Creating An Accessible And Usable Website For Blind Users

Introduction The web accessibility and usability are the preparation of creating websites that are usable by internet users of all capabilities including those users with screen readers. The implementation of this aspect is often mistreated by web developers or surrendered for more original designs. A web designer needs to first understand the preparation of creating an accessible and usable website and give a clear object of the potential internet users their website should attract. Also, the web Accessibility and usability as a preparation can be implemented at different points of detail and this report will examine to understand the necessary requirements of creating an accessible and usable website. The way in which the blind users†¦show more content†¦This report would be valuable to web designers who would like to discover areas that may be mistreated within their own design techniques and how they may consider implementing such methods. additionally, a variety of related literatures were reviewed in order to complete and to further understand the context of the HTML usability and accessibility for the Blind users. The main referred literatures and the key words are How does designing a website using html change when developing usability rather than visual usability and What are the options for improving usability using html to develop websites for the blind. The reviews and literatures were associated to the academic of the development of usabilit y in HTML for blind internet users. In order to carry out the literature research, different online databases have been utilised such as the University of Wolverhampton Library, books, Web Accessibility guidelines, E-books, journals and many more. 1.2 Research Strategy A research strategy is the plan for any researcher to complete the required research. The main research strategies could include experimentation, reviews or case studies (Gomm, 2009). The chosen research approach for this report is the website design usability using HTML for blind user’s case study. The most important benefits of using case study are including the detailed comments

Young Learners English Fingerplay Songs

Fingerplays - Learning Through MovementHere are a number of English fingerplay songs which combine movements of the hands and fingers with key vocabulary. The act of singing and acting out on the fingers children make both a kinetic and musical connection to the new words, also known as a  multiple intelligences approach  to learning.  Fingerplays are usually chanted, although some songs also have movements which are in parentheses after each spoken line. Three Little Monkeys Three Little Monkeys can have as many verses as you like to  practice the numbers. Here are the last two verses as examples. Verse 1 Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,  (tap three fingers on palm) One fell off and bumped is head.  (one finger falls off, then hold head) Mama called the doctor and the doctor said:  (hold imaginary telephone to your ear) No more little monkeys jumping on the bed.  (shake finger) Verse 2 Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,  (tap three fingers on palm) One fell off and bumped is head.  (one finger falls off, then hold head) Mama called the doctor and the doctor said:  (hold imaginary telephone to your ear) No more little monkeys jumping on the bed.  (shake finger) Little Bunny Foo-Foo Verse 1 Little bunny Foo-Foo hopping through the forest  (raise your hand up and down as if hopping along through the forest) Scooping up the chipmunks and bopping them on the head.  (pound fist into palm) Down came the good fairy and she said:  (drop shaking hand from above to below) Little bunny Foo-Foo, I dont want to see you  (shake finger) Scooping up the chipmunks and bopping them on the head  (raise your hand up and down as if hopping along through the forest) Ill give you three chances,  (raise three fingers) And if youre not good, Ill turn you into a goon.  (raise both hands up into the sky and shake them as if frightened) Verse 2 So, the very next day...(repeat except the fairy Godmother says two chances) Verse 3 So, the very next day...(repeat except the fairy Godmother says one chance) Final Moral The moral of this story is: Hare today, Goon Tomorrow!(play on words of the common saying: Here today, gone tomorrow) Clap Your Hands 1 Clap, clap, clap your hands as slowly as you can.  (clap your hands slowly) Clap, clap, clap your hands as quickly as you can.  (clap your hands quickly) 2 Shake, shake, shake your hands as slowly as you can.  (shake your hands slowly) Shake, shake, shake your hands as quickly as you can.  (shake your hands quickly) 3 Rub, rub, rub your hands as slowly as you can.  (rub your hands slowly) Rub, rub, rub your hands as quickly as you can.  (rub your hands quickly) 4 Roll, roll, roll your hands as slowly as you can.  (roll your hands slowly) Roll, roll, roll your hands as quickly as you can.  (roll your hands quickly) Tips for Teaching Fingerplay Songs Write key vocabulary for each song on the board. Practice each movement, and check for understanding.Model the song a few times yourself. Dont be shy!Have students contribute other movements to Clap Your HandsHave different students lead the class in the songs once theyve learned the songs by heart.Ask students to create their own songs.Use  grammar chants  to help students learn simple grammar structures.

