
• Educate faculty
• Design accessible courses
• Communicate clearly with
students
• Establish reasonable policies
• Enforce your policies
• Plan for the unexpected
• Be flexible
Avoiding Problems
• Ask vendors to demonstrate the
accessibility features.
• Get an accessibility statement, which
includes upgrades, from vendors in
writing before buying.
• Have a review process of distance
classes to ensure accessibility.
• Provide faculty with an accessibility
checklist.
• Don’t wait for a request for
accommodations. Design classes to be
accessible from Day 1.
Accessibility in
Synchronous
Distance Learning
Those were the days . . .
Old fashioned correspondence courses
Technology evolution
Project ADEPT –
Accessible Distance Education
for Postsecondary Teaching
University of Arkansas at Little
Rock
Started Spring, 2004
http://ualr.edu/adept/index.htm
Technology progression
University of
Tennessee –
Rehabilitation
Counselor Education –
Deafness Focus
Program
Fall – 2009
*Deaf Instructor
*Mixed audience
*Accommodations:
Interpreters (STV & VTS)
and Speech-to-text
Online media platforms
Delivery methods are endless!!
Progression of technology to today’s delivery
methods: available anytime – anywhere!
Identifying Barriers in
Synchronous Classes
• What are some
barriers that Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
Students face
related to
online/distance
education course
delivery?
• What are some
barriers specifically
that your institution
has faced?
The Challenge
• Rehabilitation Counselor in Education (RCE):
Comprehensive System of Personnel
Development.
• State of Tennessee – Rehabilitation Counseling
Staffing Needs
• Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program
began offering distance education classes to
meet the needs/demands
• Service Provision for Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Students
The Parameters
Classes for Fall semester were scheduled to begin August 22, 2007.
Initial meeting with the Associate Professor in the Rehabilitation
Counseling Education program, Director of Distance Education,
Coordinator for Centra, Director of PEPNet South and Technology
Specialist for PEPNet, Interim Director for ODS, Interpreting
Coordinator for ODS, Interpreting Services Scheduler for ODS was
scheduled for August 22, 2007.
The program had already admitted and confirmed attendance of
one student who would be in need of interpreting services.
Services needed to begin immediately.
How did it start?
Collaboration . . .
Collaboration . . .
Collaboration!!!
Office of Information
Technology/Distance
Learning Dept/Tech Support
Remember – creativity may
be required!!
Technology - 2007
Saba Centra
• Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology with the
ability to include class materials
• Video capability was negligible
• Bloomsburg University was utilizing Wimba to
deliver online courses with a video of an
interpreter and captions
A – Video opening area
B – Undocked video shifted on the screen
C – Participants list
D – Agenda (this is the list of the agenda materials that will be shown during the meeting
E – Materials area (PDF, PPT, etc)
F – Text Chat box
G – Captioning box area
Accommodations & Dilemmas
• Service Delivery: Provision & Challenges
• Disconnect between the student, ODS and
service provision
• Fiscally irresponsible
• Duplication of effort
Technology 2008-09
Saba Centra
• Meeting with ODS, ITC, and PEPNet-South to
discuss potential options with review of
Bloomsburg University and Wimba Use
• ITC determined that testing with the Centra
system and video was needed
• PEPNet-South/ITC/ODS tested equipment
along with the video component in Saba
Centra
Lights, Camera… Action!
Trial period during Summer 2008
Successes
• Student was extremely pleased with the video quality
• Student was able to access class from places other than her office
• More cost efficient
• Better controls (hiring and supervising Interpreters)
Needs Improvement:
• Technology
–
–
–
–
Bigger screen for Interpreters to view class
Better camcorder (with internal harddrive)
Advanced webcam
Recording video
Evaluating Other Possibilities
• Fall 2008 - UTK Office of Information Technology
evaluates several online software solutions
• UTK Center on Deafness/PEPNet-South invited to
participate to evaluate accessibility
• Asked ODS to participate for evaluation of Typewell
compatability
• Evaluation of video & captioning components
• Results
Reviewing Accessibility Features
for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Participants
 Video Component
 Single or multiple videos onscreen?
 Adjustable sizing for viewing?
 Clarity of video for signing?
 Captioning component
 Ability to utilize multiple programs (such as CART and
Typewell/C-Print)
 Does the user have ability to control color/font/size?
 Audio switching – automatic or moderator controlled?
Technology Progression - Fall ‘09
• Deaf Instructor from remote location
• Video switching to interpreter for hearing
students w/mics
• Typewell Transcribing through the Captioning
Component
• Recording of video and transcribing for
archive purposes
Company Mergers
Summer 2010
Blackboard acquires Wimba & Elluminate
Platform changes – Summer ‘12
What have we learned?
• Collaboration
– Student inclusion
– Partnering with others on and off your campus
• Technology
– Webcams
• Zooming
– Wireless vs Wired connections
– Digital camcorders
– Use of dual monitors
Considerations for
Providing Quality Video
• Background (solid color)
• Lighting
• Interpreter’s clothing (maroon, green, brown –
not navy or black)
• Testing is definitely the main ingredient!!!
Determining and eliminating barriers, one
problem at a time.
Camera Types


Mid-range solutions
(consumer grade DV
cameras)

High-end solutions
(Prosumer and above)
Low cost solutions
(when you can use and
when not to use,
including what happens
if you use a webcam)
Background

