Here’s the 6-Step Quick-Start Guide to Designing for Learner Choice to help you get there.

Listen

Read

Can learners access key information in more than one way?

Offer text, audio, visuals, and captions so all learners can best perceive essential content.

Is your course easy to navigate?

Provide clear navigation, structure, headings, jump-ahead options, and replay capabilities.

Can learners control pace and flow?

Chunk content, allow pause, replay, and skip functionality, and don’t set arbitrary time limits.

Are you offering flexibility in how learners consume content?

Let learners read, listen, watch, or do — choice drives access and engagement.

Do learners have multiple ways to explore the topic?

Include varied means of engagement such as scenarios, discussions, reflections, and practice activities.

Are you supporting different ways of processing complex ideas?

Break down dense information with an effective mix of narration, visuals, examples, and summaries.

Go deeper with The learner-focused 6-step cognitive load checklist.

Bring multi-modal content to your Rise courses today

Automatically deliver an immersive narrative experience to your Rise courses with Shine.

See how Shine works

The post The 6-step quick-start guide to designing for learner choice appeared first on Say Yeah!.

The Articulate Rise web-based authoring tool has been a boon to course creators looking to build interactive, mobile-friendly online courses without deep technical skills.

Rise already does so many things well—from allowing for responsive design to incorporating interactive content blocks—but there are clear opportunities to improve accessibility, flexibility, and engagement. We’ve taken Rise to the next level by creating an add-on that lets users listen to the content immersively as they engage with media and interactive content, while allowing course managers to easily update content on an ongoing basis.

Trust us, it’s cool. Get a feel for Rise & Shine.

Let’s explore what Shine is and how it can provide a better user experience for your learners.

Shine makes every Rise course more engaging and accessible

No question, Rise is a great tool for course creators, but there are a number of out-of-the-box constraints for learners. The model of Rise courses is a slide-show style standard that’s augmented by an overreliance on animation that isn’t as immersive, flexible, or comfortable for every learner as it should be.

To address this, we created an immersive read-along narration that works with all standard Rise elements across a course. Easy to setup and seamless to update, courses become more immersive, flexible, and accessible for every learner.

Here’s how it works.

Automatic integration into existing content

Shine automatically syncs its narration—not only with text-based content, but with interactive Rise blocks too—as learners are guided through the course. This includes headings, quotes, images, lists, and more. The add-on requires no additional technical set-up—making enhancing existing courses quick and simple, and easy to update if you need to make any changes to course content.

Customization options

Learners have different preferences as to how they engage with course content. Shine empowers every learner to choose the path that best suits them. Each learner can control and adjust the speed of spoken content, while automatically scrolling through the text to create an immersive, hands-free learner experience.

You get to choose from multiple voices to match the tone of the course and adjust settings for more accessible text sizes, voice integration, and animations.

Enhanced interactivity

Shine makes spoken playback more engaging by automatically incorporating visual elements like tabs, accordions, and flash cards provided by standard Rise blocks.

Learners can also follow the narrated content while simultaneously interacting with multimedia elements, such as videos, quizzes, and clickable scenarios.

And audio prompts remind learners when their input is needed for assessments or other types of engagements, ensuring everyone gets to experience the full, expanded, and immersive learning experience of Rise & Shine.

Try out the latest demo at https://shine.sayyeah.courses

Compatibility

Shine is compatible across all devices and platforms. Whether learners access a course on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device, the narration will function smoothly, providing a consistent and seamless learning experience. Simply put: Shine works where Rise works, augmenting your Rise courses wherever they’re accessed.

Let’s highlight Shine’s benefits for learners

Improved accessibility

Shine makes Rise courses even more accessible by allowing learners with visual impairments, reading difficulties, or other specific learning needs more options for how they access and engage with the course content.

Increased engagement

Shine not only adds greater interactivity to courses, it also creates a multi-sensory experience that can help clarify complex ideas and reinforce key points.

A more flexible learning experience

Shine makes it easy for learners to access their online courses on any device, whether at home, work, class, or on a commute, while tailoring the learning experience to their preferences.

How does Rise & Shine work?

Unlocking these benefits couldn’t be easier.