Ethical Dilemma And Ethical Dilemmas Essay - 1889 Words

Ethical dilemmas often arise in the work place due to standards, rules, and guidelines. According to Allen (2012) â€Å"There are three conditions that must be present for a situation to be considered an ethical dilemma The first condition occurs in situations when an individual must make a decision about which course of action is best. The second condition for ethical dilemma is that there must be different courses of action to choose from. Third, in an ethical dilemma, no matter what course of action is taken, some ethical principle is compromised. In other words, there is no perfect solution† (para, 3). Social workers are guided by a code of ethics; these standards are what hold social workers accountable for professional practice. The code helps to guide a social worker through an ethical dilemma to know what is expected in the profession and what is not. In this paper I will critically analyze an ethical dilemma about confidentiality in professional practice in this dile mma we are stuck with the decision do we address the issue of the potential breach of confidentiality by your friend or do you take her words and actions as an alright solution to the issue. In the first part I will provide my interpretation of the dilemma, my analysis of the topic, the position of social work and the impact of social work. In the second part I will provide my personal position, what I learned, and the impact on personal practice. The social work community prides itself on confidentialityShow MoreRelatedEthical Dilemmas Of The Workplace1538 Words   |  7 Pages1. Discuss an ethical dilemma that you have had to face in the workplace. Ethical dilemmas often occur when a manager or an employee is faced with two or more conflicting choices. Give as many facts and details as possible in describing your dilemma. The most difficult ethical dilemma I have dealt with was a summer job I had this past summer, while I was working for a bakery in my hometown. This past particular summer really tested what I believe is right and wrong and how to speak up. One of myRead MoreEthical Dilemmas Of The Workplace1291 Words   |  6 PagesEthical Dilemmas in the Workplace As a manager, you are the role model for staff. You set the standards, adhere to guidelines, and exemplify what you expect staff to model. By doing so, you are establishing and sustaining an organizational culture of ethics and integrity, which is the backbone of all successful endeavors. However, even the best structured organizations face ethical dilemmas in the workplace. It is how management recognizes and addresses these occurrences that will either set themRead MoreEthical Dilemma Assignment1766 Words   |  8 PagesCONSENT FORM Thank you for being willing to take part in this interview exploring ethical conflict or turbulence. I would like to transcribe the content of this interview to form a written document to be submitted to Sheffield Hallam University as a piece of assessed piece of coursework. It is important that you only take part in this interview if you want to. As such I would be delighted if you would complete and sign this confidentiality questionnaire prior to the interview taking place. (i)Read MoreCase Analysis : Ethical Dilemma1318 Words   |  6 PagesTitle of Paper: Ethical Dilemma One INTRODUCTION Mrs. Smith, is an 81-year-old widow. She has been widowed for over twenty years. She has been very independent with some assistance from neighbors due to her son living out of the area and unable to assist. Recently, she has had issues with her independence. She has set two accidental fires that caused damages to her apartment, as well as had a recent fall in the bathtub. These issues have gained her son’s attention which has led him to requestRead MoreEthical Dilemma at Workplace Essay1192 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Introduction – What is an ethical dilemma? Ethics is the term we give to our concern for good behavior.   It is human nature to not only be concerned with our own personal well being, but also that of others and of human society as a whole.   The difference between moral dilemmas and ethical ones, philosophers say, is that in moral issues the choice is between right and wrong.   In ethical ones, the choice is between two rights. Everyday Im faced with decisions of right and wrong, most of whichRead Moret Types of ethical dilemmas Mastery67Questions123Materials Essay2477 Words   |  10 PagesTypes of ethical dilemmas Mastery 67% Questions 1 2 3 Materials on the concept: Typical Moral Dilemmas Confronting Business Communicators Ethics and Law for Management Communication Top of Form 1. As part of an effort to hire younger workers, a multinational organization assures applicants that they will get to visit its offices in other countries and work with the employees there. However, only two out of every nine workers actually get selected for such projects. What moral dilemma best fitsRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemmas of Collecting Data and the Consequential Revision of Commodities, Culture and the Politics of Representations Definitions 1751 Words   |  7 Pagesinformation or data has become assets to companies, being regarded as property to be bought and sold to between companies. However, this has put forward the following primary ethical dilemmas surrounding human rights: the right to informed consent and the right to personal data. In addition to the creation of ethical dilemmas, the collection of human data has brought about a need for a revision of definitions. Commodities are known as a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be boughtRead More Will the Real Lupe Garza Please Stand Up? Essay1216 Words   |  5 PagesAn ethical dilemma is defined as a moral issue, where a situation has two equivalent undesirable alternatives and neither choice will resolve the ethical predicament. Lupe Garza, mother of two children, is a temporary employee at a plant. Garza is an excellent and talented worker, and supervisors have taken notice in her skills. A human resource specialist named Sara Jones, mislead Garza in thinking she would unquestionably obtain a permanent job position at the plant, causing Garza to turn downRead MoreThe Ethical Principles Of Respect For Autonomy984 Words   |  4 Pagesthe nurse to administer blood despite Mark’s refusal. This situation presents an ethical dilemma to the health professionals involved in Mark’s care. The ethical dilemma is whether to uphold his decision not to receive the blood and therefore risk his life or give him the blood to save his life despite knowing his religious status and beliefs. There are several ethical principles involved in this scenario. The ethical principles of respect for Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence, Veracity and FidelityRead MoreDuty to Warn Essays1522 Words   |  7 PagesDuty t o Warn Jessica Hall PSYCH/545 09/4/2011 Dr. P. Duty to Warn The ethical dilemma I wish to explore is The Duty to Warn. This refers to the duty of a counselor, therapist to breach one of the most important bonds between a client and a therapist; the law of confidentiality. The therapist has the right to break confidentiality without the fear of being brought up for legal action. If the therapist believes that the client poses a danger, or is a threat to himself, someone else, or society

