Options for Accessible Distance Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Cindy Camp & Michelle Swaneywww.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 SynchronousDistance Learning

Those were the days . . .

Old fashioned correspondence courses

Technology evolution

Project ADEPT –Accessible Distance Education for Postsecondary TeachingUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockStarted 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

Progression of technology to today’s delivery methods: available anytime – anywhere!

Delivery methods are endless!!

Identifying Barriers inSynchronous 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 areaB – Undocked video shifted on the screenC – Participants listD – Agenda (this is the list of the agenda materials that will be shown during the meetingE – Materials area (PDF, PPT, etc)F – Text Chat boxG – Captioning box area

A BC

D

E

F

G

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 2008Successes• 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 Featuresfor 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 2010Blackboard 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 forProviding 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

Low cost solutions (when you can use and when not to use, including what happens if you use a webcam)

Mid-range solutions (consumer grade DV cameras)

High-end solutions (Prosumer and above)

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

Considerationsfor 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 & videoInterpreting• 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 AsynchronousDistance 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

• 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

• 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.

• Audio content should have a transcript.

• http://www.dcmp.org/captioningkey/

• 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 ).♫

Transcript Standards

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

ResourcesWebAIM: 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/0031alonzo.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 OwensISBN: 978-0-240-520803

• Digital Video for DummiesMartin DoucetteISBN: 0-7645-0023-6

Resources

• eLearners.com Guide to Online Education – Glossary - http://www.elearners.com/guide/faq-glossary/glossary/

• Webopedia – http://www.webopedia.com• PEPNet Think Tank-2 “Online Media” - http://

www.pepnet.org/resources/onlinemedia

Cindy Camp, Personnel Development Specialistcindy.camp@pepnet.org

Michelle Swaney, Technology & Media Specialistmichelle.swaney@pepnet.org

pepnet 2 receives support from:

pepnet 2 is funded by the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programsand the US Department of Education

via Cooperative Agreement #H326D110003

www.pepnet.org