C4EA

C4EA is the abbreviation for Consortium for E-Learning Accessibility. This term refers to the accessibility label for e-learning components founded and issued by the EU-funded [http://www.-elearn-vip.org E-Learn-VIP project] (E-Learning for Visually Impaired Persons) as well as to the open consortium intended to be established in 2008, which is supposed to continue the work begun by the E-Learn-VIP partners.

E-Learn-VIP Project History

The [http://www.e-learn-vip.org E-Learn-VIP] (E-Learning for Visually Impaired Persons) project, which was co-financed by the European Commission, ran from 1 March 2005 to 31 August 2006. The coordinating organisation was [http://www.bfw-dueren.de Berufsförderungswerk Düren gGmbH] , which is a German vocational rehabilitation centre specialising in the needs of visually impaired and blind people; the project also involved the partner institutions [http://www.bfw-stmk.at Berufsförderungsinstitut Steiermark] in Graz (Austria), [http://www.ibos.dk Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede] in Kopenhagen (Denmark), [http://www.visioweb.nl Royal Visio] in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, [http://www.arlainst.fi ARLA Instituutti] in Espoo (Finland), [http://www.monteclair.fr Institut Montéclair] in Angers (France) and [http://www.bfw-halle.de Berufsförderungswerk Halle/Saale] (Germany).

Aims

The [http://www.e-learn-vip.org E-Learn-VIP] project partners’ principal aim was to improve the access visually impaired and blind people have to e-learning components and e-learning products such as learning-management systems (LMS, including functionalities such as chatrooms, newsgroups, e-mail tools, file-exchange opportunities,…) , web-based and computer-based trainings (CBT/WBT) as well as virtual-conference systems (VCS).

Therefore, the following products were to be developed concerning Computer accessibility:
* guidelines for e-learning system developers and content developers with recommendations and advice on how to design components such as LMS, CBT/WBT and VCS;
* rating systems for evaluating the accessibility of LMS, CBT/WBT and VCS with reference to the special needs of visually impaired and blind users;
* development of the accessibility label C4EA subdivided into several steps, which can be issued to each product tested and which gives a clue to the extend of its accessibility;
* an on-line database available for free containing a survey of e-learning offers and products in Europe (and also the USA and Canada) considered (fairly) accessible by the [http://www.e-learn-vip.org E-Learn-VIP] project partners;
* a multimedia CD as a documentation of the project results (especially guidelines and rating systems).

Output and Results

Now guidelines for e-learning system developers and content developers are available; they are divided into four parts:

* “Common Guidelines” (Part A) in which general accessibility aspects with reference to kinds of e-learning components are dealt with;
* Guidelines for LMS (Part B) in which accessibility aspects with reference to LMS are dealt with;
* Guidelines for WBT/CBT (Part C) in which accessibility aspects with reference to LMS are dealt with;
* Guidelines for VCS (Part D) in which accessibility aspects with reference to VCS are dealt with.

The rating systems are also differentiated according to the variety of e-learning components. The “Quick Check” is used during the first part of the evaluation process. It can be used with all kinds of e-learning components and includes seven key questions, which show, if a more thorough evaluation of the system on hand will make sense. The first five in these seven questions are to be considered as exclusion criteria, i. e., if one or two of them can only be answered “No”, then the system on hand will be assumed to be (still) inaccessible. But nevertheless, these answers do really give practical advice what a content or system developer may do to enhance the accessibility of their product.

When the “Quick Check” makes the evaluator assume that the product is at least fairly accessible, the second part of the evaluation processes begins with one of the following rating systems being used:
* rating system for LMS
* rating system for CBT/WBT
* rating system for VCS

The questions in these rating systems are respectively divided up into three categories. In the first category “A” label questions are included; if none of these questions is answered “No”, then the system can be issued can be issued the C4EA “A” label, which means that this system has all features necessary and unrenouncable for being regarded upon as accessible. In the second category “AA” label questions are included; provided the “A” label has already been achieved, if none of these questions is answered “No”, then the system can be issued can be issued the higher C4EA “AA” label, which means that this system has all necessary features for being regarded upon as accessible. In the third category “AAA” label questions are included; provided the “AA” label has already been achieved, if none of these questions is answered “No”, then the system can be issued the higher C4EA “AAA” label; this means that the system also has some “nice-to-have” accessibility features and finally can be regarded upon as (virtually) barrier-free.

Outcome

On the whole, the evaluation work has shown that only a small percentage of the products evaluated can be considered as really accessible. So in the E-Learn-VIP project database [http://www.manetu-03.de/e-learn-vip] only nine products can be found that have been issued a C4EA label.

There are, however, indeed e-learning service providers that have started a cooperation with the E-Learn-VIP project for improving their offers and products with reference to the needs of visually impaired and blind users. BFW Düren has been accompanying Community4you GmbH [http://www.community4you.de ] , located in Chemnitz, Germany, who – during the EU-funded project SEE-VIP [http://www.seevip.net] - are developing a learning environment paying attention to the special needs of this target group. Moreover, BFW Düren has also been cooperating with the ILIAS Open Source Team [http://www.ilias.de/ios/] in Cologne, who are now striving for the “AA” label.

Future

After the E-Learn-VIP project has been finished, the project partners are going to continue developing the network founded within the framework of the Consortium for Accessibility in E-Learning (abbr. C4EA). This will be open consortium with the E-Learn-VIP project partners as founding members. Organisations such as self-help association, e-learning service providers, e-learning content developers, schools and also rehabilitation centres are given the chance of joining this open consortium as operational members carrying out work packages or as supporting members primarily sponsoring it. During the first stage of the official C4EA consortium foundation stage the [http://www.enviter.org ENVITER network] will provide the infrastructure for this network.

ources and References

* [http://www.e-learn-vip.org Homepage of the E-Learn-VIP project]
* [http://www.enviter.org Homepage of the ENVITER network]
* [http://www.manetu-03.de/e-learn-vip Homepage of the E-Learn-VIP project database with a survey of (fairly) accessible e-learning components]
* [http://www.bfw-dueren.de Homepage of Berufsförderungswerk Düren gGmbH, E-Learn-VIP project coordinator]
* [http://www.bfw-halle.net Homepage of Berufsförderungswerk Halle/Saale, E-Learn-VIP project partner]
* [http://www.bfi-stmk.at Homepage of Berufsförderungsinstitut Steiermark in Graz, Austria, E-Learn-VIP project partner]
* [http://www.monteclair.fr Homepage of Institut Montéclair in Angers, France, E-Learn-VIP project partner]
* [http://www.visioweb.nl Homepage of Royal Visio in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, E-Learn-VIP project partner]
* [http://www.ibos.dk Homepage of IBOS in Kopenhagen, Denmark]