Dear Colleagues,
The semester started out fine, tech-wise. I admit, I had some concerns about whether UA Learn, our new Blackboard system, would be up to the load, and it appears to be working so far.
For the next few newsletters, I will cover some issues about accessibility that we all need to pay attention to. I start with a brief overview and some info on checking the accessibility of Microsoft Word documents.
Blackboard Update
Except for some enrollment hiccups, UA Learn is working. Now, students enrolling in a course in Banner should be added to the Blackboard shell within 5 minutes.
Not migrated: SafeAssign institutional database of student papers and comments from inline grading were not migrated to the new UA Learn because Blackboard, Inc. cannot merge the databases from the three former instances into our new single UA Learn.
New: Video in Blackboard- We now have a contract with Kaltura for a video server. Faculty and students can create and add video with the Mashup tool in the text editor. We are still in process rolling it out. I am told that we did buy automatic captioning (reportedly 80% accurate), but don't see it in Kaltura yet. Remember, close captioning is required for videos from instructors.
Accessibility
"Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users have equal access to information and functionality." (from Wikipedia)
We are required by Federal law to make sure our courses accessible to all students. This includes documents, videos, and images in our courses. Creating accessible content makes it easier for all students, not just those with disabilities.
Word Accessibility Checker
Microsoft Word (2010 and later on Windows, 2016 on Mac) has a built-in accessibility checker. Excel and PowerPoint also have the accessibility checker.
Windows - Word 2010 and later
- Click File (Alt + F)
- Click Info (Alt + I)
- Click the Check for Issues button. (Alt + I)
- Select Check Accessibility from the drop-down menu (Use the up and/or down arrow keys to select Check Accessibility and click Enter)
- The Accessibility Checker appears next to your document. Click on an issue listed in the checker for more information on how to fix the issue and why it is importantt.
Mac - Word 2016
- In the ribbon, click the Review tab
- Click the Check Accessibility button
- The Accessibility Checker appears next to your document. Click on an issue listed in the checker for more information on how to fix the issue and why it is important.
Managed Print for Students on Campus
IT services has increased the student allocation for printing on the Wolf Card to $27/semester. IT services maintains a list of printers on campus and provides information on how to use the printers
Thank you,
Lee
Lee Maria Henrikson
Instructional Designer
907-786-4903
UAA Community and Technical College
Building Alaska's Workforce
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