Tag: accessibility

Digital Media Creator: Spark your creativity with us!

Julian Prior

EdTech and TCDC are excited to announce the upcoming sessions of our Digital Media Creator (DMC) series, tailored specifically for both instructional and non-instructional staff. This enriching series of workshops is designed to immerse you in the world of digital media, helping you become proficient creators and users of engaging, multimodal content. The best part is that you don’t need to be good at art to join in; creativity is for everyone! By participating, you will not only enhance your teaching toolbox but also be in a better position to provide your students with diverse means of expression in their learning, a cornerstone of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

What to Expect?
The DMC series begins with the foundational workshop, Create/Engage/Share: Introduction to Digital Media Creator (Module 1), scheduled for May 3, 2024, online via Zoom. This initial module sets the stage for exploring how digital media like images, audio, and video can transform the learning experience.

Following the introductory session, the series offers several modules, each focusing on a unique aspect of digital media creation:

To participate in these transformative workshops, registration for the Introduction to Digital Media Creator (Module 1) is a prerequisite. This requirement ensures that all participants have a solid foundation from which to explore more advanced topics. You can take as many or as few of the modules as you want after taking Module 1.

Earn a Digital Badge!
Completing at least four of the six modules earns you the DMC Digital Badge, evidence of your commitment and skill in digital media creation.

We invite all Langara instructors and staff to join these workshops. Let’s harness the power of digital media to create more engaging and inclusive educational experiences. Register today and spark your creativity with us!

Featured image generated with DALL-E as part of ChatGPT-4

Digital Practice - a collaborative approach

Build Brightspace Better

Luke McKnight

The Build Brightspace Better workshop series is designed to empower instructors with the knowledge and tools needed to enhance the student experience in Brightspace. This series comprises three engaging workshops. Each workshop is centered on a different aspect of Brightspace and the tools and features available to create a more enriching and accessible learning environment for students.

Session 1 May 6

Optimizing Course Readings

This hands-on workshop explores the Brightspace Reading Lists tool. Leverage library support and technology to seamlessly integrate diverse educational resources, from scholarly books to essential websites, into a singular, user-friendly digital Reading List format. Gain practical experience by curating a Reading List that exemplifies clarity, accessibility, and engagement for your students.

Session 1 registration.

Session 2 May 8

Enhancing Course Design with HTML Templates

In the second workshop learn how to revamp the appearance and structure of your course content. Make content pages that adhere to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility standards (WCAG). No coding required!

This session will explore:

  • The benefits of using templates
  • Using the Brightspace HTML editor
  • How to apply templates to new and existing Brightspace content
  • Incorporating different template elements to create engaging pages

Bring your content and a laptop to create or update Brightspace content live with expert support.

Session 2 registration.

Session 3 May 13

Streamlining Course Navigation for Student Success

The final workshop in our series focuses on ensuring that your students can dedicate more time to learning rather than navigating. This interactive session will empower you to seamlessly integrate strategies that reduce excessive scrolling, clicking, and searching for your students. Together, we’ll work to highlight essential course elements, making content, assignment requirements, and due dates prominent and accessible.

Session 3 registration.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your online course material into dynamic and engaging learning environments that prioritize student success.

Accessibility at Langara College

Improve Digital Accessibility: May Accessibility Workshops

Luke McKnight

EdTech is excited to announce a series of upcoming workshops dedicated to improving the accessibility of Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Why Accessibility Matters

In today’s digital age, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and understand information is crucial. This is where accessibility comes in. It’s about making sure that everyone has equal access to information and functionality.

What Our Workshops Offer

Our workshops are designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge to create accessible Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. We believe that with a little effort and the right guidance, we can make a significant difference in making information more accessible to all.

Who Should Attend

These workshops are for everyone! Whether you’re a content creator, an educator, or just someone looking to learn, these workshops are for you. No prior experience is required.

Let’s Make a Difference Together

By participating in these workshops, not only will you enhance your skills, but you’ll also contribute to a more inclusive and accessible digital world. So why wait? Join us to learn how to make information accessible to all.