Should Prostitution Be Legalized - 1600 Words

Prostitution has been one of the oldest professions of all time. So should it be legal? When it comes to the topic of prostitution, a lot of people will readily agree that it is â€Å"wrong† for moral reasons and or religious beliefs. People will also argue that prostitution is in the bible stating it is wrong, but not everyone has the same beliefs and others do not believe in God. Everyone has different opinions and mindsets towards it. Where this agreement usually ends, however is with the question, if Prostitution be legalized. Some are convinced that it should not be legalized because it is considered sexual harassment, rape, battering, domestic violence, a violatation of human rights, childhood sexual abuse and many other reasons. Whereas others maintain that it should be legalized for many reasons such as it will reduce violence against women, it will make sex workers healthier, it is also a victim less crime and they can be a source of tax revenue. Plus, believe it or n ot, prostitution is not going away anytime soon. I agree with prostitution being legalized. Some women are forced into prostitution, It will also regulate human trafficking and it will make the streets safer. Now-a-days there is debate on why prostitution should be legalized. It should be legalized and treated as if it were to be any other job. They can also give the workers access to social security and health benefits, and they would be able to also regulate their places and terms of employment. OnShow MoreRelatedShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1406 Words   |  6 PagesProstitution is one of the largest controversial issue facing the United States. The definition of prostitution, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, is the act or practice of engaging in sexual relations especially for the money. Prostitution has been constantly bashed by the media and is currently legal in only one state. In this state, only one county has banned prostitution. Why is it illegal? What is wrong with prostitution that has made it illegal? These are the important questions thatRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1048 Words   |  5 PagesWalker May,15,2015 Should prostitution be legalized? Most of us have heard of prostitution and the controversial opinions of people whether it should be legalized or not. The fact is that prostitution has been practiced for many years regardless of its legality. As defined in the dictionary prostitution is the exchange of sex for money. Out of the 50 states in the U.S., Nevada is the only states were prostitution is legal. On the other hand, in some European countries prostitution is not illegal andRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1111 Words   |  5 PagesProstitution has been around for a very long time. There has been great debates over the last few decades about prostitution law reform. It is accepted by some, denied by others, or just forbidden. Prostitution is that one thing that people do and does not get brought up for discussion after the fact. It is what some people call dirty and distasteful. But prostitution whether legalized or not will continue to happen. I will argue that prostitution should be legalized becaus e it would bring more benefitRead MoreShould Prostitution be Legalized?1658 Words   |  7 PagesProstitution is an issue that has been debated in many countries. 22 countries have legalized prostitution. In the United States, prostitution is only legal in 11 rural counties in Nevada. It used to be legal in Rhode Island due to a loophole, but since 2009, it has been illegal. Women are not the only ones who are prostitutes, about 20 to 30% of prostitutes are male, which means both genders are affected by laws against prostitution. Men and women should be allowed to choose how they want to useRead MoreProstitution Should Be Legalized?1072 Words   |  5 PagesProstitution in America Some consider prostitution to be evil, sin incarnated. They believe that the act of fornication with an unknown and unloved person is unholy and should be punishable. They may believe that those who are prostitutes are not human, but instead creatures that have given into their most primal lust. To give into the carnal temptation of sex, and to resolve it through means that are not considered normal, sentences one to eternal damnation. Or so some believe, and I respect theirRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1663 Words   |  7 PagesDecriminalizing prostitution in the United States will be a hazard to the nation. Prostitution has been often called one of the oldest jobs in the world. However, it has been illegal in nearly all societies throughout history. Currently, there have been various countries where prostitution has been legalized by the government, allowing people over eighteen year olds to work as prostitutes legally. Nonetheless, those countries have had several neg ative effects following the legalization of prostitution. NeverthelessRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1725 Words   |  7 PagesProstitution Should Be Legalized Some say prostitution is the world s oldest profession. Yet, only a small percentage of the world’s government allows it. The legalization of prostitution is a very controversial topic due to many people’s moral beliefs. Prostitutes all over the world are treated as outcasts. A reason for people to be against prostitution could be due to their religious beliefs, moral standpoints, or lack of knowledge over the subject. Many religions state that sex outside of marriageRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1188 Words   |  5 PagesShould Prostitution be legalized? Prostitution is defined as the engaging in, or agreeing to engage in, sexual conduct for a fee. Women are pushed into entering prostitution for many reasons including lack of education, poverty, and personal choice. Prostitution is currently illegal, but there is much controversy surrounding this issue. Picture in your mind this scenario: Jane is a 26 year old single woman who makes her living working the streets as a prostitute. She is clean, and is tested regularlyRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1411 Words   |  6 PagesShould prostitution be Legalized? Whether or not prostitution should be legalized is, for some, a morally plagued question. The value society puts on sex can directly affect whether or not legalization will be considered. Even within Europe there is a drift. While France has banned prostitution it is legal in Germany, and has been since 2002. Is France morally outstanding, or is there something more to prostitution then what generally thought? The legalization of prostitution will affect many otherRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1537 Words   |  7 PagesProfessor Petretto English 111 15 Nov. 2016 Should Prostitution be Legalized? Prostitution has been and may always be one of the most controversial topics in the United States. While there are some who argue that prostitution should be legalized, others do not agree with this theory. Some advocates argue that prostitution is a victimless crime and that it should be a decision that one chooses on his or her own. They also believe that the legalization of prostitution will minimize crime, increase tax revenue

