In this post I discuss the ethical issues that are developing with the use of some AI image generation services.
Read moreDigital Learning
Consult | Collaborate | Create
Pixel Predicaments
Creating educational video content
The impact of video in our everyday life is unquestionable. Video content has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the prioritisation of short-form video content. This traces back to the early 2000s when platforms like YouTube and Vimeo
Read moreDLT Media Studio
Who are we? Within Digital Learning, the media producers work closely with our learning designers to design and develop educational and promotional media assets, for the university. These can range from: Want to book a tour? Our studio is in
Read moreEffective Collaboration with Media Producers: Tips for Stakeholders
As Media Producers, we know it is important to build trusting and lasting relationships with our project stakeholders. Project stakeholders will have their own expectations and needs for the project that they have requested, and they will have their own
Read moreStaying creative in a creative industry
Working in a creative job can be a very fun way to get paid! It’s not without it’s challenges, however. The constant demand for creative solutions to each project, as well as constraints on time and budget can lead to
Read moreHow can we make accessible text colour choices at the University of Southampton?
Simple tools and techniques are available that help University of Southampton staff make accessible colour choices when presenting text.
Read moreWhat one thing can IT staff do to improve accessibility?
What’s one activity that everyone who works in an information technology related field could do to make a difference to digital accessibility? The answer could be right in front of you as you read this: your keyboard.
Read moreHow can we correct captions and create transcripts at the University of Southampton?
Captions on videos benefit everyone. It’s important that captions are accurate and follow good practice. Learn how to improve captions using University tools.
Read moreHow did we make the University’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) submission more accessible?
The process was a great learning exercise and provided hands-on experience for those involved in the principles of accessible documents.
Read moreAcademic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (3/3)
Recently, Luke met with Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, Lecturer in Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences to explore how digital accessibility has been improved in their teaching content. This interview is the final in a series of three, in which
Read moreAcademic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (2/3)
Recently, Luke met with Ms Sharon Williams, a senior teaching fellow in the Fashion Design Department, Winchester School of Art to explore how digital accessibility has been improved. This interview is the second in a series of three, in which
Read moreAcademic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (1/3)
Recently, Luke interviewed Dr Brian Moss, Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology to disseminate his approach to accessibility of teaching materials. This interview is the first in a series of three, whereby the digital
Read moreGamification in Higher Education
Motivating adult learners in continuous and interactive studying is considered as a crucial part in learning process and in distance learning. Therefore, Gamification helps the academics to turn something otherwise dull to an interesting and fun learning experience, tailored to
Read moreReflection: ATHEN STEM Conference: Starting with Math
Recently, I attended a two-day conference where experts shared their best practices, solutions and techniques, for accessing and creating accessible STEM content in higher education. This conference will inform strategies for creating accessible STEM content. The event started at 05:00
Read moreGood use of external resources and reading lists
One of the categories that has been introduced for the 10th anniversary of our Blackboard and VLE Awards is for ‘Best use of external resources and reading lists’. In this blog post, I’ll explore some of the external resources that you could be making use of as well as discussing electronic reading lists.
Read moreFonts – An introduction to Typography
A short exploration of the science of Typography.
Read moreiSolutions Digital Accessibility Community of Practice: what did we do in 2021 and what was the impact?
The iSolutions Digital Accessibility Community of Practice began in December 2020. It aims to share practices, provide peer support, and raise awareness of digital accessibility within the department. Using results from a survey of community members, this post reviews the past year and looks forward to the year to come.
Read moreGoodbye to our Accessibility Allies intern team
Since mid-July we have been working with a team of 5 interns. They have improved the accessibility scores of Blackboard Modules and contributed to various communications about the project. Emily, Stefan, Velina, and Sian are returning to their studies as
Read moreAn Accessibility Allies intern journey
Introduction Hi! My name is Sian, and I am a soon to be second-year student at the University of Southampton. During this summer I wanted to challenge myself – in the form of an internship (which I had never done
Read moreFrom online learning to an Accessibility Ally
Picture this, 5 months studying in Norway, exploring new places, feeling refreshed ready to start the second half of my third year of University back in Southampton. I managed to have all of January off as I didn’t have exams, so was
Read moreAccessibility does not impede agility! Six ways that Digital Accessibility maps to Agile Practices
A common misconception is that Digital Accessibility slows down and impedes IT development process, making them less agile. In this post we cover six aspects we learned in our Agile training course and how they relate to accessibility.
Read moreOverview: three ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it.
PowerPoint’s Design Ideas feature helps us create attractive slides quickly. Unfortunately, some of its suggestions do not follow accessibility best practice, creating barriers that may exclude members of your audience. In this blog post we explain three issues and how to fix them.
Read moreThree ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it: Part 1 – Setting text in “all caps”.
Text in all caps can present a barrier to readers with dyslexia. Moreover, it slows down reading speed for all. Design Ideas will often set short bullet points in all caps. Find out how to fix this and more.
Read moreThree ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it: Part 2 – Centre alignment of longer text.
Centre-aligned text can be difficult to read if it spans more than one line in length. This can be a particular barrier to readers with dyslexia
When presented in this way your presentation appears less professional. Design Ideas often centre aligns text. In this article we explain why it’s important to fix this and how.
Three ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it: Part 3 – Insufficient colour contrast.
Too little contrast between colours will not only make your presentation disagreeable, it also presents a barrier to many. Design ideas will sometimes suggest designs that do not have sufficient contrast between colours. In this article we explain this in more detail and how to fix it.
Read moreSpring cleaning your Blackboard sites: are you environmentally-friendly and accessible?
A new norm- Yes, it’s a phrase that divides the audience. Some of us are weary of the over used phrases (unprecedented, anyone?). Others are excited at the prospect of real change. In education I don’t think we really want
Read moreDigital Learning Media team to launch film school Summer 2021
At the start of the pandemic, the Media Development team produced the Video Survival Guide to help staff get the basics right for producing videos from home. Continuing the University’s strategy to enhance the quality of our online offering, the Digital Learning team are now setting up a broader Film School for later in 2021.
Read moreHow can I use colour accessibly?
The University of Kent runs a successful series of Digitally Enhanced Education webinars. One of which was on the theme of Technology to Develop Inclusive Learning Experiences. I presented “Making it simple to ensure the use of colour is both
Read moreHow can I improve the accessibility of my emails?
I recently attended AbilityNet’s TechShare Pro 2020 conference. In this post, I’m going to share a top tip I learned from Microsoft. When creating an email in Outlook 365 you can check for any accessibility issues. Checking Email Accessibility Once
Read moreWhy are online forums useful?
Forums are more essential than you would think and they can help your students to engage with the courses. Forums are very useful and play a key role in the online classroom, helping the students connect with each other, and
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