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Interactiveindex.html
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<!-- #BeginTemplate "/Templates/nideAccessITL.dwt" -->
<head>
<!-- #BeginEditable "doctitle" -->
<title>Accessible Interactive Learning Tools</title>
<!-- #EndEditable -->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/nidestyle.css">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<h3 align="center"><img src="NideHead.gif" width="559" height="120" alt="NIDE Logo"></h3>
<h3 align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Network
for Inclusive Distance Education</font></h3>
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<td bgcolor="#6699ff" width="416" height="21" align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><a href="//Interactiveindex.html">Interactive Learning Tools</a></b></font></td> <td width="219" bgcolor="#FFCC99" height="21" align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><a href="/MathML/MathMLindex.html">MathML
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<BLOCKQUOTE><!-- #BeginEditable "content" -->
<h3 align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Interactive Learning Tools </font></h3>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This component of the Network for Inclusive Distance Education (NIDE) project was created to support the design, development, and implementation of interactive educational tools delivered to Ontario learners via computer networks.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The partners in this project included <a href="digitfrog.htm">Digital Frog International</a> (DFI), <a href="snowbird.htm">Snowbird Software</a>, W Ross MacDonald School for students with visual disabilities, and the University of Toronto's <a href="http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/">Adaptive Technology Resource Centre</a> (ATRC). All were selected for their expertise in addressing barriers to distance education.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Learners of all ages, from pre-schoolers to university students and adults involved in workplace training initiatives can benefit from distance education programs. But the group that stands to benefit most are people with disabilities.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For learners with disabilities, distance education eliminates such concerns as transportation to and from school and physical access to classrooms and lecture halls. Unlike printed documents, individuals who are vision impaired, dyslexic or have mobility problems can all access electronic text.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Educational material delivered via computer networks can be easily adapted to various learning styles, rates, and communication formats. At present, however, interactive courseware (such as math or science simulations) often excludes students who are blind or cannot use a mouse.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The teams involved in the NIDE interactive learning tool projects have demonstrated that it is possible to develop inclusive network tools. Project descriptions are listed below:</font></p>
<h4><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Digital Frog International</font></h4>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Digital Frog International (DFI), located in Puslinch, Ontario, is an award-winning developer of highly regarded software titles such as "The Digital Frog" (a simulated frog dissection tool) and "A Digital Field Trip to the Wetlands". DFI and the University of Toronto's ATRC team collaborated on the development of a fully accessible version of the company's interactive learning CD ROM "A Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest". This new version of "A Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest" offers the following accessibility features: self-voicing for users who have visual disabilities; full keyboard accessibility and descriptive audio captioning for all major video components; interactive learning exercises accessible to visual and mobility impaired learners; and a glossary of all words used in the program.</font></p>
<h4><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Snowbird Software</font></h4>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Snowbird Software, based in Hamilton, Ontario, revised its highly adaptable and engaging chemistry simulation software "Electric Chemistry Building" for the NIDE project. The inclusive version provides students with the opportunity to perform self-directed chemistry experiments by offering full keyboard accessibility, screen reader compatibility, speech output (where required), and high contrast graphics and text. Snowbird Software's "Electric Chemistry Building" allows students with disabilities to safely conduct experiments using up to 150 chemicals and a variety of laboratory equipment. The simulations provide readouts of all chemical reactions that occur as well as the weight, size and temperature of the reactants.</font></p>
<h4><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">ATRC</font></h4>
<p><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">CitySpeak - Self-Voicing Urban Planning Tool</b><br>
CitySpeak is an interactive geographic learning tool developed by the University of Toronto's ATRC team. CitySpeak allows teachers and students to create landscapes by selecting specific types of terrain and geographic features and then transform the model into a variety of different cityscapes. Urban elements are placed on the map and students are then required to justify their location and element choices by writing a supporting report for their design. CitySpeak reinforces understanding of geographical features, land-use considerations, urban planning styles and protocols, while addressing community needs and concerns. Unlike other urban planning tools, CitySpeak offers a fully accessible interactive learning experience. Accessibility features include: self-voicing, full keyboard accessibility, high contrast graphics, and an easy-to-use interface.</font></p>
