Embedded Files
3a: Understanding and engaging with accessibility legislation
3a: Understanding and engaging with accessibility legislation
Embedding a culture of accessible-first documentation in the Library
Embedding a culture of accessible-first documentation in the Library
As a whole, most of Library's produced material (emails, word documents) are not created using accessibility tools (headers, styles, structure, colour contrast) - except that produced by the small team of student-facing Accessible Format specialists.
As part of a PGCAP(HE) (Post-graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Higher Education)) qualification I needed to create an online course. I had long been dissatisfied by much of the documentation and teaching material produced by the Library not following widely accepted accessibility guidance e.g. using headers, tables of contents, etc., and thought this could be my opportunity to improve things.
(CP4) I developed a online module designed to help learners (my colleagues, in this instance) appreciate the benefits of an accessible-first approach to creating and writing material [Revision] that also meets published accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1 AA, supporting the Library meeting the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, recently brought into force in the UK. [/Revision]
Moodle screenshot of the Making Accessible Materials KEATS module designed for Library Staff
I wanted to use an empathy-led approach to teaching, mainly by surfacing videos of visually impaired students describing their experiences of being at University, and how they're supported by their teachers providing materials in formats they can engage with. I thought I'd try [revision]a more implicit,[/revision] 'encouraging' approach ('this is why doing this is a good idea) rather than a more didactic or directive approach ('do this because we say so'/'this is now a legal requirement').
I chose two pieces of Office software, Word and PowerPoint, as my starting point as they're the programs used to create the majority of documentation (Word) and teaching content (PowerPoint). I looked for existing YouTube videos that talked about the accessibility features of both software (at the time I didn't have the time budget to record my own material) as YouTube is 'free' to use and relatively device-friendly.
[Revision] New section on Word and PowerPoint added below:
(CP4) The Word tutorials focus on:
(CP4) The Word tutorials focus on:
Choosing a suitable typeface, colour, and size.
Making images accessible with Alt text.
Using heading styles to provide a navigable structure to a document.
Designing hyperlinks to provide context and instruction.
Adding headings to tables to make them accessible to screen readers.
The Word tutorials support colleagues to meet WCAG 2.1 Guidelines:
1.4 (Distinguishable).
1.1 (Text Alternatives).
1.3 (Adaptable), 2.1 (Keyboard Accessible), and 2.4 (Navigable).
2.4 (Navigable).
1.3 (Adaptable) and 2.4 (Navigable).
(CP4) The PowerPoint tutorials focus on:
(CP4) The PowerPoint tutorials focus on:
Using Title slides to provide structure and context to a presentation.
Using Master slides to hide 'decorative' images like the Library logo from screen readers.
Effective use of typeface colour and size to provide enough contrast.
Properly applying the slide tab order system to ensure the elements are navigable.
Making Smart Art elements accessible.
Using the Accessibility Checker as a support tool in the above.
The PowerPoint tutorials support colleagues to meet WCAG 2.1 Guidelines:
2.4 (Navigable).
1.1.1 (Non-text content).
1.4 (Distinguishable).
2.4 (Navigable).
1.1 (Text Alternatives) and 2.4 (Navigable).
All guidelines.
[/Revision]
Moodle screenshot of the Making Accessible Materials KEATS module designed for Library Staff - note the poor blackboard ally score for the practice document!
(CP1) I tried to follow the principle of constructive alignment where I could - the 'assignments' that lead to the badges use copies of inaccessible Word document and PPT file purposely designed for the learners to 'fix' using the principles described in the videos.
This assignment (for the PGCAP) also gave me the time and space to experiment with using more sophisticated features of both Captivate and KEATS (our Moodle platform), which is reflected in how KLaSS has increased in complexity in various ways, including:
Finding more visually interesting ways to arrange and display content in our KLaSS pathways.
Allowing learners to track their completion of groups of assignments in KEATS.
Using the Groups function to accurately isolate specific Cohorts from the vast pool of data reported by KEATS.
Reflections
Reflections
Lodging the course in the collective consciousness has been challenging - efforts to add to the staff induction were only slightly successful, with staff turnover and shifting priorities slowing my efforts. The module was never made 'compulsory' in any way, so exposure was limited. I am very proud of it, and the experimentation it allowed me to do outside of my usual professional context, and the developments it led to in other areas of my elearning work such as the ever-evolving KLaSS pathways.
[Revision]I have since worked to use the accessibility features in Word and PowerPoint in my daily working life, e.g. making sure to use Title and Heading styles, and adding Tables of Contents when a document reaches around two pages, or is particularly dense/complex. I have tried to point out to colleagues where they have created/shared inaccessible material, with suggestions on how to fix/adapt, but I'm often then asked to perform the task, which is demotivating! [/Revision]
If I were to remake or revisit the module I'd take the time to create my own specific tutorials - those abilities have also improved since the module's development. The Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (CTEL) has been developing material around the Digital Accessibility Baseline that I suspect has rendered this course obsolete as it's centrally resourced and probably far more exhaustive than my course is designed to be. I've yet to sit down and examine them side by side to be sure.
