Principal Investigator: Sheryl Burgstahler
CoPrincipal Investigator(s):
Organization: University of Washington
Abstract:
The Cyberlearning and Future Learning Technologies Program funds efforts that will help envision the next generation of learning technologies and advance what we know about how people learn in technology-rich environments. Capacity-building (CAP) projects increase the ability of researchers to understand how such technology should be designed and used in the future and supports new capacity in allowing researchers to answer questions about how people learn, how to foster or assess learning, and/or how to design for learning. One challenge in designing and studying technology-based learning environments is incorporating state of the art knowledge about how technology can support (or hinder) those with disabilities. This project will help researchers in the cyberlearning community do research that takes into account what is known about technology and disability by conducting training for cyberlearning researchers both face to face and online.
The AccessCyberlearning project will increase the capacity of current and future Cyberlearning and similar projects to inform their research with what is known about student differences/disabilities; to design innovative learning technologies and teaching strategies that are welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including people with disabilities; and ensure that project materials (e.g., project websites, videos) and activities (training, meetings) are welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by all participants. The intellectual merit of the project lies in bringing together the expertise of the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center at the University of Washington together with Cyberlearning researchers to help shape future research agendas in the field and to inform those researchers with limited experience in the area to the research literature on, and design best-practices for, equal access. This will take place through a set of face-to-face institutes coordinated with the CIRCL (Center for Innovative Research in CyberLearning) and through development of web-based training materials for use by the field more broadly.