You simply take your Rise course package, drop it into Shine, choose a voice, and let the magic happen. You then take your Shined Rise package, publish it as you usually do, and you’re done!

Need to make changes?

No trouble! Update your course content in Rise and drop the latest version back into Shine. Shine will automatically update all the audio based on the latest course content and you’ll get your latest Shined Rise package back.

Shine for Rise courses is available now!

Get in touch today to get started or for a personalized Shine demo.

Get in touch for a custom demo

See Shine in action

The post Introducing Rise & Shine, an automated and immersive voice add-on for Rise courses appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Here are a couple of key takeaways we wanted to share:

On Designing for Accessibility

One of the most powerful insights was the idea that simplicity is key. Trying to add features for everyone can paradoxically make your interface or product less accessible. The best approach? Do less, but do it better. Simplicity provides an important pathway to improve accessibility.

Catch this and more insights from Heydon Pickering’s talk, The Folly of Chasing Demographics.

On Inclusive Co-Design

A common industry ethos is that Blind people are seen as recipients of design, not creators. Chancey Fleet is flipping that ehtos on its head! With an amazing mix of tactile design tools, Chancey has been bringing Blind designers together to co-create incredible outcomes. This shift is crucial for inclusive design, breaking barriers and rethinking what’s possible when sighted and Blind designers collaborate.

Catch the inspiring case study from Chancey and collaborator Lauren Race, Inclusive Methods for Co-design Between Blind and Sighted Designers.

Inspired by these talks? Don’t stop there! All the 2024 talks are available for free on YouTube.

Browse all the talks on YouTube

And a big thank you to all the organizers and participants for fostering such important conversations. We look forward to applying these learnings to our own work at Say Yeah, helping us continue to deliver more inclusive products, service, and learning programs.

Looking for the latest inclusive design insights?

Get in touch to apply inclusive design practices in your day to do work and sign up to the newsletter for forward-thinking tools and best practices.

Get in touch Sign up to the Say Yeah newsletter

The post Inclusive Design 24, 2024 Conference Recap appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Join us at the annual (free!) Inclusive Design 24 Conference (#id24) where Say Yeah CEO Lee Dale will be hosting two exciting sessions.

• The Folly of Chasing Demographics, in which presenter Heydon Pickering will challenge the conventional approach to designing for people with disabilities and provide insights into creating more inclusive and respectful digital experiences. 3 p.m. EST (19:00 UTC)
• Inclusive Methods for Co-Design Between Blind and Sighted Designers, in which speakers Chancey Fleet and Lauren Race will show how Blind and sighted designers can work together to bypass inaccessible design tools and create meaningful, collaborative design practices that ultimately reduce ableism in the field. 4 p.m. EST (20:00 UTC)

At Say Yeah, we’ve long been a champion and leader in the field of inclusive design (check out Lee Dale’s 2021 #id24 presentation, “There is no average person.”) and are the cutting edge of using AI to personalize eLearning (check out our latest developments: automated multi-modal elearning and multi-lingual elearning). So we’re always excited to get together with experts, designers, and advocates from around the world at this unique 24-hour online event to share insights and innovations that make digital content accessible to everyone. We’re big believers that eLearning that is inclusive and engaging for all your employees is eLearning that maximizes ROI and grows the capacity and capability of your organization.

What else you can expect at this year’s Inclusive Design 24 (#id24)

In short, great content on accessibility, intersectionality, gamification, UX design, and more. For example:

• How Many Senses Do You Think You Have? with Kaye Moors and Lizzie Hamblin (16:00 UTC)
• Neuro-Diversifying Tech: A Toolkit for Designing with Autistic People with Simona Manni and Belen Barros Pena (17:00 UTC)
• Accessibility beyond WCAG: EAA & EN 301 549 with Wilco Fiers (18:00 UTC)

View the full conference schedule

Watch the conference

This event is free, with no registration required. Join the conversation live on the Inclusive 24 YouTube channel.

Are you delivering organizational eLearning that maximized accessibility and engagement of all employees?

We help you deliver more accessible eLearning that includes manageable multi-modal content and integrated multi-lingual content to effectively engage every employee. We’d love to show you.

