Inclusive Learning Design Handbook

Inclusive learning content is a product of authoring tools and environments that promote the creation of content alternatives and preferences (see Learner needs and preferences, Audio content and learning, Video content and learning). Consumers of open educational resources quickly become authors when they rework, edit, or remix existing content. It becomes critical, then, that these authoring environments both offer and gently suggest to authors the creation of layered, malleable content.

Case Study: OER Commons Authoring Environment

Floe and ISKME collaboratively designed an open education resource authoring environment that is easy to use; is inclusive to a diversity of different users; and both offers and gently suggests authors to create layered, malleable content.

The authoring environment is sensitive to Floe's Learner Options (see Learner needs and preferences), and morphs its authoring environment according to the author's preferences. Figures 4 and 5 show the editing environment in high contrast and with large interface elements, respectively.

Moreover, the authoring environment provides an easy way for authors to add content layers to media, such as descriptions for images (see Figure 7), and localized captions for video (see Figure 6). When the media is initially added without these layers, a gentle status icon and editing affordances indicate to authors that such layers are missing, and silently guides them to adding said layers.

Figure 1: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, editing screen

Figure 2: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, metadata input screen

Figure 3: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, publishing screen

Figure 4: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, editing screen in high contrast

Figure 5: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, editing screen with enlarged interface elements

Figure 6: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, video media inserted

Figure 7: Floe/OER Commons authoring environment, image media inserted

Accessible Office Documents

The Accessible Digital Office Document (ADOD) Project offers guidance and techniques on how to author accessible documents using common office applications.

Comparisons of Authoring Environments

Figure: cnx.org OER authoring environment

Figure: MediaWiki authoring environment

Figure: Wordpress authoring environment

ISKME: More images of the OER Commons authoring environment are available at http://wiki.fluidproject.org/display/fluid/OER+Commons+authoring+tool+high+fidelity+mockups+%28February%29

UI Options: http://wiki.fluidproject.org/display/fluid/User+interface+options%2C+Infusion+1.4%2C+draft+1+mockups