Red Badge Of Courage (1368 words) Essay Example For Students

Red Badge Of Courage (1368 words) Essay Red Badge Of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage, by Steven Crane, has been proclaimed one of thegreatest war novels of all time. It is a story that realistically depicts theAmerican Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy whodecides to become a soldier. Henry, who is fighting for the Union, is verydetermined to become a hero, and the story depicts Henrys voyage from being ayoung coward, to a brave man. This voyage is the classic trip from innocence toexperience. The story starts out with a heated debate between the soldiers. Oneboy had heard a rumor that the regiment would be moving on to fight a battle thenext day. Some of the soldiers agree with this boy, while others think thattheir regiment will never partake in a real battle. While watching thisargument, Henry, the protagonist, decides that he would rather go lay down andthink rather then take part in the heated argument between the soldiers. Henry,a simple farm boy, is rather excited when he hears the rum or that they will befighting soon. It had always been a dream of his to fight in a war, and become ahero, and now his dream was coming true. Henry begins to think about what lifewas like before he entered the army, and remembers the stories of war he hasheard from old veterans. This flashback is very effective in showing how hisprevious experiences have affected his thoughts on war now. It is blatantlyobvious that he is afraid that he will not be able to withstand the pressures ofa battle. He keeps telling himself that if he wants to become a hero, he can notrun away. He must stick out the battle with the rest of his comrades. Whilemarching along, Henry sees the first corpse he has ever seen. He shows pity forthe man, because the dead man had died in such poor conditions. The souls of hisshoes were worn bare. When Henry sees the corpse, he begins to wonder if hisgenerals actually know what they are doing. He thinks that the generals areleading him right into a trap, right into the m iddle of the rebels. Henry dealswith his fear of battle by acting arrogant. He acts as if he has been in athousand battles, and complains about the walking, even though the reader knowsthat he would rather be walking forever then go to battle at this point in time. It shows one of Henrys defense mechanisms, how he uses his arrogance to hidehis innocence. Regiment 304 moves on to battle the next day. Henry becomes veryscared, but is too proud to talk to any of the others soldiers about his fears. All the soldiers are very anxious to fight in the war, and Tom and Henry talkabout how they are not going to run away from war, and how they want to becomebig time war heroes. This is ironic, because in the end of the book their wishescome true. When the battle starts, all the soldiers get very anxious andnervous. Tom and Henry dont turn out to be as brave as they think that theycould be. While hiding, Tom finds Henry, and gives him a manila envelope ofletters for his family. Tom believes that this will be his first and his lastbattle. Henry ends up fulfilling his worst nightmare. Instead of sticking outthe battle with the rest of his regiment, he hides behind some brush in order tospare himself from dying. He listens in on the battle, and to much of hissurprise, he hears cheering from whats left of his regiment. He then takesoff into the woods in anger. While running through the woods his consciencebegins to speak to him. His conscience calls him a coward, and a deserter. Outof guil t, Henry runs back to the battle site, and meets again with his regiment. .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .postImageUrl , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:visited , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:active { border:0!important; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:active , .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2 .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u149c067c3402ea31855cdd7c9c2788d2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Case 1-1 Ribbons and Bows EssayThese actions showed Henrys maturity, and desire to be a war hero. When Henrymeets up his regiment and older tattered man begins to have a discussion withhim. The old man asks Henry where yeh hit, ol boy? meaning, where hegot shot. With massive feelings of guilt, Henry shrugs away from the man andruns back into the woods. From behind a tree, he looks at all the woundedsoldiers. At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. Heconceived persons with torn bodies to be particularly happy. He wished that he,too had a wound, a red badge of courage This shows Henrys desire to be awounded war hero. He does not want to be set apart from the other boys as acoward. As soon as the old soldier passed him, he went back to the lines andcontinued on with the boys. He starts walking next to Jim Conklin, a soldierthat he knew pretty well. They are talking, when all of a sudden Jim runs away. He falls onto the ground and dies. This death has a very big affect on Henry. Jim was his first friend to be killed in battle. He feels guilty that Jim wasput through so much pain, and he just ran away, like a coward. After spendingthe night sleeping near Jims corpse, Henry woke up and was ready to marchagain. He meets up with another tattered soldier, who is crazy and dying. Henrygets very angry at the mad for talking to him, and runs away, swearing that theman knows his secret. He refuses to go back to the regiment, because he thinksthat everyone will regard him as a coward. All of a sudden, Henry sees thesoldiers frantically running. One grabs him, and Henry asks him why they arerunning so frantically. The only response he gets is a whack in the head withthe soldiers gun. A few moments later, when Henry is able to get up, hebegins to march with passer by soldiers. A soldier walking next to him noticesthe wound on his head, and automatically assumes it to be a bullet wound. Thekind-hearted soldier leads Henry back to his regiment. The first person Henrysees when he gets to the group is his friend Tom. In order to save face, Henrymakes up a big story about how he got shot in the head, and then got separatedfrom the regiment. Tom takes great care of Henry, cleans him up and makes