• Educators must believe that they are responsible for teaching every child
• Educators must teach students how to access tools and then allow them the access
• Educators must give up that position of power to allow students the freedom to do what they need to be successful

I can’t do justice to Lisa’s blog, by describing it again here.  I urge you (parents, teachers, administrators, school board members…) to read her post. If you have already read it, forward it to your peers, and your school board.

Today,  I wanted to call attention to some resources for UDL content tools. First,  the amazing UDL Toolkit site. This site is a massive resource of content tools, fact sheets, guidelines, etc. that help to facilitate the universal design of learning content.  The creators of this site are teachers, Karen Janowski and Joyce Kasman Valenza, PhD.

I happened upon this site some time ago, but hadn’t really spent much time there until I began pondering summer learning activities for my son, who will soon complete  kindergarten. Upon revisiting this site a few days ago, I realized what an excellent repository this is. Many thanks to Karen, Joyce and all of the wiki’s contributors for making this site possible.

In addition to learning more about the tools in that wiki, I also discovered this blog entry by Ira Socal which describes 10 UDL tools that are freely available.

And of course, there are great tools available from CAST, the UDL mothership. At the CAST site you’ll find tools that will enable you to create digital books, provide scaffolding to your students’ learning, or to check your curriculum to promote flexibility in your learning materials.

Over the weekend I endeavored to write new blog post on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the framework developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) to reach all learners. My intended focus was how to persuade schools/districts to embrace more flexibility in the design of curricula and the delivery of learning materials, in accordance with UDL’s core principles of providing for:

• Multiple means of representation, to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
• Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know,
• Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners’ interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.

Over the years, I have approached UDL from several different angles. I discovered UDL in my graduate studies in educational technology, and I have several years of experience in content management, thus there was an immediate professional appeal to me.

Second, I am also a tax payer.  While I recognize that budgets are tight, my feeling is that there is plenty of education money being egregiously spent by all levels of government. My personal opinion is that some funds could be reallocated toward resources that improve learning for all, while mitigating behavioral issues and other distractions.

My most important reason for having such a strong opinion on UDL, and educational reform in general: I am the parent of a highly-intelligent boy ( maybe a little “too smart” as the saying goes) who is already “checked out.” He is in kindergarten. Thus, student engagement is a deeply personal issue in my household.

I do find some comfort in the fact UDL’s tide is starting to rise in the education world. This is evidenced by the following:

• UDL framework language is included in technology plans of several states (Michigan among them).
• Inclusion of UDL courses and teaching certificates in the curriculum at major universities, (Grand Valley State in my neck of the woods)
• Legislation in states such as Maryland has mandated incorporation of UDL into the general curriculum plans
• David Rose, PhD, co-founder of the Center for Applied Special Technology (creator of UDL) was a lead author of the most recent US Educational Technology plan

Note: one thing that struck me about the Tech Plan was that there no mention of Microsoft or Apple (or IBM or specific educational publishers…) There were 65 mentions of student engagement.

So over the weekend (full of motivation and caffeine) I  bellied up to my laptop….and stared at the screen. As I thought about UDL in the classroom, I began to realize, that despite the research and the top-down activity by states/provinces and the national governments, change absolutely had to come from the bottom-up. That is, this had to be a teacher-led movement.

As a classroom “outsider” I struggled to find examples of teachers who had taken the initiative to implement UDL framework and could describe (better than I ) what a UDL classroom would look like. I was having some difficulty finding examples of such, my frustration was evident by my salty language.

As fate would have it, after a few minutes of uttering cuss words, Twitter seemed to sense my frustrations and made me aware of a brand-new blog posting by an elementary school teacher,  who so eloquently described what I couldn’t. Certainly this had to be an answer to my “swears.”

If you are a teacher, student, parent, administrator, taxpayer, I urge you to read this wonderful blog post on UDL in classroom. In addition to merely describing teaching practices and materials, it makes important points on change management (“Educators must give up that position of power…”).

