Every year, on the third Thursday of May, we celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This day is dedicated to raising awareness about digital access for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities or impairments. GAAD encourages everyone to talk, think, and learn about digital accessibility. At SHSU, we use this day to highlight the importance of tools like Ally in making education accessible to all. GAAD is an opportunity for us to reflect on the progress we have made and to recommit to ensuring that all students have the tools they need to be successful.
SHSU Online is dedicated to improving the educational experience for all of our students. To help achieve this mission, Ally, an accessibility feature integrated with Anthology's Blackboard platform, has played a crucial role since its introduction at Sam Houston State University. Although SHSU began using Ally in Spring 2018, it wasn't until the following year that its impact began to be truly felt across our university. This period marked a significant shift in how students accessed course materials, making learning more adaptable and supportive of each student’s individual needs.
The Evolution of Ally
As with many software programs, Ally has continually improved its features. From its early days to the present, Ally has evolved significantly, incorporating features designed to enhance the accessibility of online educational content, ensuring that all students can access the materials in the way that best suits their learning style. The Beeline tool, introduced in Spring 2020, enhances reading by dynamically adjusting the color gradients of text, which helps students focus and improve comprehension. Spring 2022 saw the introduction of Immersive Reader, a tool that provides a customizable reading experience, including text-to-speech and font adjustments. This feature is particularly beneficial for students with reading difficulties. Additionally, the Translated Version feature offers machine-translated versions of course materials in multiple languages, supporting our multilingual student body.
A Look at the Numbers
Analyzing Ally’s usage from Spring 2019 to Spring 2024 has shown impressive growth and engagement at SHSU. The numbers highlight the increasing use of accessible course materials and the effectiveness of Ally in meeting the diverse needs of our students.
Total Downloads:
The total downloads across all formats have shown impressive growth. From only 14 downloads in the Spring of 2019 to 59,998 by the Spring of 2024. This upward trend underscores the increasing demand for accessible course materials and a growing awareness of the benefits of using Ally.
The three most commonly downloaded formats are Tagged PDFs, ePub, and HTML.
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Tagged PDFs: Downloads increased from just 6 in Spring 2019 to a staggering 38,663 by Spring 2024. Showcasing a phenomenal growth of approximately 644,283%. Tagged PDFs are essential for students using screen readers, as they provide structured and navigable content that enhances usability.
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ePub: Downloads grew from 2 in Spring 2019 to 5,526 in Spring 2024. The ePub format's adaptability to different screen sizes and customizable text features have made it a favorite among students, allowing them to engage with content in a way that suits their preferences.
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HTML: Downloads surged from 4 in Spring 2019 to 12,848 in Spring 2024. This growth highlights the increasing reliance on web-accessible materials, which can be easily accessed through web browsers on various devices.
Seasonal Variation
When reviewing the data, a seasonal variation began to appear. Initially, the Fall semesters had higher download counts compared to the Spring semesters. However, in recent years, Spring semesters have shown significant increases. Notably, Spring 2022 witnessed a remarkable surge, with downloads surpassing Fall 2021 by 34.16%. This trend points to a growing awareness and utilization of Ally's features throughout the academic year.
These growing trends may also suggest that students are becoming more familiar with the tools available to them and are increasingly utilizing these resources to enhance their learning.
In conclusion, the journey with Ally at SHSU has been one of remarkable growth and impact. The data reveals a significant need for accessible resources, demonstrating success in enhancing educational opportunities for all students.
As we reflect on the progress we've made, particularly highlighted during Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we are reminded of the importance of our ongoing commitment to digital accessibility. GAAD serves as a yearly milestone, celebrating our achievements and motivating us to continue striving for accessibility for all.
Looking to the future, the insights gained from this analysis will guide us in further developing and refining our course materials. Our commitment to improving the online learning experience for every Bearkat remains steadfast. The numbers tell a powerful story of progress, and we are excited to build on this foundation to continue supporting our students in their academic journeys.
Appendix: Glossary of Download Types
- Audio: MP3 format that reads text aloud, beneficial for auditory learners and those who prefer listening to content.
- BeeLine: Text with color gradients to improve reading speed and focus, helping students read more efficiently.
- Braille: BRF files for braille displays, supporting students who use braille for reading.
- ePub: Flexible digital book format for various devices, allowing text and background adjustments.
- HTML: Web page format for easy access via browsers, adaptable to different devices.
- Immersive Reader: Enhanced reading experience with text-to-speech, font adjustments, and real-time translation.
- OCRed PDF: PDFs converted from images to searchable text, making scanned documents accessible.
- Tagged PDF: PDFs with added structure for better navigation, crucial for screen reader users.
- Translated Version: Machine-translated documents into multiple languages, supporting multilingual students.
A Note to Our Readers
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