Moving the Library Guides to a more responsive and accessible design
Moving the Library Guides to a more responsive and accessible design
From teal coloured top-row tabs...
From teal coloured top-row tabs...
The Library Guides content system was adopted by the Library in 2012, as the Content Management System (CMS) available at the time did not afford the kind of flexibility to display information that we wanted.
(CP2) The teal design was used until July 2018* when I wanted to redesign in response to:
I watched as a VI student navigated the guide with a screen reader - there was so much 'noise' from the header formatting before she even got to the content.
The proliferation of small-screen devices - the teal guides did not respond/re-size well.
The needed to reduce the number of guides to reflect staffing/resourcing changes since their adoption. This seemed a good time for a design rethink, and to try and address some of the design's weaknesses.
To reduce as far as possible using in-text hyperlinks in favour of the far more screen-reader friendly mappable asset system.
*still used by one guide as of January 2022.
Screenshots of the older (pre-2018) 'top tabbed' style of Library Guides.
The image below is a representation of how the guide appears on a small smartphone screen (achieved by magnifying the window in Chrome). Note the tabs do not re-order and must be scrolled horizontally, while the content boxes must be scrolled vertically. The search bar is not immediately visible and requires scrolling to locate.
The image below is a representation of how the guide appears on a small smartphone screen (achieved by magnifying the window in Chrome). Note the tabs do not re-order and must be scrolled horizontally, while the content boxes must be scrolled vertically. The search bar is not immediately visible and requires scrolling to locate.
Screenshots of the newer (post-2018) 'purple' themed Library Guides. Note the removal of the breadcrumbs, image header, and search bar - designed to reduce 'noise' experienced by a screen-reader as much as possible.
The image below represents how a guide looks on a smartphone screen (achieved by magnifying my view in Chrome). Now the entire guide reorganises into columns, including the main tabs - the trade off here being a longer scroll.
The image below represents how a guide looks on a smartphone screen (achieved by magnifying my view in Chrome). Now the entire guide reorganises into columns, including the main tabs - the trade off here being a longer scroll.
...to purple columns.
...to purple columns.
(CP2) The refresh led to a much cleaner, more responsive design, able to adapt properly to being used on smaller screens [Revision] or handheld devices.[/Revision] The elimination of the breadcrumb trail and header formatting should mean that students using assistive software like JAWS can engage with the main body of a Library Guide in fewer steps - which should also benefit sighted readers of our guides.
[Revision]This also meets WCAG 2.1 1.3 (Adaptable) and 1.4 (Distinguishable) by allowing the text to be visible at 200% and aligning to a single column at 400%. [/Revision]
I have used the main button menu as the main navigational tool/portal with, I think, mixed results. I am not sure the button's name makes it clear what it's for, and I think the consistent use of purple makes it difficult to distinguish the different parts of the guide, i.e. the navigation options from the content.
[Revision] This is in consideration of [guideline] and requires more thought before I can be confident that it's being met [/Revision]
I introduced the more rigid two column (in reality more like 2.5 columns) to bring a better sense of consistency and 'order' to the sizes and positions of the boxes. The teal format allowed many different approaches to box size and position - there was no consistent design, and difficult for a viewer to understand the priority of information on the screen.
[Revision] This helps to meet WCAG 2.1, 1.3 (Adaptable) [here] by being organised in logical columns of content that is not limited to portrait or landscape orientation.[/Revision].
Moving to using the inbuilt Asset system, where a link is attached to an object, rather than an in-text hyperlink is a real step forward in terms of accessible design. Not only is it far simpler to update a central asset (and have that update roll out across all instances of that asset), a screen reader will read the name of the asset, instead of the hyperlink text. This does mean that care should be taken to properly name the asset in a way that is accurate and meaningful, something that can also only benefit sighted users of our guides.
[Revision] This helps to meet WCAG 2.1 guideline 2.4 (Navigable) by providing useful contextual links rather than basic in-text hyperlinks to screen readers. They still need to be properly named to do this, which will be covered in our Style Guide.[/Revision].
Reflections
Reflections
I wonder if perhaps the 'cleanliness' pendulum has swung too far the other way? There is a lot of purple, a relatively intense and rarely used colour. I'll explore how we could change the colours of the boxes and menu column in a way that is as useful and visually pleasing as possible. I've had a few comments that it's not immediately clear this is a guide from King's, although I have struggled to find a way to advertise King's, or the Library's ownership, that adds value without overwhelming the top of the page (where branding usually sits).
The downside of this new, stricter theme is the guides become much 'longer', i.e. more scrolling is involved. [Revision - existing content relocated from a later paragraph] I'm anticipating a growth in the amount of content held in the guides as the Library re-examines its various information systems - this will be a strong test of the principles set out above.[/Revision] Reviewing and changing our approach to how we write content should be a good way to tackling this - the Library recognises there is a culture of 'over explaining', to provide more information than is perhaps strictly necessary.