I will be writing more about UDL from my view as an educational technologist (and a content manager, a parent…) in the near future.  In the meantime, I urge you (as parent, administrator, taxpayer, Secretary of Education)  to read Lisa’s blog on UDL from the classroom teacher’s perspective.

…a few billion dollars here, a few trillion dollars there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

Please see my article on the business case for a content accessibility strategy..

A Plea For Your Patience

Please bear with me. This blog is about content management, though due to references to education, architecture, etc.,  I must ask that content-management practitioners suspend disbelief for at least a few paragraphs. It should become evident on why the Universal Design of Content is important to you.

Mr. Smith Goes To Kalamazoo

Several years ago, I entered a graduate program in educational technology in which I chose special education as my minor. Due to my background in publishing and Web consulting, I became enchanted (obsessed) with server-side solutions for the delivery of learning materials in accessible formats. A key point was that the assistive devices should be place a minimal cost-burden on the end user. I later termed this criterion, “The Best Buy Test”.

Discovering Universal Design

Early on, I learned about the principles of universal design (rooted in architecture) for planning planning physical environments. The key premise of universal design is that products, environments, (’stuff’ in general) should be designed in a manner that benefits all users. There are numerous occurrences of design that accommodates users with disabilities, but are commonly used by the general populations. An example is the curb cut in a sidewalk. This was conceived to provide access to wheelchair users, but is also beneficial to bicyclists and parents pushing stroller and many other users.

UDL

I had just  started pondering the universal design framework for delivery of content when I became acquainted with the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), a Boston-area research organization that had developed an educational framework known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

CAST’s neurological research has shown that learning occurs in three primary networks in the brain:

Recognition networks
This is where we gather facts. We identify and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author’s style are recognition tasks. This the “what” of learning.

Strategic networks
How  we plan and perform tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks. This the “how” of learning.

Affective networks
How they are challenged, excited, or interested in learning… are dimension of affective learning. This is the “why” we learn.

Furthermore, CAST saw that traditional educational practices placed a heavy burden on the learners to adapt to the content.

Thus, in the spirit of the universal design,  CAST developed the Universal Design for Learning framework. CAST’s  findings were  that in order for content  to benefit the greatest number of learners,  then learning materials should adhere to  three primary principles :

Multiple means of representation to give diverse learners options for acquiring information and knowledge (“What” ).

Multiple means of action and expression to provide learners options for demonstrating what they know (“How”)

Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners’ interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation (“Why”).

That’s Nice But Why Are You Telling Me This?

If these learning  principles above don’t immediately seem relevant to your organization, then swap the word “learners” with a term  (employees, constituents, customers…) that is more appropriate  to your context.

Now you have the beginning of a universally-designed content strategy. Is your content universally designed?

Is your content available in multiple formats?

• Have you ever looked at your content?  No really, have you looked at in a browser besides Internet Exlorer? Or without your glasses?
• Have you ever viewed your content on a smart phone? What about a smartphone of different platform?
• Have you ever clicked on an interesting link and found yourself in an area that was not in your native language?
• With the release iPad a few days ago, there are over 1/4 million new copies of Safari out in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice if these users could access your content?

Are there multiple means by which your users can act on the content?

• If you’re selling widgets, is it clear to the users on how they can buy those widgets?
• The shopping cart is just a click away, but what if the consumers want to actually speak to a sales person? Will the users be able locate a phone number, or a chat window?
• What if the customer prefers “try before they buy” ? Are locations for physical stores and resellers going to be clear to them?

Are you engaging your customers?

• Every moment of the day there is an opportunity for a user to be enticed away from your content; are you doing enough to ensure that users gravitate toward your content?
• Is you content compelling enough that users will return to it?
• It is possible to learn without being engaged (penmanship class?), but who wants to learn that way?

