BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN DISTANCE LEARNING

Students with disabilities suffer from a digital divide in many distance
learning programs.  Schools and colleges have been rushing headlong into
distance learning to keep up with the competition, and frequently, the
needs of students with disabilities have been neglected.  Fortunately, this
is being rapidly rectified.

Barrier-free E-learning is a month-long, online course that provides a
systematic overview of what needs to be done to provide a level learning
space.  This requires support from many different campus groups:
administrators, computer support staff, student support staff, disabled
student services staff, instructional designers, librarians, faculty, ADA
officers and more.
Syllabus at http://easi.cc/workshops/bfel.htm

The course is given entirely online and is taught by an experienced
instructor, Norman Coombs, Ph.D.  He has been teaching online for a decade.
 He has taught for EASI, Rochester Institute of Technology, New School for
Social Research, University of Washington, San Diego State University and
University of Southern Maine.  He has received awards for this work from
the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Zenith, the
American Library Association, the Association for Higher Education and
Disabilities and the California State University Northridge Center on
Disabilities.  Coombs' web page is http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh

The major courseware management systems have all made significant progress
in becoming accessible platforms.  However, it takes much more than
accessible courseware to provide accessible online learning just as it
takes more than accessible buildings to provide accessible instruction on
campus.  The course content and the course presentation need to be designed
with accessibility in mind.  The administration needs to provide adequate
support to faculty who are the ones to deliver the instruction.  Other
support staff need to be ready to provide direct support to the students.
In short, it takes a campus-wide commitment to provide the kind of level
learning space to let students with disabilities truly compete with their
piers.  Schools and universities have the opportunity to provide the most
equal educational setting that has ever been available for this population.



------------------------
                EASI August Courses http://easi.cc/workshop.htm
Beginner Barrier-free Web Design
Barrier-free E-learnig
Business Benefits of Accessible IT Design...            .

                Norman Coombs
CEO EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
                (949) 922-5992 (cell)


-----------------------
Check out the EASI web:
http://www.rit.edu/~easi
Check EASI Courses and Clinics
To sign off this list
send e-mail to [log in to unmask] saying
signoff easi