This will take time and a sensitive approach to tackle with colleagues,[Revision], but I anticipate that using the WCAG 2.1 guidelines as a framework will make it easier to develop a useful style guide.* I can use examples of good/bad practice (thanks to having access to archived guides), and link directly to the WCAG guidelines to guide and persuade colleagues using its 'objectivity', rather than simply presenting it as an idea of mine, or my personal view on web design.[/Revision]
I am anticipating that our senior decision makers should sign off on a more formalised design of our guides - there is still a lack of ownership and oversight at senior level.
[Revision]*Still to be developed as of March 2023, but feels achievable if we approach WCAG as a potential framework.[/Revision]
3b: Understanding and engaging with policies and standards (CP2)
3b: Understanding and engaging with policies and standards (CP2)
Developing materials and guides to support APA and Chicago referencing styles in line with KCL's policy on styles students can expect to use in their studies
Developing materials and guides to support APA and Chicago referencing styles in line with KCL's policy on styles students can expect to use in their studies
King's recently adopted a new policy of reducing and defining the number of individual referencing styles in use by students at King's. This was done as a way to reduce the complexity and anxiety faced by students, and also as a way of supporting the strategic ambitions of encouraging a greater degree of inter-disciplinary studies available to students.
A couple of the many barriers to this ambition were the number of different referencing styles in use, often decided on arbitrarily and with little coordination, and the 'patchy' nature of the support offered in their use. An Academic Standards Sub-Committee (ASSC) Working Group was formed to analyse the referencing style landscape at King's and recommend a simpler approach for the University as a whole to follow.
(CP2) Libraries & Collections were tasked with contributing detailed, asynchronous guidance around the 'nuts and bolts' of applying the styles (as opposed to the concept of plagiarism, for example). This was in part a recognition of the Library's legacy of 'owning' referencing and plagiarism support, although this has narrowed to focus solely on referencing styles with the recent expansion of King's Academy's remit on Academic Skills.
Report from the Working Group on Referencing from August 2021, setting out the expectations for which styles would be in use at King's from September 2021 onwards.
(CP4) Developing this guidance fell under my remit as Digital Education Librarian, with overall responsibility for designing and maintaining online learning material. I designed a KLaSS module (screenshot below) and a companion Library Guide (linked below), following the structure I'd laid out in past with each platform used to its strengths:
tutorials on KEATS;
referencing examples and links to further resources such as style guides on the Library Guide.
(CP4) Working to the Working Group's specifications, I located and linked to Style Guides available through our catalogue and designed an easily-read list of reference formats for different kinds of sources, and each style. I worked with a colleague to develop scripts for narrated PowerPoint videos that he recorded, and I uploaded to KEATS alongside short quizzes and links to the Library Guide to form a coherent learning object.
I was also able to demonstrate the value of the KEATS/Library Guide structure, showing that we could support the Working Group's future plans to include Vancouver as a newly supported numbered style to be used at King's alongside APA and Chicago.
Reflections
Reflections
Many aspects of this piece of work have been challenging on both the macro and micro levels. This is my first time being involved, even peripherally, with a working group of such seniority and with this degree of cultural change as its ambition. It has been frustrating seeing and hearing how resistant many parts of the University have been to what seems to me to be an obviously positive project, but there has also been enthusiasm from colleagues who were using one of the styles already (the IoPPN* were using APA) or who adopted it after targeted discussions with colleagues (NMPC** agreed to adopt APA to replace a previous style). I have been fairly grateful that my involvement has been so focused on producing tangible outcomes.
At the micro level, I don't enjoy creating teaching materials based on referencing styles. I find them to be a potent mix of being excruciatingly exacting and at the same time utterly boring. I think a far more useful approach would be to encourage students at all levels to experiment with and adopt a piece of referencing software early in their studies - software that will automatically format citations and references in the preferred style (and switch styles in a second, if it comes to it) and that come with APA and Chicago as standard. I'm very glad we're moving to styles that are 'owned' and kept up to date by external organisations. Having worked in the past with styles created and curated 'in-house', I'd much rather not have to maintain a style across several versions, Faculties, and pieces of software, as I have done in the past.
(*) The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience(**) Nursing, Midwifery, and Palliative Care
Evidence
Evidence
Screenshot of the Citing and Referencing section of KLaSS that contains tutorials and quizzes on the different referencing styles in use at King's.
The Citing and Referencing Library Guide, the companion to the KLaSS module linked adjacent. This webpage links to tools such as style guides in the KCL catalogue and displays formatted examples of sources referenced in the various styles in use at King's.
A rather chastening exchange where a colleague has had to apologise to a Faculty on my behalf for an error I made while working on the Guide's URLs - a good reminder that this kind of work is highly visible and of great import to other parts of the University.
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