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By Carin Headrick | Published: Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Web Accessibility Twitter Chat: A Review

On May 15, Janna Cameron and I led a Twitter discussion about web accessibility. We'd like to thank everyone who added their voice to the choir!

Our chat was a little "all over the map," but that was half the fun. Topics discussed included understanding the "why"of accessibility, little things that go a long way towards making a web experience accessible, helping course designers make their content work for every learner in the system, and tools that others can use to check their own approach against accessibility standards. We hope to involve more people in our next Twitter chat: the more perspectives that join the conversation, the more enlightening it will be for everyone.

Here is a transcript of our web accessibility conversation.

Welcome to our twitter chat about #d2la11y with @vccarin and @jannacameron
Q1: Why don't web developers pay more attention to accessibility? #d2la11y
A1 : Web #a11y can feel like uncharted territory. Browse without your eyes? With poor motor control? Impossible! Or is it? #D2La11y
A1: When you dig in, you learn that web #a11y isn't as novel as it seems. #D2La11y
.@Desire2Learn do we include online instructors in our definition of "web developers?" We certainly should, I think. #D2La11y
My former college required a11y training for online instructors. They were less than enthusiastic, mostly. Not seen as a biggie. #D2La11y
@barrydahl I think the "required" is the key word there. It's hard to be motivated if you don't know the full "why". #D2La11y
.@D2LBarry Yes. We have resources for instructors so they can make their content accessible, like templates and guides with tips. #D2La11y
@barrydahl @jennyrhill for me, I think #a11y was much more interesting once I could see how it impacted people, like @vccarin #D2La11y
.@barrydahl I think it makes a lot more sense to people when they meet a person who actually benefits from this stuff. #D2La11y
.@jennyrhill Requiring the a11y training was important for our Civil Rights Review. It showed that we cared about the a11y laws. #D2La11y
@barrydahl I think instructors are definitely included. They can have a huge impact on the #a11y of their content. #D2La11y
I'd like to hear from folks on how attention to #a11y web design has made a difference to someone #D2La11y
.@ernymac I think one of the major points is that it makes a difference to everyone, not just those with specific a11y needs. #D2La11y
@ernymac I really enjoyed the first time we tested out ARIA menus with Carin. She had tears of joy/ relief. #D2La11y
@barrydahl Definitely! I think complying with the law more pleasant for everyone when they understand how a11y benefits everyone. #D2La11y
1 of the best course content collections I ever saw in an online class suffered due to crazy text formatting - colors, sizes, fonts #D2La11y
.@ernymac I really notice when A11y is considered.. Makes it a lot easier to get through a process when I don't have to struggle. #D2La11y
.@jannacameron definitely tears of joy! That was amazing! #D2La11y
@barrydahl I think that a lot of problems are accidental. Things aren't purposely inaccessible, people just don't know #D2La11y
Q2: What are some small things that you find make a big difference for web #a11y? #D2La11y
@ernymac The difference is hard to put into words. #a11y is the difference between being able to participate and being left out. #d2la11y
@ernymac And when I say participate, I mean in even the most basic of online tasks. For example, this chat. #d2LA11Y
@VC_Steve What types of barriers do you see? #D2La11y
.@jannacameron using actual headings instead of big text m akes a huge difference. #D2La11y
@jannacameron Naming links so that they make sense out of context can make a big difference. It's important they're understandable. #D2La11y
@jannacameron With so much of the world moving online for day to day business, inaccessible online forms are a real problem. #d2la11y
@jennyrhill The benefit of link naming is something that I didn't understand at first. It took some tutorials with JAWS #D2La11y
@jannacameron Inaccessible video content is another one I run into a lot. Many times videos are embedded improperly. #d2la11y
.@jannacameron using actual row and column headers makes it so I can tell what goes where. #D2La11y
@jannacameron And that doesn't even touch the problem of videos that are lacking in descriptions/captions when they're needed. #d2la11y
.@VC_Steve ug. how many times do I have to root out whether wmode has been set to transparent or opaque? #D2La11y
@VC_Steve Embedded properly = controls actually available with a keyboard.. or is there more? #D2La11y
@VCCarin @jannacameron Clearly labelled fields and buttons. That's huge. #d2la11y
@vccarin it's ridiculous you can name the setting wmode. #D2La11y