Book a demo

The post Inclusive Design 24 Conference #id24, September 12, 2024 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

At Say Yeah, we’re passionate about ensuring everyone has equal access to information and technology and prioritize accessibility in eLearning. However, we recognize that good intentions alone don’t always drive real progress.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and limitations of adopting EN 301 549 and what it means—and doesn’t mean—for enhancing accessibility for all.

What is the new accessibility standard EN 301 549?

EN 301 549 is a set of rules and guidelines designed to ensure that ICT products and services are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes things like websites, software, mobile apps, electronic devices, and more. The goal is to make sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can use these technologies effectively.

Why is EN 301 549 significant?

There are 6 significant outcomes of Canada adopting EN 301 549:

• Unified national standard
• Alignment with international standards
• Comprehensive coverage
• Promotion of inclusive design
• Potential to drive innovation
• Legal and regulatory clarity

Let’s explore these in more detail.

Unified national standard

Previously, accessibility standards varied across different provinces in Canada. Adopting EN 301 549 creates a single, cohesive standard that applies nationwide, ensuring consistency in accessibility requirements.

Alignment with international standards

By adopting a European standard, Canada aligns itself with global best practices in accessibility. This harmonization can facilitate international trade and cooperation, and make it easier for multinational companies to comply with accessibility requirements in multiple regions.

Comprehensive coverage

EN 301 549 covers a wide range of ICT products and services, from websites and software to mobile apps and hardware devices. This comprehensive approach ensures that accessibility is considered across all forms of digital interaction.

Promotion of inclusive design

The standard emphasizes integrating accessibility into the design and development process from the start. This proactive approach encourages the creation of more inclusive products and services, rather than retrofitting accessibility features later.

Potential to drive innovation

With a clear set of guidelines, companies are encouraged to innovate and develop new solutions that meet accessibility requirements. This can lead to advancements in technology that benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities.

Legal and regulatory clarity

Having a unified standard provides clearer guidelines for businesses and organizations, reducing confusion and helping them understand their legal obligations. This can lead to better compliance and improved accessibility across the board.

So what can we do better?

To truly improve accessibility, we must go beyond checklists and focus on understanding how people with disabilities interact with digital platforms. This involves:

Improving user experiences

Ensuring that digital interfaces are not only compliant but also user-friendly for individuals with disabilities. This requires continuous internal and user testing that includes feedback from the disability community.

Clarity in validation

Developing clear and practical methods to validate an accessible user experience that goes beyond general references to the WCAG. This should involve real-world testing and user validation to ensure that accessibility features genuinely enhance user experiences, but it begins with educating and practicing accessibility across content, design, and code.

At Say Yeah, we are committed to this approach. We believe that accessibility should be about creating inclusive and engaging experiences for all users.

To learn more, check out these three resources that highlight different ways people interact with websites, and the importance of improving these experiences and methods to ensure quality:

A look at the accessibility issues you probably forgot to test for

Delivering accessible online courses

An exciting inflection point for accessibility and inclusion

You can also dive deeper into the challenges of focusing solely on compliance with the 2023 AODA legislative review commissioned by the Ontario Government.

We are thrilled to see Canada taking steps toward a comprehensive accessibility standard, but we recognize that there is still much work to be done.

By prioritizing user experiences and developing clearer validation methods, we can create a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape for everyone.

Looking to deliver more accessible and inclusive digital experiences? We’re here to help.

Get in touch

The post Canada adopts new accessibility standard: EN 301 549 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

In today’s ever-evolving digital learning landscape, learning leaders in higher education face new challenges and possibilities. The HEQCO conference will bring together subject-matter experts, educators, and learning leaders across the post-secondary sector to explore creative strategies that pave the way for increased institutional reach and learner success.

As an eLearning agency that prioritizes accessibility, we’re always eager to discuss new approaches to making education more inclusive and decolonizing curriculum to set global standards of learning. In 2022, we worked with George Brown College to build the Universal Design for Learning certificate program—a robust eLearning project built around these objectives and co-signed by HEQCO.

At this conference, we’re thrilled to exchange insights with other learning leaders on ways to deliver more engaging, accessible, and impactful learning programs.

What’s in store for you at the HEQCO Conference?

Hear from distinguished speakers like Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Malika Asthana, Mandy Bonisteel, Beverly-Jean Daniel, C.A. Klassen,  and more. 

