[Athen] RE: McGraw-Hill's Connect / LearnSmart

Normajean.Brand normajean.brand at hccs.edu
Thu Mar 29 08:14:52 PDT 2012


Thank you, Teresa and Robert. You both echo what I've seen with our students. Fortunately the faculty member presenting the workshop is more pro-AT than not, and "gets" that SWDs aren't at an advantage when they have accommodations. I passed your information along to her, and she stopped by the lab to see what we're talking about. She was "horrified" (her word) to know that both publishers were not doing more to assist in making their products more accessible. One more faculty member on our side to take the message forward!

NJ


From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Teresa Haven
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 2:50 PM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
Subject: [Athen] RE: McGraw-Hill's Connect / LearnSmart

I've had similar experiences testing MyWhateverLab and Pearson's LearningStudio as Robert has had with McGraw-Hill's products - inconsistent or non-existent reading experiences with JAWS, inability to access edit fields, inability to alter exam timings, requirements of drag and drop or other mouse-only input/manipulation methods. So far the suggestions that "tech support" provides for solution are completely useless ("Use Internet Explorer and everything will work fine"). Right now my suggestion is, unless you want to be in Penn State's shoes, don't adopt products like these and tell the companies why so that they can decide whether they want to comply with accessibility regulations or lose customers. I know many faculty and administrators don't want to hear that message, but we can keep trying to push it.

Good luck!
Teresa

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Teresa LW Haven, Ph.D.
Supervisor, Alternative Format Services
Disability Resource Center
Arizona State University
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Beach
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 12:04 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: [Athen] RE: McGraw-Hill's Connect / LearnSmart

I have a student this semester "trying" to use Connect with JAWS and Window-Eyes in an accounting class. The picture is not pretty.

On the quizzes, it is not possible to adjust the time for one student. Everybody gets the same amount of time. This means it is not possible to allow extra time as an accommodation. I have talked with the tech support folks at McGraw-Hill on this and that is their final answer.

There are many exercises/problems that require using drag and drop manipulation to answer the problems. The student is supposed to click on the correct answer and drag it into the correct box on the form. These are not accessible for screen readers.

Many of the problems require typing answers into edit fields or selecting answers from combo boxes. Some of these read correctly but many do not.

We do seem to have better results with JAWS than Window-Eyes, but even that is poor.

Sorry the outlook is not better.


Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66112
913-288-7671
rbeach at kckcc.edu<mailto:rbeach at kckcc.edu>

From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu> [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Normajean.Brand
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 1:23 PM
To: ATHEN
Subject: [Athen] McGraw-Hill's Connect / LearnSmart

Hello Fellow Athenites!
I've been searching the archives for information on the accessibility of McGraw-Hill's Connect and LearnSmart, and the closest message was from Shelly Haven back in January. Has anyone had the opportunity to test these with JAWS or other AT? Our college is really pushing for more content using Connect, LearnSmart and Pearson's My_(insert discipline here)_Lab. I do not have enough command of JAWS to really test the accessibility of these, but I have students who do and I am getting the feedback that neither publisher's software is accessible to them using JAWS. I've watched as these students struggle with trying to make JAWS work in those environments without much or any success.

Now, I get an email asking me to assess the accessibility and report any findings of Connect and LearnSmart by this afternoon for a major faculty-run workshop (non-faculty not invited) tomorrow at 9a.m.

Do any of you have any suggestions or personal experience findings that I can give them?

NJ Brand, ATAC
Houston Community College-Northwest
ADA Technician
Technology and Instructional Computing
Room RC13
1010 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N.
Houston TX 77043
VM/Office: 713.718.5604
FAX: 713.718.5430
Email: normajean.brand at hccs.edu<mailto:normajean.brand at hccs.edu>
http://northwest.hccs.edu

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