Learning Lab: Enhance Accessibility with AI

Date: May 15

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Hybrid (C202 or Zoom)

How to Create Accessible PowerPoint Slide Presentations

Date: May 22

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Hybrid (C202 or Zoom)

Learning Lab: Improve the Accessibility of Existing PowerPoint Slides

Date: May 27

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: C202

Learning Lab: Improve the Accessibility of Existing PowerPoint Slides Drop-In

Date: May 29

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: C202

Using AI to Enhance Accessibility

Luke McKnight

The Langara Accessibility Handbook for Teaching and Learning has a new chapter on AI Generated Alt Text. Generative AI chatbots have rapidly improved their ability to recognize and describe images. CoPilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini have shown to be useful tools to describe images and provide a starting point for writing alternative text (alt text). This new resource explains:

  • How to upload images to CoPilot, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini.
  • Effective prompts to get image descriptions.
  • How to refine output to write effective alt text.
  • What alt text is, when to use it, and how to write it.

In addition to this new resource, EdTech is offering a workshop on using AI to enhance accessibility. Join EdTech on May 15th for this interactive session perfect for anyone creating content using visual elements. Adding alt text to images is essential to creating accessible content. AI can be a useful tool to help start the process of writing alt text and this session will introduce effective tools and prompts.

The session offers a blend of theory and practice, providing hands-on exercises to master the art of crafting prompts that yield precise and useful outcomes. This workshop will equip Langarans with the skills to harness the potential of generative AI, paving the way for accessibility and inclusion. EdTech AI and accessibility experts will be on hand to help. Participants are encouraged to bring visual material that needs alt text.

Register for Enhance Accessibility Using AI today!

Accessibility at Langara College

Accessibility Quick Start Guides

Luke McKnight

The Accessibility Handbook for Teaching and Learning has added quick start guides to help you make content more accessible.

The quick start guides introduce core concepts of digital accessibility in a concise format. The guides preface chapters that expand on and explain the steps necessary to create accessible material in Brightspace, Word, and PowerPoint.

Screenshot of Brightspace Quick Start Guide
Screenshot of Brightspace Quick Start Guide

This latest addition to the Accessibility Handbook includes:

These guides will introduce to the importance of digital accessibility and help you integrate better practices into your content creation workflows.

Inclusive Content Delivery

Luke McKnight

Creating accessible content is important to ensure an inclusive and welcoming experience. What you do with that material is equally important. Enhance your delivery—whether in-person, online, or during conversation—with new Langara resources.

The Accessibility Handbook for Teaching and Learning now has a chapter on Inclusive Content Delivery.

Accessibility Handbook for Teaching and Learning

In this resource find information, tips, and tools to guide you with:

  • Setting up for an in-person, hybrid, or remote session
  • Tips when speaking, presenting, or otherwise delivering content
  • How to consider your audience
  • How to account for disability and diversity
  • Bimodal delivery
  • Creating content that can be reused, remixed, and repurposed

Inclusive content delivery is not only a matter of respect and empathy, but a powerful way to increase the impact and reach of your material. Read Inclusive Content Delivery to learn more about creating inclusive and engaging experiences for everyone.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) Resources

susanbonham
AI generated image of a humanoid robot teacher with a pointer in a classroom, standing in front of a blackboard with equations
Image generated by DALL-E.

Whether you are a superuser or a novice, the number of resources on generative artificial intelligence can be overwhelming. EdTech and TCDC have curated some that we’d like to recommend.

  • How to access Copilot (Microsoft)
    • Interested in trying a generative AI tool or using it in your course? ChatGPT and Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) are currently available in Canada. Langara College students and employees have access to a premium version of Copilot through Microsoft Enterprise and the Edge browser. Microsoft’s FAQs provide information on how to access Copilot through Microsoft Edge. 
  • Practical AI for Instructors and Students (Ethan Mollick/Wharton School, August 2023)
    • If you’re looking for a great primer on AI, this series of five videos is worth the watch. Each video is approximately 10 minutes so the whole series can be viewed in under an hour. Topics include: 1) an introduction to AI; 2) what large language model (LLM) platforms like ChatGPT are and how to start using them; 3) how to prompt AI; 4) how instructors can leverage AI; and 5) how students can use AI.
    • Note: this series references four LLMs: ChatGPT, BingCopilot, Bard, and Claude. Bard and Claude are not yet available in Canada. 
  • AI Primer by Educause
    • This article is a reading (and viewing) list that links to resources that do a deeper dive into generative AI. A good resource for those who know the basics and would like to learn more.  

