RE: Jaws-friendly E-learning authoring software
- From: Alex Midence <alex.midence@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 18:19:38 -0500
Hello, Elizabeth,
Thanks for responding. I've been messing about with Moodle as well but,
it's primarily a learning management system not an authoring tool. Moodle
is what you upload your courses to and use for tracking people's progress,
running reports on grades, trends, and such. I'll try the other tool you
mentioned. I'm still tinkering with the Lectora package since it seems the
best of a bad lot right now. Going to be trying something called Atlantic
Content Create or something like that next. Let's see how that goes. This
is really concerning. So far, this means that if you are a talented
trainer, you can't go work for, say, the CDC or somewhere else that uses
e-learning courses a lot because no one seems to have made it so you can
create the content unless you are sighted. Everything is geared toward
sighted people creating accessible content. It's disturbing since it seems
to be quite the rage right now.
Thanks.
Alex
-----Original Message-----
From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Carpenter, Elizabeth
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 11:34 AM
To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Jaws-friendly E-learning authoring software
Hello Alex,
I've heard a product called "SoftChalk" was good but I've never tried it.
The other one I've heard of is Moodle - they say it creates accessible
e-learning, but once again, I've never tested it.
Jim Thatcher does a some work with accessible e-learning; you might get some
leads from his website: http://jimthatcher.com/
Hope that helps.
From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Alex Midence
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 4:25 PM
To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Jaws-friendly E-learning authoring software
Good day, folks,
Firstly, I'd like to say hello again to everyone. I've been away from this
list for a while. I hope everyone is doing well. Now, on to my question:
Does anyone know or has anyone heard of a software package for creating
e-learning materials which can be used with Jaws? There are plenty of them
that claim the stuff their software creates is jaws-accessible or "508
compliant" as they put it but, the software used to create the content is
not accessible or the content it creates proves anything but accessible
their claims notwithstanding. So far, I've tried 3 of them, 1 sort of
accessible, another that looks like it could be made to be accessible, and a
third that just looks hopeless. I've tried Studio Pro by Articulate,
Lectora Pro by Trivantis, and Toolbook by Sum Total Systems and not a single
one of them can do what I need to with Jaws. Studio Pro works like an
Add-in in powerpoint and sort of works with Jaws except that some of the
dialog boxes are chalk full of unlabeled graphics that Jaws can't pick up.
The flash content it produces, however, is completely inaccessible with
Jaws. Lectora Pro boasts and flouts and won't shut up about how they are
the "world leader in accessible e-learning material creation" but their
software is not accessible with Jaws. It looks like it could be if you know
how to script and configure though. Toolbook is just an exercise in
frustration. You can't tab through any of their menus and Jaws can't seem
to recognize what kind of window you're in. Can anyone help?
I'm supposed to come up with an e-learning solution for my department and
then make courses using it for our recurrent training needs. As the
trainer, I need to be able to create it and also be able to access my own
creation in case any of my students need help with the material. I'm open
to anything. Anything! Well, I'd kinda like to keep the wife, the first
born and at least half the beer in my fridge but, anything else ... Talk to
me.
Thanks.
Alex
Ps Websites for the stuff I've tried are below with free trial downloads in
case a kind soul out there is interested in pounding their head against
the--I mean taking a crack at them and seeing what can be done.
Studio 09 by articulate (turns powerpoint into flash content and has a quiz
writer and al sorts of other goodies:
http://www.articulate.com/downloads/freetrial-step1.aspx
Lectora Pro Suite by Trivantis: (most promising and most boastful about
making accessible content)
http://www.trivantis.com/resources/elearning--software-authoring/lectora-pro
-suite-trial-form
Toolbook by Sumtotal (lots of suggestions on creating Jaws-friendly content
but their software doesn't look promising)
http://www.sumtotalsystems.com/rod-trial/performance.html
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