@VCCarin @jannacameron Useful and descriptive alt text on links so I know where I'm going whenI click. #d2la11y
@VCCarin And even if you can see the players, half the time the buttons aren't labelled so you can't play the thing anyway. #d2la11y
.@jannacameron The most fun is to bring up a links list to show people why it's so important to have proper link names. #D2La11y
@VCCarin At least not without having to experiment for a few minutes first, which may or may not work in the end. #d2la11y
@jannacameron Controls available with keyboard, plus controls being visible in the first place. #d2la11y
Q3: What is most important for web #a11y? #D2La11y
any tips for Instructors or Instructional Designers when building accessible course content? #D2La11y
Small-ish thing: Is information conveyed by color also conveyed by context, markup, graphic coding, or other means? Fix it, if not. #D2La11y
.@ernymac If you're going to put pictures in there, provide a supplementary description of the picture or diagram. #D2La11y
It's been fun seeing #a11y newbies relieved that semantic markup is a good part of the solution #D2La11y
.@ernymac Please please pleeeease don't just scan an image of a pdf and call it content. *tear* #D2La11y
@ernymac Consistency is important, using templates can help with that. Ensuring link names have context for the learner, too. #D2La11y
@jannacameron A clear, sensible site layout. That doesn't mean dumb down your design. It just means explain it. #d2la11y
We did a usability test recently where the person didn't know what "alt text" was. It's important show what's expected #D2La11y
@jannacameron Those small things mentioned in answers to a previous question go a long way towards explaining it. #d2la11y
Web Accessibility Initative provides great tips and tricks for designing with accessibility in mind #D2La11y http://t.co/5fNJXT8SsL #D2La11y
.@barrydahl I just love it when someone tells me to look for the fields markeed in red. I'll get right on that. *sarcastic face* #D2La11y
@ernymac Please, do not scan your handouts as images and stick them into a PDF. Screenreaders can't do anything with that. #d2la11y
@VCCarin Yes! Text should be text, that's a huge thing. CSS and HTML can make it pretty without excluding learners. #D2La11y
Our HTML templates for better #a11y are available here with a CC zero license: http://t.co/gjOoEozgkA #D2La11y
@VC_Steve scanned handouts are annoying for everyone #D2La11y
.@jannacameron really? didn't....know? I see more often that they don't know what alt text is truly for. #D2La11y
Giving people flexibility when viewing documents is important. Allow them to print, download, view transcripts, etc. #D2La11y
@jannacameron Plus, we're working on a new set, they're up on http://t.co/QJwV3XscsP today! #D2La11y
@ernymac In a strange, perhaps selfish way, that's nice to hear. I'm glad it isn't just blind folks. Now how to get people to stop? #d2la11y
.@sandra_earl yeah that's huge. Sometimes an inline viewer just doesn't work for someone. Let them download the document. #D2La11y
@jennyrhill Woot! We're going to be talking about these new templates at our accessibility interest group meeting #D2La11y
@VCCarin @jannacameron Yes, that happens a lot. You'll get alt text like "a picture." Ok, of what? #d2la11y
@vccarin I once got an image with alt text "Please enable images" #D2La11y
.@jannacameron ah yes. The alt text on the google CAPTCHA...ah...don't get me started on those. #D2La11y
Q4: What testing platforms do people use for evaluating the accessibility of their content? #D2La11y
@jannacameron w3c validator, WAVE, Juicy Studio... and @VCCarin..... #D2La11y
@VCCarin agreed. As a student it is so important that I can organize, highlight, dissect content in ways that make sense to me. #D2La11y
@jannacameron We use a variety, WAVE (http://t.co/cF6TSuscKE), screenreaders, color contrast analyzers, browser developer tools... #D2La11y
@jannacameron just validating our code can set us in the right direction sometimes. But nothing beats real user testing. #D2La11y
AChecker great for accessibility testing because it shows how to fix issues http://t.co/g0RfEn8PoQ #D2La11y
@abergstrom I'm also really excited about the OpenAjax Accessibility Extension. #D2La11y
Obviously, the better route is to create tools where it's very hard to make inaccessible content in the first place #D2La11y
.@sandra_earl and the possibility for accessible math. No more ugly images of equations with meh alt text. #D2La11y
@ernymac Special access for quizzes in the Desire2Learn LE is great for giving learners what they need- more time to finish, etc. #D2La11y
I like how MathJAX makes it possible to write an equation once, and present an accessible version when MathPlayer is installed #D2La11y
Thanks to everyone that took part in our TweetChat. We love the great insights from all that participated! #d2la11y.
 
