Access to online learning: the role of the courseware authoring tool developer
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830210452631 |
| Pages | 433-440 |
| Published date | 01 December 2002 |
| Date | 01 December 2002 |
| Author | Laurie Harrison |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Access to online
learning: the role of the
courseware authoring
tool developer
Laurie Harrison
Introduction
When recommended design strategies are
implemented, any Web-based learning
program can potentially be made accessible to
students with disabilities. Screen readers or
Braille displays can provide audio access for
students who are blind, while alternative
pointing devices, onscreen keyboards and
voice recognition and other adaptive
technologies offer a choice of input and output
methods. At present, one of the greatest
barriers to access is the lack of authoring tools
that support course content developers in
adhering to existing accessibility guidelines.
Increasingly, courseware authoring
environments are being used to make the
process more efficient, and could easily
include utilities to support developers in
making their online resources accessible
as well.
In the USA, legislation is a new force in the
arena of online learning, as in many educational
contexts Web-based resources must be
compliant with the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines published by the Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C)[1]. Web editing software
such as Macromedia's Dreamweaver have
moved forward by including an accessibility
validator and support within the authoring tool
and through extensions. A proactive developer
may further utilize tools such as Bobby[2], SSB
Technologies Software[3] or the A-Prompt
Tool Kit[4] to validate the accessibility of
individual Web pages. A plethora of new
evaluation and repair products is now appearing
on the market. However, all of these strategies
may prove fruitless if the Web pages are then
uploaded into a courseware environment that
generates an interface that in itself creates
barriers to access.
Courseware and accessible authoring
support
Within the context of the research outlined
below, the term ``courseware'' refers to a
server-based course management system that
allows integration of a complete course site,
The author
Laurie Harrison is Education Coordinator, Resource Centre
for Academic Technology, University of Toronto, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. E-mail: laurie.harrison@utoronto.ca
Keywords
Distance learning, Internet, Disabled people, Technology
Abstract
Implementation of recommended design strategies can
potentially allow any Web-based learning program to be
made accessible to learners who use adaptive technologies.
However, one of the greatest barriers to achieving this goal
is the lack of authoring tools that support course content
developers in adhering to existing accessibility guidelines. In
order to ensure universal access, attention must be given to
Web pages generated automatically by courseware pro-
grams, as well as those uploaded from an external source.
Courseware authoring environments could easily include
utilities to support developers in making their online
resources accessible. This paper will review products
recently available on the market using the guidelines
published by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web
Accessibility Initiative as a framework for analysis.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
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The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Theme articles
433
Library Hi Tech
Volume 20 .Number 4 .2002 .pp. 433±440
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830210452631
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