[d2l-consortium] Meeting summary, D2L Consortium teleconference, February 16, 2007

[Ken Petri]

Meeting Summary, D2L Consortium, February 16, 2007, 2 PM EST

Attendees

* Janna Cameron (D2L)
* Joe Wheaton (OSU)
* Sandra Earl (D2L)
* Don Amos (Pellissippi State)
* Mark Felix (U. of Arizona)
* Ivan Leblanc (D2L)
* Ken Petri (OSU, scribe)

Next Meeting/Future Meetings

* Friday, March 2, 2007, 2 PM EST (Call in information to be arranged.
OSU will try to host next teleconference)
* Note: From now on, we will set regular meetings every two weeks. The
next five are: March 2, March 16, March 30, April 13, April 27. Note
that this seems to be okay with OSU's academic calendar (since end of
finals week is March 16),, but if other schools have problems meeting
any of these, we can adjust.

Action Items

* Matrix evaluations of the D2L views already set up are to be
completed or close to complete by March 2, the next D2L Consortium
teleconference. Currently Ken and Mark are the main reviewers.

Meeting Summary

1. Review of chapter from "Teaching with D2L Guide" for instructors.

-- Don: Would be nice if there were more information on how to lay out
a course for maximum accessibility; browser set up and/or preferences,
organization of content, etc.
-- Ken: PDF: note that it should be tagged (could be links into the
Acrobat help system, if that is adequate). Might also be information
on linking to things such a PowerPoint (which can't be understood in a
browser by a screen reader). And perhaps other forms of presentation
output (HTML export tools, such as the UIUC "Wizard".
-- Sandra: Should information on browser set up and AT configuration
be in the regular "teaching with d2l guide" document or should it be
in a student/learner manual. Consensus was that a student manual is
the better place for most of that information.
-- Sandra: where should stuff on the administrative level go? For
example, limitations with the software and particular AT? Should it go
on a know issues list or in a VPAT?. Consensus was that stuff oriented
toward (future and current) administrators and course designers should
into a VPAT.
-- Ken: would it be helpful to link from within the "teaching guide"
to more detailed information, especially on more complex issues, such
as how to lay out a table for accessibility (THs, caption, summary,
etc.). For less complex examples, right in the document will work. For
example, with ALT attributes for images. A couple simple "bad" v.
"good" examples should suffice.
-- Joe: Instruction on using the HTML editor would be good, but most
people I know just create the HTML in another environment and paste it
in. Agree that you can't be in the business of providing training on
3rd-party products (like Dreamweaver, etc.)

2. Linking to a high-contrast style sheet. Ken recommends modeling on
Gez Lemon's (juicystudio.com) high-contrast style sheet. Gould pilot a
style switcher and then get some community input. With a complicated
application, it may be difficult to linearize the content with a
user-designed stylesheet and it is best if the D2L application itself
has the ability to display a high-contrast stylesheet and linearized
layout. Will need to test to see whether it makes sense to have "high
contrast" icons (large and contrasty) or just to replace icons with
text.

3. Update on page-by-page reviews.
   a. Due dates for these? March 2 for currently allocated views.
   b. Competencies: not implemented at OSU, Mark will take some of the
top-level tools, if he can find time.
   c. FAQs: may be able to offer that to people (Janna). There were no
takers yet. Write to Janna to volunteer.


Until next time!
ken
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  Ken Petri
  Director, OSU Web Accessibility Center
  102 Pomerene Hall
  1760 Neil Avenue
  Columbus, Ohio  43210
  (614) 292-1760
  mailto:petri.1 at osu.edu
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