EduTech: Proposal for the Creation of Virtual Accessibility Assistance Units in Higher Education in Latin America

Technological accessibility constitutes a constant search for positive experiences that support the adoption of processes in their implementation. It is necessary to build management capacities that favor the training in accessibility of the university community considering the inclusion of students with disabilities. The European experience in the application of regulations and good practices in accessibility constitutes a relevant contribution for Latin American universities that need to strengthen their knowledge in attending to diversity, particularly disability. The Erasmus+ EduTech project seeks to improve Accessible Virtual Higher Education by generating a set of recommendations and support tools for inclusive training. One of the major contributions of the project will be the creation of Technological Accessibility Attention Units in each partner university, in charge of implementing the results of the project. In the long term, the project results could impact the educational and occupational insertion of students with disabilities

Propuesta de una arquitectura software basada en servicios para la implementación de repositorios de objetos de aprendizaje distribuidos

Esta investigación se propone facilitar una arquitectura software para la construcción de un sistema capaz de localizar objetos de aprendizaje de forma universal para integrarlos en un sistema de teleformación. Estos sistemas utilizan objetos de aprendizaje que residen en repositorios, accesibles a través de una red de comunicaciones. El objetivo de un repositorio es facilitar la reutilización de dichos recursos educativos, facilitando su acceso. Para reutilizar un objeto de aprendizaje debe ajustarse a algún estándar de etiquetado de metadatos. Los sistemas de teleformación emplean Internet como medio de comunicación de contenidos, sin hacer uso de otras posibilidades. En ellos se integran contenidos almacenados en un repositorio con las herramientas que ayudan a la docencia, y suele ser habitual que no accedan a repositorios externos. La arquitectura existente dificulta la evolución de su desarrollo y accesibilidad. Es necesaria una arquitectura realmente distribuida, en la que cada elemento sea capaz de interactuar con los otros. Se debe sustentar en metadatos asociados a objetos docentes y en protocolos, para poder modificar las herramientas actuales. Se propone la definición de un marco funcional y arquitectónico para la adaptación de un sistema, implementado sobre servicios web y basado en una arquitectura orientada a servicios, que asegure la interoperabilidad entre repositorios de objetos de aprendizaje y que favorezca su reutilización.. En este trabajo, en primer lugar, se analiza el estado actual de los sistemas de teleformación. Se hace hincapié en el estudio de los repositorios que los sustentan y de los estándares que indican cómo construirlos. Se señalan las limitaciones existentes y se definen propuestas para superarlas. Se propone una arquitectura en capas que ha de satisfacer unos requisitos que deberán considerarse en cualquier sistema que se base en dicha arquitectura. Además se definen los componentes necesarios de la arquitectura para asegurar la funcionalidad requerida, el flujo de información y las relaciones entre ellos. Para validar la arquitectura propuesta, se describe un prototipo real creado a partir de los principios propuestos.. En último lugar se exponen las conclusiones y trabajos futuros relacionados con los temas abordados. Se incluyen las fuentes documentales empleadas, sin exhaustividad, dado que el contexto de este trabajo está sometido a cambios continuos..Biblioteca de Ciencias Experimentales. Facultad de Medicina. Campus Universitario; Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Km.33,600; 28871 Alcalá de Henares; Tel. +34918854500; Fax +34918854864;ES

A framework to foster accessibility in post-pandemic virtual higher education

The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) forced educational institutions to move their programmes to the virtual world. Several tech-based solutions –including virtual training and tutoring, discussion forums, access to content and information, collaborative platforms, and Open Educational Resources (OER)– were implemented to address this shift and continue to be used in the post-pandemic era due to the advantages they offer, especially for hybrid and blended learning. However, the implementation of these tech-based solutions also revealed several accessibility issues that need to be addressed to fully leverage the technological benefits. This study aims to provide a framework to facilitate the adoption of good practices related to technological accessibility in virtual Higher Education. The implementation of the framework is divided into four basic actions, each of which should be tailored to the constraints and needs for improving accessibility in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The framework’s instantiation in four HEIs serves as a proof-of-concept in real-world scenarios. The preliminary results suggest that the proposal is promising, as it was adaptable to the specific needs of each HEI fostering accessibility and inclusion through technological alternatives that align with their organisational structures and current levels of attention to accessibility.publishedVersio

Aplicación de la Realidad Virtual en la enseñanza a través de Internet

Se presentan conceptos básicos relacionados con la Realidad Virtual y se analiza su posible aplicación en el ámbito docente a través de Internet mediante la creación de sistemas de aprendizaje en forma de mundos virtuales tridimensionales e interactivos. Se valora positivamente la especificación estándar del lenguaje VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) como medio para crear los mundos virtuales en Internet a los que puedan acceder los estudiantes utilizando navegadores o exploradores que incorporen visualizadores de VRML

