I.J.Modern Education and Computer Science, 2012, 9, 1-13

Published Online September 2012 in MECS (http://www.mecs-press.org/)

DOI: 10.5815/ijmecs.2012.09.01

Copyright © 2012 MECS I.J. Modern Education and Computer Science, 2012, 9, 1-13

Implementing WAI Authoring Tool Accessibility

Guidelines in Developing Adaptive Elearning

Said Talhi

Computer Science LASTIC Laboratory, University of Batna, Algeria

Email: saidtalhi@gmail.com

Fairouz Khadraoui

Computer Science LASTIC Laboratory, University of Batna, Algeria

Email: khadraoui_f@yahoo.fr

Mahieddine Djoudi

Laboratoire SIC & Equipe IRMA, University of Poitiers, France

Email: mahieddine.djoudi@univ-poitiers.fr

Abstract — Adaptive learning technology allows for the

development of more personalized online learning

experiences with materials that adapt to student

performance and skill level. The term “adaptive" is also

used to describe Assistive Technologies that allow the

usability of online based courses for learners with

disabilities and special needs. Authoring tools can enable,

encourage, and assist authors in the creation of elearning

content. Because most of the content of the Web based

adaptive learning is created using authoring tools, they

may be accessible to authors regardless of disability and

they may support and encourage the authors in creating

accessible elearning content. This paper presents an

authoring tool designed for developing accessible

adaptive elearning. The authoring tool, dedicated to

Algerian universities, is designed to satisfy the

W3C/WAI Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines

(ATAG), and to allow collaboration functionalities

among teachers where building elearning courses. After

presenting the W3C/WAI accessibility guidelines, the

collaborative authoring tool is outlined.

Index Terms — Accessibility guidelines, Elearning,

Adaptive Learning Systems, Authoring Tools,

Engineering Education

I.

I

NT RODUCT ION

Adaptive elearning is an educational method which

uses computers to adapt the presentation of educational

material according to students' weaknesses, as indicated

by their responses to questions. Adaptive learning has

also been known as adaptive educational hypermedia,

adaptive instruction, and intelligent tutoring.

Adaptive Learning Systems (ALS) tries to transform

the learner from passive receptor of information to

collaborator in the educational process. They have been

designed as both desktop computer applications and web

applications [1].

The ALS development remains a difficult task to

undertake, despite all the efforts carried out during the

last few years. This interdisciplinary task requires often

the collaboration between experts from different fields

such as education, psychology and computer science

engineering.

In order to improve the productivity in this field and

allow a wider community to be involved, authoring tools

are generally used and allow the users to develop some

elearning material, sometimes, without writing a single

line of code.

Authoring tools can enable, encourage, and assist

authors in the creation of elearning content through

prompts, alerts, checking and repair functions, help files

and automated tools. Thus, the task is reduced in a way

that the domain authors are needed only to introduce

contents into a generic framework predetermined in the

authoring system. Some of educational authoring systems

are discussed by Tom Murray in [2]. However, most of

them were designed without taking into account

accessibility features for disabled people.

The authoring tools may be accessible to authors

regardless of disability and they may support and

encourage the authors in creating accessible elearning

content [3]. Because most of the content of the Web

based ALS is created using authoring tools, they play a

critical role in ensuring the accessibility of the Web.

Since the Web is both a means of receiving information

and communicating information, it is important that both

the Web content produced and the authoring tool itself be

accessible [3,4].

In Algeria, the number of disabled students entering

higher education has increased over the last few years.

The Algerian legislation was introduced to ensure that

disabled students have the same opportunities as non-

disabled students and it is expected that the educational

community should do as much as possible to ensure that

this happens, and so, ensuring that inclusive learning is