@jennyrhill @jannacameron real user testing should be complimented by opportunities to provide feedback within the website/design #D2La11y
@jannacameron Thanks! BTW, ChromeVox now supports MathML and MathJax as well #D2La11y http://t.co/23hJs1hjLu
Increase accessibility with HTML templates for content in online courses. New post in D2L Community. http://t.co/SpTMdjYmSF #D2La11y

Posted in: Accessibility

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By John Baker | Published: Monday, June 10, 2013

Let the Countdown to FUSION Begin!

As we begin the countdown to FUSION 2013, I’m getting more and more excited to unveil some of the new programs and content that we have planned to share with all of you.  This will be my 10th year at FUSION and every year I look forward to the moment when I get to be up on stage sharing the latest product and company advances.  We have a lot of exciting announcements to share this year and many activities planned to help equip you with all the tools and information you need to head into another year. I want to take a few minutes to highlight some for you...

Building a bigger vision

The Vision track is a new addition to the agenda this year that I’m excited for you to experience.  We’ve assembled a panel of experts on some of the hottest topics in education right now including personalization, big data, gaming strategy and social learning to name a few.  Please take some time plan your schedule and join one of these interactive sessions.  I think you’ll be excited to hear some of the perspectives and collaborate with your peers and thought leaders on these exciting topics that are shaping the future of education.

Click here learn more about the Vision Track

Sharing your point of view

This year we want to encourage you to get more involved by showcasing your stories of potential – we’re encouraging everyone to talk about where they see potential and where they’ve experienced great results in using technology to build on that potential.  Leading up to FUSION, we’re asking members of our community to take a moment to stop and share your vision with us so we can use some of your quotes and ideas to inspire the attendees.  It could be something you have done or something you plan to do or a problem you want to solve.  It’s all about sharing your point of view as part of this community committed to furthering the potential of learners, the potential of each other and the potential of learning overall.

Click here to share your stories of potential

Hearing from the thought leaders

In addition to the Vision track and executive speakers at FUSION, we have a great line up of guest keynotes on the agenda this year.  Michael Horn joins us to talk about disruption in education, Karen Cator will be with us to talk about lifelong learning and Alec Couros is joining us to talk about emerging technologies.  I am excited to hear from all 3 of these speakers and learn more about the different areas of expertise that they cover.

Click here to learn more about the guest keynote line up

We’re looking forward to seeing you all out at FUSION for another year of community building, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Let the countdown begin!

Posted in: Corporate

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By Jeff McDowell | Published: Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Why We Do What We Do

Desire2Learn is a company that is always challenging itself to think bigger. We don't just debate the value of product features - we also consider what kind of world we are helping to create.

As part of that internal dialogue, a video was created a few months back that helped the company think big and also challenged each Desire2Learn employee to consider their role in the company's vision.

For me personally, the video captures the reason why so many of us come to work here every day. We have a deep belief that when people are able to achieve their full potential, their lives, and society in general, are improved. That focus on the power of individual potential is critical in today's world as technology and social movements are changing the fabric of society and business. We at Desire2Learn want to ensure that individuals are able to adapt and contribute to a brighter future.

I was thrilled with the internal dialogue the video sparked. In an effort to build a unifying dialogue with you, our customers, I'd like to share the video here.

Where do you see potential? Where have you experienced great results in using technology to build on that potential? Maybe it's something you've done personally or something you plan to do. Perhaps a problem you want to solve. Share your point of view on Twitter using the #potential hashtag. Let's continue to learn from and be inspired by each other.

Posted in: Transforming Teaching & Learning

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By Mitchell Buchanan | Published: Monday, May 27, 2013

A Learning Suite Update from a Learner's Perspective

On May 7th, Desire2Learn announced the latest release of Desire2Learn Learning Suite. As both a product marketing co-op within the organization and a student at a school that uses Desire2Learn products, I’ve had firsthand access to some of the new tools and capabilities I’ll be using in the fall. For anyone like me who’s passionate about learning and loves technology, this is a pretty cool opportunity.