EdTech and TCDC also regularly offer professional learning opportunities on AI topics. Check the PD Events Calendar for current offerings.

As always, if you’re planning to integrate AI into your course, please be aware that: 

  • There are privacy concerns with AI platforms. We recommend using caution when inputting – or having your students input – private, personal, or sensitive information (e.g. resumes or other identifying data).  
  • For those using assistive technology such as screen readers, some AI platforms are more accessible than others. For more information, please see Accessibility of AI Interfaces by Langara Assistive Technologist, Luke McKnight. 

If you would like more recommendations for AI resources, or any other AI-related support, please contact EdTech or TCDC. 

Accessibility at Langara College

Empowering Accessibility: Register to Join Our Upcoming Workshops

Briana Fraser

EdTech is excited to announce a series of upcoming workshops dedicated to improving the accessibility of Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Why Accessibility Matters

In today’s digital age, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and understand information is crucial. This is where accessibility comes in. It’s about making sure that everyone has equal access to information and functionality.

What Our Workshops Offer

Our workshops are designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge to create accessible Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. We believe that with a little effort and the right guidance, we can make a significant difference in making information more accessible to all.

Who Should Attend

These workshops are for everyone! Whether you’re a content creator, an educator, or just someone looking to learn, these workshops are for you. No prior experience is required.

Let’s Make a Difference Together

By participating in these workshops, not only will you enhance your skills, but you’ll also contribute to a more inclusive and accessible digital world. So why wait? Join us to learn how to make information accessible to all.

Learning Lab: Create an Accessible Word Document

Date: January 19

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: C202

How to Create Accessible PowerPoint Slide Presentations

Date: January 26

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Zoom

Learning Lab: Improve the Accessibility of Existing PowerPoint Slides

Date: February 16

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Location: C202

Learning Lab: Improve the Accessibility of Existing PowerPoint Slides Drop-In

Date: February 20

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: C203

Learning Lab: Create an Accessible Word Document

Date: April 5

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: C202

Brightspace Quiz Accommodation

Luke McKnight

When you have a student that has an “extended time on exams and quizzes” accommodation, there is a single process to set up modified time for every Brightspace quiz.

To set modified time, use the Classlist in Brightspace and the Edit Accommodations feature beside an individual student’s name. Activate Modify Time Limit and then apply a multiplier of original time or add extra time in minutes. These modifications will apply to that student for the duration of the course.

For more detailed instructions, consult Setting up Quiz Accommodations on the Brightspace Instructor Help site or view the self-directed mini-course on Brightspace Accommodations.

To allow a student or group to write an exam or submit an assignment on a different day, use Special Access.

The Accommodation tool is one of many Brightspace features designed to manage your workload and assist your students. Visit Langara’s Brightspace Instructor Help site for more!

Accessibility Teaching Practices at Langara College

Accessibility of AI Interfaces

Luke McKnight
EdTech Home » Blog » accessibility

The rapid spread of AI tools like ChatGPT and Bing have consumed the attention of educators, students, and researchers. Since the explosion of AI tools in late-2022, we have researched, read about, and attended events in an attempt to understand the dangers and opportunities of AI. One topic missing from the deluge of information is the accessibility of AI interfaces to users of assistive technology.

To augment this gulf, Langara’s assistive technologist tested 9 AI interfaces with automated testing tools and assistive technology.

Learn more about the evaluation process, results of testing, and recommendations on which AI tools are more accessible to users of assistive technology, read Accessibility of AI Interfaces.

For further discussion, comments, or questions please contact assistivetech@langara.ca.