Catch the following talks:

• Meaningful Engagement: Improving Access Research Using EDID Principles with Anthony Berin, Helen Tewolde, and, C.A. Klassen
• Inclusive Approaches to Engaging with Students with Zarreen Brown, Beverly-Jean Daniel, Celeste Licorish, Gillian Parekh, Joseph Pazzano, Katie Traynor, Hai-Anh Vu, and Amanda White
• Spotlight on Universal Design for Learning: Using UDL to Navigate Technological Change with Mandy Bonisteel, Joanna Friend, Sharmaine Itwaru, Danny Smith, and Susan Toews.

See the full speaker lineup here.

Register today!

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn more about how to leverage accessibility in your organization. Get tickets for conference access at $325.

Save your seat.

Want to work with us or learn more about our approach to developing accessible online courses for higher education institutions?

If you want to hire us to develop, design and bring your learning to life, you can get in learn more about our custom eLearning service here.

Get in touch

The post HEQCO Conference, November 3, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Join us at the annual (free!) Inclusive Design 24 Conference (#id24) where Say Yeah CEO Lee Dale will give a talk on “A practical guide to inclusive design.” 

As champions of inclusive design in tech + education, we’re always eager to talk about how organizations and businesses can leverage inclusive practices to grow access and engagement in evolving and increasingly diverse markets. In 2021, Lee Dale spoke about why designing with intersectionality in mind is critical in his talk titled “There is no average person.” This year, he will dive deeper in exploring the business and organizational benefits of inclusive design and present a complementary model to better understand the people we serve.

Watch Say Yeah CEO Lee Dale’s 2021 talk “There is no average person.”

What you can expect at this year’s Inclusive Design 24 Conference (#id24)

Whether you’re on a product, service, or educational program team, you can look forward to insights on intersectionality, AI, user research, design, and more from accessibility and inclusive design leaders across the world. For example:

• Measuring Accessibility Maturity with Andrew Arch and Neil Jarvis
• Disability Bias in Artificial Intelligence with Christopher Land
• Inclusion Starts with Us with Lia McCabe

View the full conference schedule

Watch the conference

This event is free, with no registration required. Join the conversation live on the Inclusive 24 YouTube channel.

Interested in tech + education insights?

Subscribe to our email list now and be at the forefront of learning innovation!

Sign up for our newsletter

The post Inclusive Design 24 Conference #id24, September 21-22, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

The Saudi STEM Education Conference 2023 will bring together educators, policymakers and stakeholders in the region to explore ways to set global standards of learning and improve workplace readiness and capability.

As a leader in the tech + education space, we know the power and possibilities of digital solutions and innovations to enhance job readiness, increase access to education, bolster global competitiveness, and more.

Earlier this year, we spoke at the LEAP conference in Riyadh, sharing global research and best practices in online education as part of our commitment to supporting Saudi’s Vision 2030 initiatives. At this conference, we’re thrilled to be continuing those conversations–and to showcase our full-service eLearning and training capabilities in delivering more engaging, accessible, and impactful learning programs.

What’s in store for you at the Saudi STEM Education Conference?

Hear from distinguished speakers like Christopher Tompkins, Kantis Simmons, Abeer Tadmori, Dr. Reema AlQaralleh, Dima Najim, Anis Koubaa, Mike Cobb,  Kamil Jbeily, and more. 

Catch the following exciting talks:

• Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders: Unleashing Innovation Through Authentic Learning, Student Agency, and Agile Frameworks with Christopher Tompkins and Mike Cobb
• STEM Curriculum Designing and AI Revolution with Dr. Reema AlQaralleh 
• Dynamic Partnerships for Excellence in STEM Education: Empowering Teachers to Teach Effectively with Kamil Jbeily

Don’t miss the full speaker lineup here.

Want to hear more from Say Yeah?

Subscribe to our email list for updates in the tech + education space.

Sign up for our newsletter

The post The Saudi STEM Education Conference, September 19–20, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Bringing together educators and learning experts, it was an opportunity to take a deeper dive into UDL and complementary frameworks like community building and empowerment to improve learning across professional development and higher education ecosystems. 