Considerations on Barriers to Effective E-learning toward Accessible Virtual Campuses

Nowadays, the implementation of virtual campuses is a reality, both in academic settings and in the workplace. However, there are several challenges associated with the implementation of effective learning outcomes via e-learning. In this chapter in particular, the use of e-learning to reach students with disabilities and the barriers that they may have will be presented. In this sense, e-learning solutions adopted by several institutions are encouraged to validate and promote accessibility in a virtual campus. A large myriad of research related to accessibility in distance education systems is available in literature, and the most relevant studies and standards are presented in this chapter as a starting point for education institutions looking at improving the accessibility in their own virtual campuses. This work is intended to be relevant both to teachers and lecturers who use e-learning for their courses, and to those involved in the design, setup, and maintenance of e-learning systems, whether from a pedagogical or technical perspective to take into account the accessibility for students with disabilities. This work will explore on the accessibility of the basic stone of the e-learning process, the learning objects. An analysis of the IMS AfA v3.0 specification will be presented as a starting point to develop an accessible and adaptable online course, based on the student’s preferences, within an accessible virtual campus

Quality Assurance in E-learning: A Proposal from Accessibility to Sustainability

Given the importance of developing and offering accessible education for all, indispensable aspects of education for sustainable development (ESD) are needed. This study addresses that need by proposing a quality self-assessment for virtual education from an accessibility perspective. This proposal is based on previous literature about quality assurance in e-learning that considered accessibility and its application in the field of higher education. The bibliographic review was conducted by following Multivocal Literature Review (MLR) guidelines. The initial search returned 999 items from 5 academic databases and 32,200 professional sources from Google. After reviewing the sources, 37 of them were included. Then, the accessibility criteria were identified and integrated into an evaluation model. Such a model is divided into four dimensions: (1) organization, (2) student body, (3) teaching, and (4) infrastructure. The model also includes a set of standards (16), requirements (48), and evidence (63) that apply to each dimension. Moreover, self-assessment guidelines for accessible virtual education were proposed. They included a conceptual and theoretical framework, a self-assessment model, and a methodology for applying the model. The methodology included five phases: planning, model tuning or refinement of the model, evaluation, results, and continuous improvement. As future work, the implementation and validation of the guidelines will be carried out.publishedVersio

Exploring the impact of accessibility in MOOC and OER: a multivocal literature review

Conferência realizada em Lisboa, de 21-23 de outubro de 2020.This report presents a review of the accessibility models in Learning Resources and MOOCs with the aim of establishing common terms in the research of the EduTech project and other projects associated with virtual accessibility in member HEIs. This study is based on the search and analysis of articles and publications related to the subject following the MLR format. The results showed a lack of applicability and data that support the current situation in Latin America, however, the experiences of European projects and regulations that support their sustainability, establish guidelines that could guide implementation processes in higher education institutions in partner countriesCo-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, project EduTech (609785-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative Analysis of Online Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools

In many countries, it is mandatory that Web information systems are accessible so that people with disabilities can use them. The developers of web information systems must ensure that their systems are accessible, and for this it can help the use of automatic evaluation tools. This paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of the performance of online accessibility evaluation tools. This analysis can be useful for developers of information systems, as it provides information that can be taken into account when deciding the tool or tools of this type that they will use in their projects. The paper also includes a proposal for classification of different types of tools that evaluate software accessibility, considering two dimensions: its usage and functionality

The use of accessibility metadata in e‑learning environments: a systematic literature review

E-learning environments constitute an essential element in education, as they help students to ensure their pass their courses and graduate on time. Although guidelines, techniques, and methods have been presented in some literature in recent years to contribute to the development of accessible e-learning environments that promote digital inclusion, their implementation is challenging. In this context, the use of accessibility metadata not only provides a way to enhance the description of adapted educational resources but also facilitates their search according to the needs and preferences of students, in particular those with disabilities. In this paper, a systematic review was conducted in order to provide the state of the art regarding the use of accessibility metadata in e-learning environments. A total of 746 documents were found during the period from 2012 to 2019, of which 31 were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria relevant to our review. The findings revealed an intensive use of models and standards of accessibility in e-learning environments, however, using accessibility metadata remains underused. In fact, the evaluation of accessibility and adaptability through the use of its metadata was not found. The fndings obtained also helped to establish challenges and opportunities in this research feld as well as to provide an overview that could support those who generate educational resources to keep their interest in making them accessible.publishedVersio