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Presenter(s)
Betty Nobel
Vancouver Community College
1155 East Broadway
Vancouver BC, V6A 4J4
By
Christina Lockerby
Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Library for the Blind
1929 Bayview Ave.
Toronto Ontario, M4G 3E8
It is well known that the educational implications of blindness and print disability may involve greater demands on time for reading and learning. In general, learners require more time to read and synthesize material, largely because the technologies currently available (analog tapes, braille and large print) take longer for individuals to process internally. Theories of learning and information processing draw attention to the importance of concepts such as "chunking" and the capacity of short-term memory to hold information and make sense of it. DAISY (Digital Audio-based Information System ) represents an advance in learning technology for those who are blind and print disabled, because the structure of the information in DAISY documents is more readily accessible to these users, enabling them to make more effective use of short-term memory in planning operations related to problem solving in any learning environment. Since a feature of the "knowledge society" is that members are required to deal efficiently with large quantities of information, having access to new technologies that enable print disabled people to process learning materials more quickly and effectively is a vital aspect of information equity.
Currently, many of the materials in libraries for the blind and visually impaired are available on the older analog system on four-track cassettes. Since books often span several cassettes, users must continually fast-forward and rewind these tapes to find the information they require. The DAISY system revolutionizes this process for learners in that it reduces the amount of time spent in searching for relevant information within documents. Users can navigate through a DAISY digital talking book on CD using a play-back unit in a manner similar to that in which sighted readers glance through a print book. The DAISY technology can enhance opportunities for learning by enabling users to review a table of contents or index and instantly move to the desired section of a document. The process can also be likened to the way in which computer users navigate through the Internet using a Web browser - DAISY users can insert electronic bookmarks to mark relevant sections of text for future reference. As one individual enthusiastically noted after a trial with the technology, "With this, it's almost easier for a blind person to read a book than for a sighted person to leaf through it."
While the DAISY standard has been developed and supports four classes, or navigation levels, of digital talking books (DTBs), there had not, as yet, been direct testing of DTBs with end users. As a result, the goal of this project was to explore user preferences and needs regarding the format of DAISY documents. The results of the study will allow the CNIB Library and other producers of DAISY books to determine which classes of DTBs are most useful and suitable for different groups of end users, depending on their individual learning needs, technological skill sets and the nature of their disabilities.
Ultimately, the aim of the project was to test how the new digital learning technology (DAISY) could be used to enhance learning and to evaluate the accessibility of the existing technological infrastructure in several organizations across Canada for adult learners with perceptual disabilities. Since DAISY books can be played either on a computer equipped with specialized software or using a stand-alone play-back device (e.g., the Victor player, which is somewhat similar to a hand-held CD player), staff in partner sites were trained in how to use both play-back methods, so that they, in turn, can develop the expertise to train the adult learners in their communities. The adaptive technologies with which these individuals will access DAISY books via computer will depend on the nature of their disabilities, and may include the use of a refreshable Braille display for DTBs that include full text with audio.
In total, there were 56 individuals trained to use the software and playback machine. The results are currently being compiled, and a full report will be available in 2005. Some preliminary comments from participants are as follows:
1) The Victor machine is easy to use.
2) The rewind and fast forward features do not work as well as on a cassette
player.
3) It is wonderful to find the page I need so quickly.
4) I can find a subheading or chapter in a hurry.
5) I like being able to use both text and audio in one book. I wish all
textbooks could be structured in this way.
6) The software is pretty good but there are a lot of keystrokes to learn.
7) DAISY books are better than books on analog cassettes.
Some producers are choosing to produce audio books in .MP3 format because this is a "quick and dirty" way to get books to students. However, the navigability of the DAISY book makes it worth the additional effort to produce. For a fee of $1000 US per year, an organization can become a DAISY consortium member and have access to the software needed to produce DTBs. Or, if an organization chooses to produce books in audio format only, the organization can purchase a plextalk machine that comes with software that can be used for recording and developing whatever level of structure for audio is desired.
28.5% of the participants in the study funded by the Office of Learning Technology, were students in the Program for the Visually Impaired at Vancouver Community College. It was a privilege for our students to participate, and as a result of the study we have purchased 20 Victor playback machines and have converted all of our instructional materials to DAISY format. The hope for the future is that electronic files from publishers will be easier to convert to DAISY format in audio, text, Braille, large print or whatever formats are required.
Notes
1) For example, see the work of George A. Miller, Princeton University, Department of Psychology, on information processing theory.
2) The DAISY system enables the production of material in a standardized electronic form. Digital talking books (DTBs) created with the DAISY technology marry the human voice with digitized text offering all of the advantages of electronic publishing.
3) The Canadian Copyright Act defines those with a "perceptual disability" as "a disability that prevents or inhibits a person from reading or hearing a literary, musical, dramatic or artistic work in its original format and includes such a disability resulting from severe or total impairment of sight..."
For example, see the work of George A. Miller, Princeton University, Department of Psychology, on information processing theory.
The DAISY system enables the production of material in a standardized electronic form. Digital talking books (DTBs) created with the DAISY technology marry the human voice with digitized text offering all of the advantages of electronic publishing.
The Canadian Copyright Act defines those with a "perceptual disability" as "a disability that prevents or inhibits a person from reading or hearing an iterary, musical, dramatic or artistic work in its original format and includes such a disability resulting from severe or total impairment of sight..."
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