Going Forward

If you can honestly say that your content strategy includes “the multiple means” (of representation, expression and engagement) then congratulations, go have a long lunch and enjoy the spring weather! When you return get to thee to a whiteboard and think about how you can reach more users and how you can do so more effectively.

If you’re content strategy does not include “the multiple means,” then you also need to post up in front of a white board, digital collaborative space, etc and start thinking about your goals for you organization’s content.

• Where is the coffee?
• I think I mentioned that I drink coffee; where is the bathroom?
• Any peanut allergies here? (If so, I am prepared to eat my snacks outside, shivering alongside the smokers)
• Is this thing that I’m working on backed up?
• Where can I find Post-It Notes?

It turns out that, yes, their thing was being backed up. Their particular thing is a forthcoming re-lease of their public Web site. Good thing, too; let’s just say I have a history.

I remember what happened on previous projects when I didn’t ask all those questions.  Like the time I located the coffee, but found myself lost in an unfamiliar building, seemingly miles from a bathroom.

Or the time I deleted a client’s SharePoint portal (forever) within 1/2 hour of joining the project.

About a year ago, I learned something intriguing about SharePoint. You can delete a site collection from WITHIN that site collection. I know this, because I accidentally did this upon starting the project.

My client had asked about a styling problem. He asked that I not touch the current style sheet because people were going to be reviewing the site that day. So to work beneath their radar, I created a sub site–three levels down in the hieararchy–to do some testing.

I soon learned that the problem was actually with a mal-formed custom layout template and took the following steps:

1. Informed my client of the issue
2. Fixed the problem on the layout template
3. Applied my changes
4. Performed a quick round of QA
5. Deleted my 3rd-level test site, in SharePoint Manage Content and Structure view

Actually……I deleted the top-level site–the site collection–and subsequently EVERYTHING that lay beneath. Buh-Bye, sub-sites, document libraries, calendars…..

I asked my client who was taking care of the SharePoint backups and was given some phone numbers of DBAs and system administrators. The answers to my question about backups  were reminiscent of that  recurring  Family Circus theme when the parents asked “Who did this?” and received one of these answers from the children:

• “Not Me”
• “Ida Know”

No backup. All the content that had been there at 8:00 am that day was gone by 8:25. My fingerprints were all over the mouse button that clicked the “OK” button in the dialogue box to authorize the deletion.

My colleague, who had been with the project for a few weeks, was able to recreate the few changes he had made to the cascading style sheet and layout templates fairly quickly.  A bigger problem was ressurecting the SharePoint libraries and lists.

My client recognized that it wasn’t my fault that the sites were not being backed up. Still, I felt like a dolt, not just because I whacked the site collection (could happen to anybody) but because I didn’t ask about backups. Bad business analyst! BAD!

I’ve since taken the won’t-get-fooled again approach. In subsequent projects, I recognized that I need to enquire about backups BEFORE touching the site (and after ensuring continuity of caffeination).

(In the interest in of full disclosure, I should mention that I believe myself to be the composer of “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” at least that is the legend I am perpetuating).

Be safe!

Will Quark for Food

I started with some clip art (pensive guy at computer)  that was available in a Hypercard stack. Every thing else–glasses, nose, beard, speech bubble, was done with Quark Xpress objects. Vector illustrations, clipping paths, filters…for lightweights.

Within a few days, I landed a lengthy  gig, eventually a full-time position at what  is now one of the largest ad agencies in the world, which was located next to Howard’s the coolest little bar in Chicago.

Note, I don’t live at that address anymore, not sure if the resident is interested in holiday cards.

The Larger Issue
I am in my mid 40’s, and wear progressive lenses (polite word for bifocals) which provide me with otherwise, pretty good vision. I can make out the ingredients list on most food packages, I’m usually befuddled by contents on pharmaceuticals.

While the inabiliy to read packaging is a chronic annoyance, it does presents huge levels of risk when dosage levels, or allergies are concerned. Why are we allowing such a violation of usability principles when there are such potentially dire consequence?