surethat he gets enough food, and a good nights sleep. After being pampered byTom, Henry realizes that this is not the way to becoming a hero. In order tobecome a hero, he must fight in battles, and get a real red badge of courage,not just a knock in the head. He returns the envelope of letters to Tom. Thisscene marks a dramatic change in character for both of the boys. It shows theirmovement from innocence to experience. From then on, the two men walk side byside while marching. They showed their courage often in tough situations. Henrysuspected that his generals were leading them right into trouble, and he getsvery angry about that fact. Henry tells Tom about his speculations, but Tom willnot believe him. During the next battle, Henry shows his courage by bein g thefirst and the fastest soldier to fire. After the victorious battle, Henry andTom over hear a conversation between generals and captains, and they find outthat the next battle they are going to be fighting is going to be very tough,and the general is looking for spar regiment.. The leader feels that there is noway Regiment 304 will survive the battle, and calls the soldiers ?muledrivers, thinking that they are slow, and rather stupid. When Henry and Tomhear this, they are enraged. They are determined to fight as hard as the can,with all their heart and souls. Henry and Tom prove themselves well in thebattle. They steal the confederate flag, and are both brave enough to go out onthe field with out weapons. After the regiment retreats, the general recognizesboth soldiers as extremely brave, and comment that they are fit to be generalsthemselves. This final action is what finalizes the movement from innocence toexperience for Henry and Tom. They went into the war as little boys, an d nowthey are moving on as men. They have both earned their red badges of courage, aswell as the hero status they had dreamed of obtaining forever.

Identifying Emerging Issues in Mobile Learning free essay sample

The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This exploration focused on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising from the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones, PDAs and camera phones by learners in HE and FE, both on campus and in the workplace. This was carried out through scenario generation using three different futures prediction tools in three workshops. The following issues were identified as being the most likely to appear in the future of mobile learning five years from now: the increasing use of ‘just in time’ and ‘as and when necessary’ training. the need for always on affordable connectivity and power. increased support for an approach to teaching and learning that is more collaborative than didactic. concerns over scalability; learning communities are divided over whether there is a role for mobile devices in formal teaching, especially in large groups and lectures. We will write a custom essay sample on Identifying Emerging Issues in Mobile Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page oncerns over the merging of personal and vocational information and practice. The strong match between affordances of mobile devices and learning opportunities in work based and experiential learning across the board. increased peer to peer networking and collaboration. the need for design specifications for a secure online all-purpose data repository accessible by different browsers according to device at hand. Other emerging issues for mobile learning in HE and FE include both ethical and practical implications. These include cultural barriers and resistance to change amongst lecturers and associated teaching professionals. Examples are: fears for the erosion of lecturers’ personal time; concerns over security related to the increasing amount of information and number of images to be stored and privacy issues related to the ease with information can be captured in a range of locations. There is also the opportunity to reconsider assessment practices, recording the process of developing an assignment rather than simply marking the product. One last issue, one that is in need of urgent attention, is the need for the development by students and staff of agreed practice, establishing how mobile devices are to be used responsibly in institutions before inconsiderate use or ignorance of their potential to enhance learning results in banning a valuable learning tool. Acknowledgements The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by members of the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning network who played a major part both in the scenario development activities at the workshops on which this paper is based and to the review of the scenarios generated. We are also grateful for the financial support from JISC via the Emerge community for this project. 1 Introduction This report details the scenarios developed in a series of discussion workshops exploring visions of how mobile technologies and devices will influence the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) in the future five years hence. The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This current exploration focuses on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising with the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones and mobile phones with the capability to record both video and audio by learners both on campus and in the workplace in HE and FE. These devices have become well established throughout the student community, a survey of 177 students at the University of Southampton found that 94% were regular users and owners of mobile phones (Davidson and Lutman 2007). This dovetails with data from Ofcom (2008) which shows that mobile phone ownership in the 15-24 age group of the UK population is stabilising at around 95% and students to come will be even more experienced in their use. For example, older students in schools that ostensibly ban mobile phones are now regularly being allowed to use the cameras on their ‘phones to record special events or experiments in lessons to help them revise. What is mobile learning? The field of mobile learning has been developing fast as a research topic over the past eight years and accordingly ideas of what exactly mobile learning is have also developed. Winters (2006) noted how various groups researching mobile learning have used definitions that fall into four categories: one mobile learning as technocentric, where learning is seen as something that makes use of mobile devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones; two – defined by its relationship to e-learning, where mobile learning is seen as an extension of elearning; three as augmenting formal education and four as learner centred, enabling the possibility of lifelong learning. These does not address the unique selling point of mobile learning which is closely linked to the capability of the mobile learner moving between traditionally separate contexts such as the work place and the teaching base supported by handheld