<p><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haptics Periodic Table</b><br>
The ATRC has combined Haptics technology with an electronic version of the periodic table to convey vital information to visually impaired students. Haptics technology offers tactile feedback for computer-generated images and text. Students with visual disabilities often face barriers when studying subjects that rely on graphical representations to convey information. Through a Haptics mouse, joystick (or other similar device), users are able to feel the outline and surface texture of objects appearing on-screen. In a standard Periodic Table, the information is conveyed to students in part by the relative position of elements within the chart. Although Braille versions of the table provide a sense of position for the elements, additional information must be omitted for the sake of clarity and space constraints. The ATRC's Haptics Periodic Table, however, enables students to identify the location of elements within the chart and "feel" their relative atomic weight. Students are also able to learn more about an element's uses, its history, and relationships within the structure of the table. Accessibility features include: self-voicing; full keyboard accessibility; a Haptics-enhanced learning experience via a Wingman mouse or joystick; extensive audio-cues supplementing the navigation system; and detailed information about each element. The Haptics Periodic Table also includes a high contrast graphical interface for low vision users.</font></p>
<p><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haptic Grapher</b><br>
The ATRC, in conjunction with the W Ross MacDonald School for students with visual disabilities in Brantford, Ontario, has developed a Haptics graph tool. The Haptic Grapher enables students with a visual disability to "feel" line graphs using a Wingman mouse or joystick. It is extremely difficult – if not impossible – for blind or low vision students to extract information from visual graphs. But a graph created with the Haptic Grapher allows students to move from point to point along lines within the graph and gain an understanding of the overall shape and the data being presented. The Haptic Grapher is also capable of printing out Braille versions of the graphs it generates. This device offers self-voicing and full keyboard accessibility.<font></p>
<!--
Learners of all ages,
from preschool, through university, professional upgrading, employment training
and life long learning are participating in educational programs delivered
over computer networks. One sector within Ontario that can benefit most from
this trend is the learner with disabilities. Network delivered instruction
is easily adapted to varying learning styles, rates, and communication formats.
Issues of distance, transportation and physical access are reduced. Electronic
text, unlike printed text, can be read by individuals who are blind, vision
impaired, dyslexic and by individuals who cannot hold a book or turn pages.
</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unfortunately, regardless
of the network used, network delivered education is not barrier free. At present,
interactive courseware and scientific simulations completely exclude students
who are blind or who cannot use a mouse. Interactive courseware is an important
strategy for animating learning and engaging the learner. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A consortium of partners
representing consumers, experts in the field, developers and leading providers
of distance education will address these barriers. This component of the NIDE
project will design, develop, evaluate and implement interactive learning
tools that are inclusive to all Ontario learners. The partners have the expertise
and strategic alliances to exploit and further the development of leading
edge network technologies to achieve this goal. </font></p>
-->
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Partnership information can be found below: </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
<ul>
<li> <a href="digitfrog.htm">Digital Frog International – Accessible Trip to
the Rainforest</a></li>
<li><a href="snowbird.htm">Snowbird Software – Electric Chemistry Building</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blindpreschool.ca/wrosspage.htm">W Ross MacDonald School for students with visual disabilities</a></li></ul>
<!--
<li><a href="uplanning.htm">Urban Planning Tool</a></li>
<li><a href="hperiodic.htm">Haptics Periodic Table</a></li>
<li><a href="hgrapher.htm">Haptic Graphing Tool </a></li>
</ul>
</font><p></p>
-->
<!-- #EndEditable -->
<hr>
<div align="center">
<p><a href="http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre</font></a></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">J.P. Robarts
Library, First Floor, University of Toronto Information Commons <br>
130 St. George St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H1 <br>
Telephone: (416) 978-4360 Fax: (416) 971-2629 </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> For additional information
please e-mail <a href="http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/reference/staff/harrison/harrison.html">Laurie
Harrison</a></font></p>
</div>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
</body>
<!-- #EndTemplate --></html>