| 2004 |
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YEAR BOOK |
Waterford Institute of Technology
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Customisation of an eLearning Environment for Visually Impaired Students
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The researchers conducted initial research in the form of a field study in a school for the Visually Impaired. It was found, through informal observation of students and semi-structured interviews with tutors, that students do not at present benefit much from the use of the Internet or eLearning. The main reasons given were accessibility issues and poor interface design.
After the initial visit, the researchers then investigated accessibility and interface design issues such as the use of text, colour, images and audio. It was found that inaccessible web sites are created as a result of poor web page design and coding. Frames, nested tables and a lack of text descriptions for non-text elements, such as images and hyperlinks, can all cause problems for the Visually Impaired. Other examples of Web inaccessibility are a Visually Impaired user having difficulty reading text due to the use of certain font styles, text colour and lack of contrast. Visually Impaired users cannot view websites with these inaccessibility issues without the aid of assistive software. Furthermore, assistive software is not always readily available.
It was found that good practices in HCI can help in the design and development of an accessible and personalised eLearning environment. The most accessible online environments are those that provide the Visually Impaired user with the most options for customisation to their individual needs. The technology response for the enhancement and customisation of an eLearning environment in the area of audio, colour, image and textual display includes a range of XML technologies, including Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) and Audio XML.
It is planned to develop an accessible eLearning framework based on XML technologies and HCI principles and best practices. The developed framework will act as a guide for designers to facilitate them in the development of accessible eLearning environments for Visually Impaired learners. By using this framework, designers can eliminate the need for Visually Impaired users to purchase assistive technology in order to use the Internet, thus providing equal opportunities to students within the eLearning platform.
Contact: Mary Power; E-mail: [email protected] ;
Michelle Landy; E-mail: [email protected] ; Web: http://www.wit.ie/ads/development/research_files/RG_e-Learning.htm