technology that they can work with interactively to capture, access and store quantities of information in different multimedia formats. Thus mobile learning can be best described as â€Å"the processes (both personal and public) of coming to know through exploration and conversation across multiple contexts amongst people and interactive technologies† (Sharples, Arnedillo Sanchez, Milrad Vavoula 2007). Mobile learning in post-compulsory education in the UK A presentation from Traxler Sugden (2007) places the current state of mobile learning in the UK as consisting of considerable numbers of small scale trials and pilots taking place over fixed periods of time. Confirmation that the practice of using mobile technology to support learning in post-compulsory education is not yet embedded in current practice within institutions was demonstrated during the search for previous research for this paper, where no ongoing large scale uses were found. From currently available sources there is little or no indication as to the extent to which mobile devices are being used in Higher and Further Education. Findings from interviews conducted by Bird and Stubbs (2008) with mobile learning innovators in ten Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were surprisingly consistent with most respondents reporting that they experienced or expect to experience the same kind of issues. These were mostly in the form of barriers to establishing and sustaining an m-learning innovation in a university 2 environment. Issues which dominated were: skills gaps (in IT support and especially academic staff and somewhat unexpectedly students who despite being heavy users ), lack of technical support (IT services provision), procurement and accounting policies based around PC usage, inclusion issues due to cost of devices and/or data, ethical and legal issues, quality assurance especially with respect to data ownership, sustainability (all projects were based on external funding), device limitations, standards churn, privacy and security, and lack of a ‘killer application’ for the context. Interviews with users trialling PDAs at the Open University (Pettit and Kukulska-Hulme, 2008) indicated that the wireless infrastructure was widely regarded as a critical factor in influencing adoption of the device. Most papers reviewed for the current investigation referred to theoretical speculation about future potential, others discussed projects outside of the UK in Europe or East Asia, however, in the remaining 20%, an impressive range of pilots with different handheld devices was described. These indicate that there is considerable potential for engaging and supporting learners via mobile technologies. These pilots point to greater use of context relevant information especially images and video in learning and to greater collaboration enabled by easily portable, handheld devices connected to the internet via wi-fi or broadband. The following examples indicate the range of activities tested and are included by sector. Higher education Lecturers have evaluated a range of devices from multi-function PDAs and Smartphones to simple texti messaging (SMS). In one of the first examples of the use of PDA’s in an undergraduate setting Ramsden (2005) successfully tested giving undergraduate Economics students at the University of Bristol access to VLE’s and course materials via internet-enabled PDAs. As well as enabling access to course resources any time, anywhere, having the PDA allowed the students to hold question and answer sessions via the online discussion board during lectures which they found this particularly helpful. The University of Birmingham has evaluated the use of PocketPC handheld computers to offer multiple mobile applications to university students in the form of a ‘mobile learning organiser’. The main uses were for issues of time and course management and access to course materials. Other functions included the ability to communicate via email and instant messaging and to organise notes. The participating students made good use of the calendar and timetable facilities as well as communication tools and were keen for more content to be delivered in this manner. (Corlett et al, 2005) At London Metropolitan University the Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) works on the design, development and use of learning objects many of which run on mobile phones. Smith et al (2007) discuss the motivation they have seen in students (sports science in this case) to learn via subject specific learning objects (programs) such as Flash animations of muscle groupings and movements that run on their own or loaned mobile phones. Other animated tutorials, language learning for example, include multiple choice quizzes (Tschirhart et al, 2008). In another study Cook, Pachler and Bradley (2008) found that loaning postgraduate students Nokia N91 phones to make notes and take images for upload to web based media board such as Lifeblog and tribal’s Mediaboard led to blurring the boundaries between study, work, and personal time and between formal and informal practice. In the Spatial Literacy in Teaching (SPLINT) CETL at the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester applications aimed at Geography students are being developed for PDAs and tablet PCs where the PDA screen is held up towards the real scene to offer additional information about that scene, ‘augmenting’ reality for the user (Priestnall and Polmear, 2007). For example, trials of a PDA application designed to teach the geomorphology of the Lake District, NW England showed that students the students learned to appreciate the power of geocontextualised visualisation to support their understanding of landscape processes (Jarvis et al, 2008). The University of Nottingham has used mobile phones and similar software to enable group blogging as a tool to support Chinese students in the process of enculturation as they get used to a new society and to enter the local community. The â€Å"learners showed a obvious interest in flexibility of time and space that potentially extends ‘antennas’ of the group blog to deeper insight of local culture. † (Shao, Crook Koleva, 2007). Other examples used simpler devices and text messaging. The Mobiles Enhancing Learning and Support (MELaS) project saw the University of Wolverhampton test using text messaging with first year undergraduates in five departments aiming to enhance the student learning experience. In all 27 staff successfully interacted with 938 different students through at least one of: one way (staff to learner) communication, formative assessment with feedback, and a collaborative learning discursive tool (Brett, 2008). In another study sports education students at the University of Bath reported that SMS messages to their mobile phones from faculty were found welcome in assisting them to learn time management skills and as an extension of the tutor’s voice beyond the traditional lecture environment. This helped to reduce the perceived psychological distance