Color options

Fabric vs. painted wall

Contrast between
clothing & background

Low cost solutions

High-end solutions
Considerations for interpreting
•
•
•
•
Does the platform include a video component?
Background (no navy or black)
Lighting
Color of clothing (contrasting with background & skin
color – maroon, green, brown – dark colors but not
navy/black)
• Rate and speed of signing (speakers/instructors may
need to be cautioned as well)
• Placement
• Prior testing and signing into the session early
Considerations
for captioning/speech-to-text
• Does the platform have an integrated captioning
component?
• Does the platform allow for stenography systems as
well as additional other speech-to-text systems?
• What barriers might the writer face with the
integrated component?
• Will users have flexibility with size, font, color, etc?
• Prior testing and signing into session early
Considerations for DS Offices
• Is the session/class offered both live and on-demand
(archived)?
• Is the session/class a one-time event or ongoing?
• What is the requested accommodation(s)?
• Does the platform have the capability and flexibility to
incorporate the accommodation(s) both live and on-demand?
• Where will the interpreter/captionist be located?
• For ongoing assignments, is additional space needed to create
the best environment for the service providers (audio/video)
as well as for the student receiving the accommodations?
Potential equipment for synchronous delivery
Interpreting
• Background (low-end to high-end solutions)
• Lighting
• Camera (webcam, digital video camera w/firewire, prosumer
cameras)
• Headset w/microphone (echo-cancelling)
• Computer/laptop (dedicated specifically for online course
delivery)
Captioning
• Headset w/microphone (echo-cancelling)
• Wired ethernet connection
• *Should be able to utilize laptop that captioning/speech-to-text
software is loaded onto
Potential needs for asynchronous
delivery/recording
• Studio or designated area
• Software for recording audio & video
Interpreting
• Background (low-end to high-end solutions)
• Lighting
• Camera (webcam, digital video camera w/firewire, prosumer cameras)
• Headset w/microphone (echo-cancelling)
• Computer/laptop (dedicated specifically for online course delivery)
Captioning
• Captioning software (free, low-end/low-cost, high-end/high-cost)
• Headset w/microphone (echo-cancelling)
• Wired ethernet connection
Accessibility in
Asynchronous
Distance Learning
Identifying Potential Barriers in
Asynchronous Classes
• Timed tests
• Synchronous chats
• Written English
requirements
• Video or audio clips
without captions
• What are some
barriers specifically
that your institution
has faced?
Timed Tests
• Why are tests being timed?
• Are there other ways to access
a student’s knowledge?
• Could the test be proctored?
• Provide instructors information
on how to set up extended
time in course management
systems.
Synchronous Chats
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•
•
•
What is the goal?
Is it one on one or group?
Is it video chat or text chat?
Could an asynchronous chat
forum be used instead?
• Synchronous requirements
defeat the purpose of an
asynchronous class
Written English Requirements
• Many deaf students
have difficulties with
written English.
• Just because a class is
all text does not make
it accessible.
Making Multimedia Accessible
• Audio content should have a transcript.
• Video content should be
captioned.
– Captions should appear at
approximately the same time as
the audio is delivered.
– Captions should be equivalent in
content to that of the audio,
including speaker identification
and sound effects.
– Captions should be and accessible
and readily available.
Transcript Standards
• http://www.dcmp.org/captioningkey/
•
•
•
•
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Captions are only as good as the transcript.
A transcript should be verbatim.
It should include speaker identification.
Spelling, capitalization, and grammar must be correct.
Punctuation follows standard rules, but also special rules
unique to captioning.
• All essential sound effects are included, either in words
or symbols (e.g., “buzz” or ♫).
Captioning in the New Classroom
• iTunes
• Captions must be embedded not a separate file.
• YouTube
• Transcripts can be uploaded and automatically
time synced.
• DO NOT use the automatic caption generator.
• Course Management Systems (BlackBoard)
• Caption files can be uploaded along with video.
Additional
Resources
Resources
WebAIM: Web Accessibility in Mind
• http://webaim.org/
Web Accessibility for All
• http://www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• http://www.w3.org/
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: Before and After Demo
• http://www.w3.org/WAI/demos/bad/
Suggestions for verbal descriptions
• http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2001/proceedings/00
31alonzo.htm
Video Resources
• Video Best Practices – Malaspina University-College
http://cdhi.mala.bc.ca/bestpractices/bpvideo.htm
• Top Ten Digital Video Tips – O’Reilly macdevcenter.com
http://oreilly.com/pub/a/mac/2003/06/13/dv_tips.html
• Web Video Guidelines – The University of Texas @ Austin
http://www.utexas.edu/web/video/
• Video Production Handbook, Fourth Edition
Gerald Millerson & Jim Owens
ISBN: 978-0-240-520803
• Digital Video for Dummies
Martin Doucette
ISBN: 0-7645-0023-6
Resources
• eLearners.com Guide to Online Education –
Glossary - http://www.elearners.com/guide/faqglossary/glossary/
• Webopedia – http://www.webopedia.com
• PEPNet Think Tank-2 “Online Media” http://www.pepnet.org/resources/onlinemedia
Cindy Camp, Personnel Development Specialist
[email protected]
Michelle Swaney, Technology & Media Specialist
[email protected]
pepnet 2 receives support from:
pepnet 2 is funded by the Research to Practice Division,
Office of Special Education Programs
and the US Department of Education
via Cooperative Agreement #H326D110003
www.pepnet.org