Tania Acosta

Toward a Combined Method for Evaluation of Web Accessibility

This study describes the problems of web accessibility, especially for people with disabilities, as external conditions can distort user behavior and limit the data that can be obtained. Several studies recommend combining some methods with each other to achieve better results. This article proposes a combined approach, with the application of automatic and heuristic tools to make websites more accessible. In this study, we apply the Web Site Accessibility Assessment Methodology (WCAG-EM) considered in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). From the results, we conclude that most tested websites can achieve an acceptable level of compliance. We propose that future work can focus on optimizing this combined approach, also this study can serve as a guide to help develop more inclusive websites.

Method for Accessibility Assessment of Online Content Editors

This paper defines a method for evaluating the accessibility of online content editors by considering Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) and part B of the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (ATAG 2.0). The method includes 63 accessibility features that should be met by the images, headings and tables, which are inserted through an online content editor. The compliance of these guidelines contributes to the creation of accessible content so that visually impaired people using assistive technologies can easily access the content. Furthermore, the results of this study provide criteria for those people who have the responsibility of selecting an accessible online content editor. The proposed method has made it possible to meet the objective set out in this research document and can be used to evaluate the accessibility of learning management systems and course management systems.

Method for Accessibility Assessment of Heading in Online Editors

This paper presents the evaluation results of online content editors TinyMCE and Atto installed on the Moodle 3.3.1 platform with respect to the production of accessible headings. Previous studies have shown that lack of accessibility in headings affects the navigability of people using assistive technologies, as well as people who are slower readers or have short-term memory. The evaluation was carried out applying a model oriented to evaluate the accessibility of heading, images and tables in online editors. This model was developed by the authors of this research considering the compliance of the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (ATAG 2.0), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0), as well as related compliance levels and techniques. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the evaluated online content editors have a low level of compliance of ATAG 2.0 with respect to the creation of accessible content.

Accessibility of Portable Document Format in Education Repositories

This article describes a study on accessibility in the Portable Document Format. This type of file is increasingly used on the Web. In order to make the format universally accessible, it is suggested to apply the standards defined by the World Wide Web Consortium in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. However, not all PDF documents are accessible. In this research, the accessibility of PDF files was evaluated when applying the PDF Techniques based on WCAG 2.0. As a case study, it was applied to the universities in Latin America with the highest academic prestige according to the classification of Webometrics. The evaluation of the documents found that, in general, universities have not been concerned with providing accessible documents. In this research, we study the problems encountered in documents and the solutions to generate more accessible and inclusive documents.

MODEL FOR DETERMINING PEDAGOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE RETENTION RATES OF FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

The low academic performance of students is a problem of concern to the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) worldwide. The quality of education is mainly measured by the academic performance, which is directly related with the grades. The grades obtained by students are translated into the number of passed and failed subjects. Students who fail one or several subjects in their first attempt have to decide either to repeat the course or dropout their studies. In the case of student retention, several previous studies have shown that students entering a career are not graduated in the established times. These results undoubtedly reflect an education problem that affects the development of society. Therefore, this issue needs to be investigated. Because of the importance of this problem, some HEI have conducted studies about the causes for low academic performance. In general, the authors of these investigations agree that the causes are multi-factorial and they may be related with education institutions, students or teachers. Several studies have proposed some variables to consider in assessing academic performance. However, the evaluation tools used to measure this variable have not been shown. In the present work, the objective is to develop a model that allows to identify the pedagogical factors directly influencing on the retention of subjects in the first-year engineering students. This study is founded on the hypothesis that the responsibility of teachers in the classroom significantly influences in the academic success or failure. The main result from this research is the approach of a unified model, which constitutes a compilation and a combination of pedagogical factors considered on investigations carried out previously in some countries. The model is based on two questionnaires, the first one for teachers and the second one for students. These questionnaires contain similar questions that collect information from different points of view. The opinion collected from both teachers and students is to be compared and contrasted, with the purpose of identifying the factors directly affecting student retention. The research certainly presents a contribution with regard to the previous work carried out. The results will help both teachers and academic authorities to raise awareness and decisions to improve the teaching-learning process and decrease student repetition rates.