between students, their peers and tutors (Jones, Edwards Reid, 2008). SMS messaging has been trialled in lecture theatres too. Elliman (2006) reports successfully using a system that allowed students to provide feedback by SMS on their level of comprehension during a lecture. The system displays a histogram showing understanding level which is continually updated during the lecture together with comments and question in a scrolling area of the screen. At Brunel University, first year undergraduate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) students found that revision podcasts, downloaded to their personal digital media players were popular and perceived as more effective than revising from traditional textbooks (Evans 2008). In a review of podcasting to support distance learning in the Open University, UK Minocha and Booth (2008) conclude that audio technologies such as podcasts can not only support mobile learning but also entice, motivate, inform and reinforce. Further Education Mobile technology has been used in a number of colleges as a means to bring new learning opportunities to students who might otherwise not have access to college education. Many of these projects have been funded by the Learning and Skills Council under the MoleNET initiative or by the JISC e-Learning Programme. At Pembrokeshire College, an mlearning trial project was carried out from 2005-7 to support NEET students (NEET – not in education, employment or training) with reentry to education, training or work. Giving students access to PDA’s helped to engage them and improve communication with a difficult to reach group. The use of SMS messaging enabled the teachers to keep in touch with this very transient group of learners and helped identify opportunities for learning as when they occurred. (Pembrokeshire College 2007). Similar projects working with NEET learners have also been carried out at Accrington and Rossendale College, Tower Hamlets College and Weston College (MoLeNET 2008). 4 Having the capability to learn anywhere by means of handheld PDAs allowed Dewsbury College and Bishop Burton College, West Yorkshire to provide learners in outreach centres and workplace learning environments with similar access to learning resources as their peers on the main college campus (JISC 2005a). Mobile phones have also been found useful to help in location based learning. The City of Southampton College has been assisting ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) students to improve their opportunities for meaningful language interactions. Visiting locations within the city to help get to know their locality, students were asked location specific questions answered through SMS messaging and posting images to an interactive website. The project found that such techniques enhanced the students’ literacy and numeracy skills and helped to engage hard to reach learners such as those from the multiethnic Southampton community where many students have English as a second language (JISC 2005b). As in Higher Education bulk text messaging services to support managing learning have proved popular with most students. There are those for whom this sort of service is particularly useful. Derwen College (JISC, 2008a) found that their students who have varying degrees of physical disabilities and learning difficulties responded well to reminders to students for things like surgery and other appointments, dinner times and class notifications. Simple text based interaction was also used at Lakes College West Cumbria (JISC, 2008b) who piloted the use of iPod nanos to provide multiple choice revision quizzes for Construction students, many of whom have learning difficulties and struggle with paper-based revision processes. The iPod quizzes proved popular with every student in the cohort making use of the iPods during the revision period. The use of handheld devices to record or view multimedia to support learning is also proving popular. At Southwark College students are using low-priced, pocket-sized camcorders to overcome some of the technical and organisational barriers to using video in the classroom and for recording evidence of learning (JISC, 2008c). Examples included recording students oral presentations in English which were then used by the students for practice and reviewing with each other and Level 2 students in Art and Design recording technique demos and talking about their work to inform Level 1 students hoping to progress. Other projects, such as My Podcast at New College, Swindon (Warren, 2008), involve podcasting with lecturers creating both audio and video podcasts that students can download and play on handheld PDA’s or MP3 players for revision or extra support with a topic wherever they happen to be, in the workplace, at home or in college or moving between the two. Work Based Learning Both HE and FE institutions place students training for professions, whether medicine, building, teaching or hairdressing etc. in the workplace for a significant proportion of their course. Students, often at considerable distance from their teaching bases, need online access to course materials and other context specific information, to communicate with their tutors and to produce records of their progress and assignments for assessment. Mentors in the workplace need to authenticate and support this student learning. A number of pilots have been set up to test how mobile technologies can successfully be used to support students on work placements. For instance, mobile devices have been used to give instant hands on access to information that would be difficult to carry around on the job. At the James Cook University Hospital in 5 Middlesborough, 5th year medical students tested the use of PDA’s providing access to formulae, clinical guidelines, electronic portfolios and other web-based materials. They found portable access to these facilities useful, as was the ability for supervisors to ‘sign-off’ log books using their normal signatures on the PDA. (Cotterill et al, 2008). Reynolds et al (2007) found that a PDA proved to be a convenient and versatile mode of access to online education for dentistry students at King’s College, London. The 12 students were most positive about being able to make notes for individual study, to keep a diary of their commitments to teaching sessions and to having on the spot access to online support materials, particularly videos. Teaching is another profession where students need access to a wealth of information. Wishart et al (2007) found that when student teachers trialled the use of PDA’s in school they deemed the calendar or diary to be articularly supportive. Email was also used, primarily to maintain contact with other students and the university tutor, and the web browser was used to access information both in class and for personal reasons. Some students used spreadsheets to record pupils’ attendance and grades and most, in this pilot involving 14 trainees, used the word processor to make notes from meetings and on lesson