As a sponsor for the event, we were excited to sit in on some great conversations and hear fresh perspectives on continuous improvement, inclusive pedagogy, and more, while sharing a bit of our own mission to deliver inclusive, engaging, and accessible digital-enabled learning experiences for all.

Conference highlights

A snapshot of two attendees interacting during a networking session at a previous annual CAST UDL symposium.

• Unpacking Nicole Tucker-Smith’s keynote speech on cultivating brave spaces by designing from diverse perspectives
• Discovering the concept of the science of hope and how it impacts learning from Cathleen Stocktill-Beachboard
• Participating in a continuous improvement activity with Alia Latorre
• Digesting Humberto Hernandez’s insights into inclusive pedagogies

Takeaways from the 9th annual CAST UDL Symposium 2023

Diversity and intersectionality collectively drive change and innovation.

Nicole Tucker-Smith set the scene with a powerful keynote speech on designing from diverse perspectives, noting that the power of intersectionality is required to solve problems on a large scale. Among her references was a study showing the impact of diversity on the scientific community and how it resulted in improved problem-solving, specialization, objectivity, and more.

To conclude her speech, Nicole shared some concrete ideas about how to design learning environments free from limits:

• We embrace and showcase learner variability when we give learners a wide range of options, including aspirational ones.
• Diverse strategies make learning more effective. Consider storytelling, holistic thinking, systems approach, and analogies. 
• Be proactive in setting learning outcomes, and ensure the design of your learning programs empowers participants to meet them. Designing for learner variability takes into account individual and cultural characteristics.

Learners thrive when we prioritize their strengths.

Cathleen Stocktill-Beachboard’s session was centred around the science of hope and how it impacts learning. In particular, she focused on positive framing: Learning shouldn’t be something to endure; rather, it should be a positive experience that empowers learners to enhance their capabilities and gain confidence in their learning journeys.

Cathleen highlighted that the onus for learning is not just on the learner—education and training experts can do a lot to set learners up for success. In order to make learning more effective, she suggested strategies like enabling reflection, feedback, and goal setting, as well as: 

• making the subject matter relatable to the learner’s perspective and objectives
• providing additional resources and a community of practice to give learners a path forward when they run into challenges
• empowering learners with agency and choice so they can take ownership of their learning journey

Continuous improvement is a key ingredient to successful learning programs.

Whether you’re running onboarding programs or employee training, continuous improvement in learning and development can be a valuable practice in building learning tools and pathways to help learners bridge theory to practice.

 But how do you implement continuous improvement and ensure your learning programs continue to meet the desired levels of impact across the organization? 

In a continuous improvement activity with Alia Latorre, we practiced answering three questions to assess and drive continuous improvement: 

1. What problem are we trying to solve?
2. What change might we introduce and why?
3. How will we know that a change is actually an improvement?

There’s more to inclusive training than accommodations.

In his talk about facilitating inclusive teaching, Humberto Hernandez pointed out the barriers disenfranchised learners experience in programs across the United States. 

For instance, the term “inclusivity” is often associated with accommodations and “making room” for others, but it’s more than that. Inclusivity, especially in learning environments, involves welcoming users through language, design, and engagement. We can achieve this outcome through a deliberate and proactive process that not only designs for but also designs with diverse users.

Another barrier is that learning programs are mostly facilitated by subject matter experts who have limited experience in instructional design and learning science, and therefore can face challenges in applying inclusive practices in a learning environment.

The solution to these barriers mirrors our approach to course design, which includes:

• challenging traditional methods of learning by reviewing educational foundations and processes
• bringing subject matter experts and learning experts together to combine their expertise in building effective learning programs
• making digital learning environments more human by including options to engage with other learners and providing opportunities for learners to apply and contextualize courses in relation to their work and lives

The CAST UDL Symposium 2023 was an excellent opportunity to explore UDL best practices and other evidence-based frameworks that empower learners to move from theory to practice.

We look forward to next year’s symposium and the chance to connect with more of you as we continue to work to advance the goals of UDL.

Interested in learning more about how UDL can help you reach your organization’s training goals?

Over the years, we have set new standards of learning through projects that prioritize the UDL principles of Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression.

Learn how we helped George Brown College build UDL capacity at scale across Ontario institutions.

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