Phase 2--Scaffolding SEN issues

Ellen Hoffenberg-Serfaty

Module 1

Taking control of your computer--setting display, accessibility and other options on computer and browsers, and how to assess your students' needs

Part 2--Making the Browser "Browsable"
In Part 1 of this module, you became reacquainted with your computer settings--especially your control panel--through the eyes of a person with special educational needs.

In this section we will explore how students can learn to change settings in their browsers.
Note: We will be referring primarily to Internet Explorer 5, which is the recommended browser for those with special educational needs. Some references will be given to where to find basic settings on Netscape. Contact me for additional advice.

Make sure your Word document is open, and continue keeping notes for yourself as you go through this tutorial.


Warning: Before you change any option on your browser, write down in your Word file or elsewhere which settings you find before you begin your changes: this will make it easier to return to your original settings. And other family members who use your computer will be grateful:-)

Some basics

During our summer training, we did an interesting experiment, one that many of you found very frustrating. But we also learned a great deal about how it feels to be a blind or visually disabled net surfer on a page that is filled with unlabelled images, colors that fade and blend into each other; or a learning disabled students who is faced with a web page that is disorganized, cluttered and provides very few cues about what is important.

Now we are going to discuss some of those settings that you changed, how they affect web pages, and review how students can "take charge" of their browsing experiences by changing a few simple settings.

So let's start again...but this time, think about how you would teach students with SEN--or all students, actually--how to make those browsers browsable!

What is a browser?

We don't often thing about the concept of a browser: what it is, what it does...we just use it!

A browser is really software that we use to locate and display web pages. The ones most used are Internet Explorer and Netscape: graphic browsers. But many people, especially disabled surfers, use text browsers as well.

Like any software, each user has to adjust it to his or her own special needs and preferences. And there's lots of ways to do this without and with other software programs, plug-ins and add-ons.

In this part of the module, we will cover the basics, adjustments that you and your students can make to the most popular browsers.

1. View

   By far the most popular, useful and "quick" adjustment is to change the size of text from smallest to largest using the top menu View; Text Size. If you have never used this before, go to a few of your favorite web pages--those with small and those with larger text, and try the different sizes. Don't forget to make notes in your Word log.

   For Netscape Users: View; Increase or decrease font, repetitively

2. Internet Options

   Now we are going to move to the Tools menu. Open it, and go to Internet Options, and you will see a new window, with several menu options. We'll just cover a few of these today, but feel free to go back later and experiment. Just remember to write down your "pre-exploration" settings before you make any changes.

   • Advanced Options

     During our training this summer, we opened the Advanced menu, and started exploring the long list of options that control how your browser acts and looks and displays. Open it again.

     Note: Your "Help" files contained in your browser define most or all of the terms you will encounter that might be new to you. I suggest you cut and paste new information into your Word file.

     Accessibility should be the first item. Alt text and caret movement are very important options that relate to the text that you will see if web page designers are doing their job--labelling every graphic image so that those who are disabled, or just need the textual explanation, are aware of what is contained in an image or picture, or what it is used for; and caret movement refers to the textual part of the page.

     Java and Multimedia Panels are the areas that we worked with when we "surfed with our eyes closed". Go to a page that you know is loaded with images and animation. And write down the settings that are selected in the Java and Multimedia Section of your Advanced Option. Now turn everything off again, refresh your page, and make yourself some more notes about what happens to the content of the pages. (Remember the option for the brave: try to get around the page and fill in forms without your mouse:-)

     Netscape Users: Java Console located on Communicator top menu item; Tools; Java
     Other options: Edit; Preferences; Advanced

     There is an important reason for turning off these options with your students, as well.
     If I am working with specific populations of SEN, I want them to focus on the text for several reasons, so I help them remove some of these settings:
     
     

     • for the blind or severely visually impaired the graphics add nothing to their surfing experience, and since they often use a screen or text reader, the lack of properly labelled images even detracts from the text. So I have them turn off the images, and just focus on text!
       
     • for students with attention problems. I find that images and animation often distract them, sometimes to the point that they cannot stay "on-target", so I ask them to turn everything off, until they have focused and worked with the areas of the page that they need. And then during a "break" they can see the text in the context of images.
       
     • Color blind students or those students who have problems distinguishing colors used for the purpose of differentiating concepts or features can get stuck in images, and because they have so many difficulties getting the "message" that the graphic designer is trying to convey, it can turn into a very frustrating experience.
       
     • Learning disabled students can be greatly aided by images, especially when they are labelled. But as they learn more about how to negotiate web page information, they can test themselves by turning off images, using their strategies to manage with the text, and then test their own predictions!

   • Accessibility Options

     Now go back to the General Menu for Internet Options.
     We worked with this Menu, as well, during the summer.
     Click on Accessibility
     Check all three options for ignoring colors, font styles and sizes; then OK.
     Now "uncheck" Use Window colors; and change all your colors for text, background and both links. You must "OK" each color change.
     

     Netscape Users: Edit; Preferences; Appearance--reset both top and bottom menu; and then Fonts and Colors

     Note: Be careful of the colors you choose: Talk to students about providing the highest amount of contrast on their pages. For example, if you choose a black background and yellow text, then your links should be a very hi-contrast color, like pink and turquoise, so that students can see them. But also, let your students have some fun controlling those web pages.
     
     In my experience, those with visual disabilities generally prefer black and yellow for text or background contrasts--it is amazing how page information becomes comprehensible with one small change.
     Student preferences will also change depending on the density and difficulty of page information.
     
     Note: If you want to make permanent changes-- many school computer labs are on a network, and in order to protect the computers against students who like to fool around with computer settings just for "fun", they use a "magic card" which will revert the settings to the original ones set by the technician. And if you have a password entry system, most of your kids will enter with one password. But there is an option to by-pass the magic card and create new user identities for students with special educational needs. This is an option that you should discuss with your technician.
     There are two sides to this issue:

     • the benefit of repetition. We know that the more students do a particular act, the more they are able to remember it and do it on their own...hence, independence. So by asking them to record their best settings and restoring the settings to their preferences for each session, we are encouraging this learning process, and reducing their need to rely on us for help.
       
     • the amount of time available. As new or disabled surfers are learning to become more proficient, it often takes much longer to accomplish these small acts, until they gain confidence, learn new coordination skills, and become comfortable with all the changes. By having to start each session restoring their setting preferences, they may use up a great deal of time. This is an important issue if they only get in the lab once or twice a week for 40 minutes.
       
     • Compromise. When contemplating this issue at the Learning Center for the Blind, where I work, we opted for allowing students to reset their own settings for each session for a few weeks (I work with them for a shift of four hours each week, at least, per student, in one sitting.) And only later, after students had become proficient in the process and felt more confident, did we by-pass the magic card, issue user identities and individual usernames and passwords. When we talk about controlling the editing process, this is an important point. Many teachers opt for giving students a folder for their material--but sometimes, with SEN students, it is best to wait until they learn to be able to manage their folders and work.

A few simple changes...but they open a world to SEN students that very often, they have been barred from due to poor page design, and lack of awareness of how "personally" these applications can be adjusted to meet the individual learning needs and styles of our students...and now you are ready to start making your own training material on these subjects.

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