What is web accessibility in learning?

Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web.” (W3C, 2005).

The W3C includes the following types of disabilities in its consideration of designing for accessibility: Visual disability,

• Hearing Impairment
• Physical (motor) Disability
• Speech Disability
• Cognitive and Neurological Disability (including learning disability and seizure disorders, for example), multiple disabilities, and aging-related conditions (W3C, 2005).

The Development efforts for accessible Learning Products should focus on these low-incidence disabilities.

The four accessibility features described below comprise the foundation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA. Ideally, a learning product design should include these features to provide a complete experience for students with vision impairments.

1. Users can navigate the content using only the keyboard. Users of mobile devices can navigate using the touch screen in screen-reader-mode.
2. The content and structure can be understood by a person using a screen reader like NVDA, JAWS, iOS Voiceover, Android Talkback and Chromevox on Chromebooks.
3. Text equivalents for all non-text media. This includes captions for video, audio transcripts, and alternative descriptions for images, animations, and videos.
4. All visual presentations follow the WCAG 2.0 AA visual guidelines.

Here are some examples of accessible content created by Magic Software:

Color Contrast

http://magicwebs.magicsw.com/seg/DLOSamples/Mathematics2/index.html

Drag and Drop, Access Keys

https://dev.opera.com/articles/accessible-drag-and-drop/example.html

Access Keys, Closed Captioning  

http://accessiblewebsitedesignexamples.com/accessible-gallery.php#content

Video Captioning

http://magicwebs.magicsw.com/seg/accessibilitysamples/videos/5_6_1_am1/5_6_1_am1.html

How to make your eLearning content interactive?

Interactive Content Development encapsulates of multiple learning methods. While thinking of interactive content, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is that the content should itself be self-explanatory and interact with the learner. Often, many E-Learning courses fall short of the expectations of interactive content and fail to convey the right messaging. In such cases, subject experts are needed while teaching anything, especially while teaching STEM.

How can you make your eLearning courses interactive?

Courses can be made interactive by adding games, diagrams, animations, and another kind of digital learning objects. Using virtual reality is also an instrumental way of teaching the student with the help of real-time examples. Interactive courses need to talk to the learner and explain the curriculum in the most effective manner.

Assessments

Interactive content should consist of courses that the learner can take after studying about a certain subject. There should be multiple explanations should the student get stuck at a particular part. The learner should feel like he/she is reading a story. These elements will enhance learners’ engagement and keep them coming back for more information and knowledge. Integrating quizzes and assessments at the end of the module or lesson will permit the eLearning content creators to access the effectiveness of the eLearning course with the help analytics. It then helps them determine the progress of the learner and the pain of points of the learner.

Interactive content should have a flavor of games, quizzes, videos, images, and other elements. Analytics and learning go hand in hand, as without knowing the progress of the learner, one can never determine the actual length and breadth of learning.

For more info visit: www.magicsw.com