Tag Archive for: edtech

Ensuring the Accessibility of all Learning Content

Photograph of Rick Johnson, author of this articleRick Johnson, Vice President of Product Strategy at Vital Source has written an incisive article for the latest issue of Research information, focusing on what is required during this time of “dramatic change” for accessibility in learning content. Read the full article on their website

https://www.researchinformation.info/news/analysis-opinion/ensuring-accessibility-all-learning-content.

Rick Johnson will be presenting a number of sessions at the CSUN Assitive Technology Conference in March 2018 with George Kerscher, Chief Innovations Officer within the DAISY Consortium.

December 2017: Futurebook Conference

FutureBook brings together leading thinkers in publishing, retail, editorial, writing, marketing and tech, along with speakers from other industries. Europe’s largest digital publishing conference expanded in 2016 to include dedicated strands on the growing EdTech and AudioBook markets. A number of sessions are of interest to inclusive publishing: Reaching More Readers in a Distracted World and How is Technology changing the way we Listen.

https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook-conference

Date: December 1st, 2017

Venue: London, U.K.

When: 08.30am – 18.30pm

November 2017: Accessing Higher Ground

November 13th to 17th, 2017

This 5 day conference focuses on the creation of accessible media and information resources and legal and policy issues within education, business and public settings.

This conference is intended for:

  • individuals who need to design or provide accessible Web, media, information resources and technology in the academic and business environment;
  • faculty and administrators interested in ADA & Section 508 compliance;
  • faculty and other professional interested in incorporating Universal Design content or UDL into
    curriculum;
  • faculty and other professionals who wish to ensure that their curriculum is accessible.

For further information and registration details visit: http://accessinghigherground.org

Date: November 13th – November 17th, 2017

Venue: Westminster, Colorado, USA

 

 

December 2017 BISG Making Information Pay: Higher Education

December 8th, 2017

Making Information Pay: Higher Education is an extension of BISG’s signature annual event that will focus on the needs and developments in the Higher Education side of publishing. This year’s dual focus will be on education technology and the impact of accessibility initiatives on higher-education content delivery. For registration and program information see http://bisg.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=891617&group=

Date: Friday, December 8th, 2017

Venue: Macmillan Learning, 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY

When: 1pm

Accessibility: Ensuring that Edtech Systems Work Together to Serve All Students

The attached article was written by Rick Johnson, Vice President of Product Strategy at VitalSource Technologies LLC, and published in the EDUCAUSEreview on September 25th. Key takeaways, as identified by EDUCAUSEreview, are:

  • As course materials are increasingly deconstructed and customized to specific learners, ensuring accessibility and interoperability of edtech tools and systems is crucial.
  • The next generation digital learning environment offers an ecosystem to provide this cohesion and ensure the accessibility of learning materials.
  • When vendors follow standards such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines,their components support individual accessibility and contribute to enhancing the accessibility of the whole system.
  • Ultimately, the real-world test is not how each of the parts conform to a standard, but how all of the parts work together to provide a highly functional system for users.

For Rick’s full article please visit https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/9/accessibility-ensuring-that-edtech-systems-work-together-to-serve-all-students