observations for essays. However, the prevailing sociocultural climate where mobile phones are often banned and PDA’s a rarity meant that trainees often felt uncomfortable using their device on school premises. In FE mobile technology has been used in the work place for just in time problem solving, such as through the Hairdressing Training programme developed by the University of Manchesters data centre, Mimas, and now used by 500 students at Stockport College, which offers step-by step guides to hairdressing techniques for styling, colouring and cutting (Smith, 2008) Also PDA’s have been found to be useful in connecting work based learners in FE who may otherwise be isolated from learning opportunities. Such devices have been used to assist apprentices in remote rural locations in Lincolnshire to give flexible learning options and to build achievement and self-esteem (Lambourne, 2008) and to provide learning and social networking opportunities to care workers in schools and nursing establishments in the Bourneville area of Birmingham (Brown, 2008). Finally, one of the largest trials of mobile technology in the workplace, currently ongoing with around a 1000 students in five universities in Yorkshire, is that being run by the Assessment of Learning in Practice Settings (ALPS) CETL1, a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning that focuses on assessment and learning in practice settings and involving nursing and allied health care practitioner trainees. Initial indications (Dearnley et al, 2008) showed that both students and lecturers were positive about a range of benefits having a PDA enables however, introducing mobile technology into the clinical setting will require a significant shift in culture and a significant level of training and support. 1 http://www. alps-cetl. ac. uk/ 6 Summary While the above mentioned projects demonstrate the range of learning activities that have been trialled in UK institutions, recent advances in the abilities of the mobile devices themselves offer the chance to deliver new services to learners that have not yet been tested. The 2009 Horizon Report notes how the adoption of novel interfaces (like the iPhone), the new ability of mobile devices to download applications and to be location aware through GPS signals, all offer new opportunities for learning. With the addition of broadband-like data connections, the boundary between what is a mobile phone and a portable computer are being ever more blurred (New Media Consortium 2009). It is in this technology context that the workshop participants came together to imagine future scenarios for the use of mobile technology in learning, drawing on their wide experiences of previous research projects and contemplating how developing mobile technologies could open up new opportunities for connecting learners and teachers. 7 Methods: Developing Future Scenarios In this project three different tools were used to support future predictions. The first used for the workshop focusing on the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) in the future five years from today was the Cognitive Foresight toolkit available from the UK Government Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Office of Science and Technology, 2005). It was developed for strategic futures planning and provides guidance on different techniques that can be used in the different stages of developing future scenarios and the ways they can be combined. This first workshop employed driver analysis to build internally consistent future scenarios from an assessment of the way current trends and drivers are influencing the present use of mobile technologies in HE. First the workshop participants ‘brainstorm’ a range of drivers for the currently observable trends. Next scenarios are produced by taking the drivers identified as having the highest importance and highest impact as orthogonal pairs of axes and visualising up to four scenarios that match the chosen combinations. This method is illustrated in the example below. More of †¦ Scenario Decrease in †¦ Increase in †¦ Less of †¦ The second used the Futures Technology Workshop method (Vavoula and Sharples, 2007) to look at future scenarios in work based learning. This is a structured method whereby people, in this case with experience in the specific area of the use of mobile technologies in education, envision and design the interactions between current and future technologies and an activity. Through a series of structured workshop sessions they collaborate to envisage future activities related to technology design, build models of the contexts of use for future technologies, act out scenarios of use for their models, re-conceive their scenarios in relation to present-day technologies, list problems with implementing the scenarios exploring the gap between current and future technology and activity. The workshop method was edited slightly within the time constraints of the day so that the structured sessions comprised: i. i. Imagineering: brainstorm on desired future learning activities. Modelling: in groups, producing models that demonstrate the envisioned activities, complete with related props. 8 iii. iv. Retrofit: developing a role play for another groups scenario using only current technologies. Futurefit Requirements: listing requirements for the future technologies that have to be in place for the scenario to be realised. The third workshop on future scenarios in Further Education (FE) followed a method devised by FutureLab, an educational thinktank aimed at transforming the way people learn that focuses on the potential offered by digital and other technologies. This method for developing scenarios uses non-specific images of people of different ages in different locations printed on cards as a stimulus to thinking. The workshop used cards such as these shown below from the Building Visions for Learning Spaces sequence of cards. The workshop participants are then asked to envision first a range of learning activities that could be happening within the image and the people involved in them, then the anticipated outcomes and the technological resources that will be needed. One of these activities is then chosen by each of the groups for fuller development into a future scenario. In each of the above three cases the workshop was set up to start with two initial keynote presentations designed to stimulate thought and discussion from recognised experts. These keynotes (found under workshops 8-10) are available from the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning web site2. These were followed by a series of discussion activities informed by the futures prediction method being used and facilitated by the research team. A discussion workshop is a recognised method of collaborative knowledge construction through discussion and debate amongst peers or experts. The workshops were run as focus groups with the facilitator encouraging discussion and debate and following a qualitative, phenomenological research approach.