SLIDE 1
Collaboration and Faculty Development
Improving the Usability of Online Math Content
AHEAD Conference Sacramento CA – July 16, 2014
Portland Community College
SLIDE 2 It’s a Team Effort
Portland Community College Presents
– In the Room
- Kaela Parks, Director of Disability Services
- Karen Sorensen, Accessibility in Distance Learning
- Marc Goodman, Computer Science Faculty
- Haris Gunadi, Alternate Media Specialist
- Heiko Spoddeck, Math Faculty
– From Afar
- Scot Leavitt, Chris Hughes, Alex Jordan, Carl Yao, Jessica Bernards
and Shane Horner - Math Faculty
- Phyllis Petteys, Supada Armonchat, Maurice Mines, and Angel
Chesimet – Accessibility Testing
SLIDE 3 Our Plan for This Session
We have quite a few examples to share from our
- journey. Some presenters are here, others
recorded information or contributed in advance.
- Documents are uploaded
- Videos are available – tinyurl.com/pcc-math
- Links are provided to additional context
- Contact information is provided for follow-up
SLIDE 4
Distance Learning Website
www.pcc.edu/access
SLIDE 5 Best Practices for Math & Science
- Graphs
- Word Processed Documents
- PDF
- PowerPoint
- D2L
- Publisher Content
- Tests/Exams
- Additional Resources
SLIDE 6
Guidelines for Online Instructors
SLIDE 7 Building Momentum
The 2011 Guiding Team focused on implementation of accessibility standards
- Marketed as a shared responsibility “Don’t wait until
you have all the answers!”
- Faculty asked how to make Math accessible to
individuals who are blind
- DL and DS Invited experts to present best practices in
accessible math production
SLIDE 8 Subject Area Studies
Math Faculty requested release time to study accessibility in their discipline Outcomes and Expectations
- Survey other instructors in discipline
- Research, discuss, and conduct end user testing
- Document Best Practices/Recommendations
- Present findings
- Produce final report
SLIDE 9 A Collaborative Funding Model
Funded by Distance Learning and Deans of Instruction with Technical Support and End Users provided by Disability Services
- Choice of funding options
– Release Time – Special Project Rate
- Two studies funded so far, with another planned
for the Fall 2014 term
SLIDE 10
A Faculty Member’s Perspective
Marc Goodman participated in a subject area study recently – Computer Science
SLIDE 11
The Math Study
SLIDE 12 Need for Ongoing Testing
PCC has changed staffing patterns in last 2 years
- Accessibility Specialists
- Accessibility Technicians and Aides – end users
- Browser/AT Changes – IE/MathPlayer/JAWS
- Emerging Options – Central Access Reader
- Changes in Commercial Offerings
– ALEKS is making improvements – Pearson is promising MathML for NEW titles
SLIDE 13
WeBWorK
SLIDE 14 Power of LaTeX
- Video put together by faculty member Alex
Jordan details some of the accessibility related advantages
– Content is separated from display – Small changes in file will influence compilation – .tex can produce pdf, html, and brf
- LaTeX is free accessible authoring option
- PCC has a 1 credit course offered online
SLIDE 15
Self-paced Math Lab Courses (ALC)
ALC Credit courses at PCC
– Pass/No Pass credit course, non-credit available – 1, 2, or 3 credits can be earned – 30 hours in the lab per credit – Learn with WeBWorK and tutor support – Pass quizzes. midterm, and final and move on to next course (MATH 20/60/65/95)
Non-Credit Math courses at PCC
– Week long prior to term start – Can be taken pre placement test
SLIDE 16 ALC Students
Students in alternative courses might want
- Extra Practice - Concurrent enrollment in
traditional math course
- Refresher – Passed courses before, but long ago
- Acceleration – Student may place into MTH 60,
but move through it and MTH65 in one term
- Flexible Pace - Some students need to learn math
at their own pace
SLIDE 17
Integrated Study Skills
http://spot.pcc.edu/~jbernard/
SLIDE 18 Livescribe Multimedia Notes Pilot
- Instructors opt in to UD Notetaking Approach
- Pens are loaned through DS
- Instructors have options
- Multimedia notes are shared with all students
- Pencasts are captioned as accommodation
SLIDE 19 Livescribe Multimedia Notes Pilot
86% of the students who responded had used the notes 90% of those found them more effective than standard notes Surveys are also being done
- n students borrowing pens
SLIDE 20 Multimedia Notes – Math Example
Shane Horner started using livescribe in his teaching through the DS pilot, but has shared his approach and now the Math Dept. has bought pens for other faculty
- He records short pencasts under the document camera
during class which are then shares with the class
- The pencasts provide an interactive way to review the
examples from class and when needed, DS converts the pencast to a video with an interactive transcript
SLIDE 21
Pencast with Interactive Transcript
SLIDE 22
Making Handouts Accessible
The Student Learning Center had handouts used in tutoring centers that were photocopies, which had been created on typewriter with hand-drawn formulas and graphs There were there were no digital files Disability Services hired students who had taken the LaTeX course to create .tex files which were compiled into beautiful printable PDF to replace the photocopies Alternate formats rounding out the set are BRF, Hard Copy Braille, Large Print, Word and HTML with MathML
SLIDE 23
The Change is Significant
From Photocopies…to Accessible Electronic Formats
SLIDE 24 Braille and Tactile Graphics
Two years ago the college had no Braille or Tactile Production capabilities...but now
- Embossers produce Braille as well as tactile graphics
with or without ink - compatible with IVEO
- Picture in a Flash can produce tactile graphics using
swell paper and image enhancer Those without in-house equipment could check options such as Central Access at Central Washington University
SLIDE 25 Large Format and 3-D Printing
Because not all students learn in the same ways, it is good have both hard copy and accessible electronic resources available as needed.
- Loaner AT such as ipads with accessible files
- Plotter that produces documents up to 24” wide
- Maker Space that produces 3D prints
SLIDE 26
Q and A
SLIDE 27
Contact Information
Kaela Parks, Disability Services Director kaela.parks@pcc.edu Karen Sorensen, Accessibility Advocate for Online Courses karen.sorensen@pcc.edu Marc Goodman, Computer Science Faculty – Accessibility Study marc.goodman@pcc.edu Haris Gunadi, Alternate Media Specialist haris.gunadi@pcc.edu Heiko Spoddeck, Math Faculty – Student Learning Center heiko.spoddeck@pcc.edu
