Comments on: Disability Redefined As E-Learning ‘Mismatch’

By: Derick Jones

Derick Jones — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:18:02 +0000

“Specific context hold the key here. The instances you sighted are apt.
Similarly in classroom e-learning, we see that if backc hannel is being used, even the shy kids (who would otherwise not participate), get involved in the discussion.
So these shy kids who would otherwise be disabled in a regular classroom, now learn and interact with their classmates, as the context is different.Thanks for a post that will make people think.”

By: Tavis Reddick

Tavis Reddick — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:31:31 +0000

I think the important point here is the specific context.
Highly-trained, educated and physically fit astronauts and fighter pilots are disabled under the contexts of lift-off and high-g turns.
Technology is used to overcome such disabilities and add new ones, such as night-vision, telecommunication and complex calculation abilities.

In the context of e-learning, I’ve seen very many different ways of presenting material, which often only support a very narrow and constrained access method, using custom navigation systems and metaphors. If there was a framework you could use to make this content accessible in a much wider sense, then this would benefit users, editors, designers, developers and ultimately authors too.

What would you call the option to bookmark the last position you reached in a learning object? An aid to the memory-impaired, or a simply a useful feature? Having on-screen prompts and shortcuts can help if you’re tired, and in this context, that counts as disabled in the sense of “less able to concentrate and remember things”.

The evidence shows there is a tendency for people to develop for themselves, and you need something like a framework to correct for this flaw, based on research into needs, preferences, solutions, conventions and technology.

By: Gustaw Kon

Gustaw Kon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:12:32 +0000

Are people really paid for producing a three-part report which states that if someone does not have appropriate equipment, or is surrounded by heavy metal music,or does not understand what he is learning, that person is disabled? What an insight into the human condition. it fits well into the prissy world of “the differently able”!