That is the question I have asked myself every cold and flu season and sometimes spent a few moments mapping out potential solutions. Then I’d get distracted–the cat had a hairball, or there’s a good rerun of “Seinfeld” on cable–you know the feeling.

People-Compliant Content
I am former ad guy, working on a graduate degree in educational technology with a minor in special ed. Thus, it’s been something of a crusade of mine to explore accessibility options in all forms of communication.

I believe that the focus of assistive technology should be geared to allowing for flexible content that can be more easily adapted for the needs of the end user. In short, content should be designed such that it is people-compliant. Traditional print vehicles present and accessibility challenge because they are fixed and lack flexibility.

Death of Print Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Despite what you may heard about the decline of newspapers, print is not dead. Until we get to a point where digital product labels are practical, we live with printed labels that are fixed, crowded and hard to read. Print is not especially people-compliant, thus necessitating the need for assistive technology.

Affordable Assistive Devices
My view is that assistive hardware should pass the “Best Buy test” That is, content should be accessible on devices (personal computers, cell phones, etc.) that you are likely to be found in many homes. This relieves the burden of the user with disability from having to spring for a costly specialized device.

With regard to packaging-usability, I had been toying with some assistive technology scenarios for making packaging more accessible, beginning with RFID technology.

I soon realized many problems with RFID, but most importantly: I would fail the Best Buy test. A consumer-grade RFID scanner? Every see one of those at Best Buy? I eventually circled back to optical-recognition. Most cell phones already had cameras, why couldn’t the phones become scanners?

I have recently learned that the solution has probably been been gathering around me in the development of apps for “smartphones.” All this, while I muddle through the days with “intellectually-challenged phone” (funny that we now complain when the phone ‘only’ has a video camera, calendar, calculator… on it).

Phones That See
As a dumphone user, I had to be made aware of 21st century technology by my printed edition of Newsweek. In the article, I learned about an innovative company , Occipital, that has developed the means of turning an iPhone into a barcode scanner for the purpose of comparison shopping and nutritional planning.

I also learned that they have developed another application that will scan a bar code and compare it against a database of 200,000 products for nutritional planning.
Yesterday, I learned of a Google’s mobile phone app for reading barcodes.

How Can These Solutions Promote Accessibility?
As they used to say in the Six Million Dollar Man, “We have the technology.” Though it’s unclear what these companies are planning in the area of accessibility with their applications.

In looking at my original problem statement, in light of this smartphone technology, the question becomes how do we leverage existing technology to make inflexible media (such as packaging) more accessible to consumers?

Here is a high-level description, of what the smartphones could offer:

• A consumer would to be able to use a device that will allow the consumer to understand the composition, and risks of what is contained inside the package. Real simply: a user would be given option to view/hear dosage level, disclaimers and ingredients in enlarged text, or audio-video formats.
• A consumer should be able to set up a profile that will be able to compare their needs, or restrictions, against specific ingredients in packaged foods or drugs. For example: if my profile shows that I am allergic to peanuts I should be able to know immediately if a product contains peanuts (ingredients) or if there is risk to exposure to peanuts during the manufacturing process (disclaimer).
• A consumer should have the ability to see, or hear, the ingredients, dosages and disclaimer in languages other than the one in which packaging is written.

Benefits to the consumer
Well, being able to read package with the intent of avoiding lethal dosages, or allergic reactions is enough for me.

Moving forward
The technology is here, though there is still much to ponder:

• What are other opportunities are there to make print vehicle more accessible? I can think of a few. (Don’t limit the thinking to UPC, there are other types of barcodes. And while you’re at it, don’t limit the thinking to barcodes. Think about character- and picture-recognition opportunities as well).
• What non-technical challenges (information architecture, content management, training…) lie ahead? I can think of a lot, though the payoff will be well worth it.