With my final year of university approaching, I want to do everything I can to keep myself on track. There’s a looming pressure to maintain an acceptable academic average. Even though I might feel relaxed now, I’m aware of how quickly my feelings can shift from “I totally have this covered” to “if I just had twenty-eight hours every day and an unlimited supply of energy drinks, I’d totally have this covered.”

That’s where Desire2Learn comes in. As a student, I couldn’t be more excited to try out all the new Learning Suite features once my co-op term ends and I’m back in the classroom – mainly because so many of the updates feel like they were made with a focus on students in mind.

The updated Discussions tool will help me see conversations with enhanced detail – when someone replies to one of my posts, a notification takes me right to what was said. If I need to talk to someone quickly, I can access the user’s contact information that pops up when I put my cursor over their profile picture. Working in groups with my fellow students has never been easier.

Since Desire2Learn Learning Environment provides students with cloud storage space, I can guarantee all the resources and materials I need are accessible whenever I need them. Desire2Learn Binder™, a mobile study and annotation app, has also been updated with connections to various external storage applications. When I import documents into Binder, I can annotate and make notes as freely as I want – online or offline. Once I’m done studying and marking up my work, I can now export documents back to any of these storage locations. If I need to keep physical copies, I can print the documents with or without the annotations, too. All of these features can be used quickly and easily and combine many of a student’s everyday activities in one place.

I love that many of these updates are directed at students and not just focused on instructors and administrators. The developers worked to identify exactly what students wanted and then built a system that gave us exactly that. Even though I’m having an awesome time working for Desire2Learn, I can’t wait to get back onto campus and start using this stuff for real!

Posted in: Learning Suite

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By Nadeem Sheikh | Published: Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Putting Usability First: Notes on the New Desire2Learn Learning Environment Release

With every new release that Desire2Learn deploys, our aim is to consistently deliver a solution that is recognized and valued by the educational community for its intuitive tools, simple interface, and time-saving workflows. In our efforts to drive personalization in the educational experience, we always develop new tools and technologies with the end user in mind: we want to enable learning, your way.

The newest release of Desire2Learn Learning Suite is the latest demonstration of our continuing commitment to usability as a design focus. As a Senior Technical Product Manager for Desire2Learn Learning Environment, my goal is to align our individual teams, products, and people to a consistent, personalized, user-focused vision. To provide you with some helpful insights about how we’ve worked to achieve that goal in the latest release, I’m happy to share some of the new features and updates in Desire2Learn Learning Environment that reflect our approach to usability.

Our customers always provide terrific feedback about navigation, templates, and tracking. We’ve worked to successfully transition many of them into our content solution. With the newest release, instructors are now able to add any activity – such as checklists, discussions, Dropbox folders, surveys, or quizzes – directly into content with just a few clicks. That should make things more complex to navigate, right? Actually, it’s easier!

We’ve redesigned the content map as an expandable left panel, simplifying navigation to any topic in that module or the entire course! Through a visual timeline of content progression, instructors instantly know what has been completed without leaving the Content tool. They can also select from pre-defined document templates, with accessibility and mobility capabilities built in, when creating new documents. Viewing the information has never been easier – as documents now automatically resize to fit the viewing frame.

Discussion threads are now displayed separately with inline replies. Topics clearly display the associated rubrics, clarifying what the discussion is trying achieve. ‘Easier’ is the way forward, and communicating via email is now easier with a clean, simple UI that includes autocomplete capabilities for personal and course contacts.

We have also made key improvements within the Assessment suite. Work faster with Dropbox by downloading, evaluating, and uploading bulk files. If you move too quickly and delete folders you needed, no problem – now, you can restore them from the Event Log. Quizzes, surveys, and self-assessments have also been further streamlined with a switch from input boxes to drop down selectors.

Our continued focus on improving usability has directly resulted in ownership of quality at every level of the team. We’re dedicated to only implementing new functionalities that can deliver the intended customer experience. The updates listed in this post are just a few examples of our usability focus moving forward as we continue to develop solutions for lifelong learning. We are committed to delivering the market’s highest quality learning platform, and that means designing and implementing every new feature or update with our users’ experience at the forefront of the discussion.

Posted in: Learning Suite

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