Notes
Technical Standards for Training
E-standards for training? Slide 1.
What are “e-standards”
Technical standards are requirements, which if met that allow electronic content and
tools to operate across platforms and systems. If you are developing or managing elearning infrastructure and content, a standards-based approach can increase the
number of learners and learning environments that can use or deploy your
materials.
E-LEARNING TECHNICAL STANDARDS? SLIDE 2
If you are developing or managing e-learning infrastructure and content, a
standards-based approach can increase the number of learners and learning
environments that can use or deploy your materials.
SLIDE 3 WHAT FUNCTIONS DO STANDARDS COVER? SLIDE 3
Content has features or characteristics. They can be best summed up I think by
asking a series of questions about the content you are creating customising or
reusing from another sources.
Accessibility:
Can someone with a disability use my material?
Content formats:
Can my material be used by someone who has a computer with software/hardware
most commonly used by Australian students today?
Content packaging:
Enables the packaging of digital content to enhance its portability. Content
packaging is particularly relevant for creating learning objects. SCORM, IMS are some
of the packaging standards.
Intellectual property:
Sets the way of describing, in a learning resources, the intellectual property and
attribution requirements for using the resource.
Metadata and vocabs:
These enable learning content to be better managed and easier to locate, use, re-use
and report – particularly when published online or through a Learning Management
System.
Repositories:
Standards relating to the implementation and use of repositories - e.g. how
repository software might pick up or deal with metadata.
Web Services:
Technologies for the exchange of data over the web.
Platforms
Desktop:
Recommendations about hardware, software and operating systems required by
end-users on desktop computers to utilise VET e-learning content and systems. This
section provides recommendations for the minimum set of browser plug-ins and the
minimum software and hardware platform that VET practitioners should have access
to and that developers should use to test their e-learning content with.
Mobile:
Recommendations about the hardware, software and operating systems required by
users of VET e-learning content and systems on mobile devices. This section provides
recommendations for the minimum software and hardware specifications required
by users of e-learning. Developers should test their e-learning content and systems
for mobile devices against this baseline.
CONTENT STANDARDS: SLIDE 4
Many are for web developers and those familiar with writing web pages. But other
relate simply to the outputs of content development software we use every day:
TEXT Documents:
 .RTF
 .DOCX
RTF and DOCX format compatible with Microsoft Office 2007. The MS Office
Compatibility Pack allows document editing in older Office versions
PRESENTATION Documents:
 .PPTX
PowerPoint is a cross-platform compatible presentation application. Keynote and
OpenOffice presentations may also be converted to a PowerPoint format to extend
their interoperability.
FIXED DISPLAY documents
 .PDF
DF documents should be readable in Adobe Reader 9.0 and above.
PDFs are not automatically accessible but they can be considered accessible
provided that they are correctly tagged. Embedded fonts are recommended.
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format used to represent documents in a
manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems.[2]
Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document,
including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it. In
1991, Adobe Systems co-founder John Warnock outlined a system called
"Camelot"[3] that evolved into PDF.
While the PDF specification has been available free of charge since at least 2001,[4]
PDF was originally a proprietary format controlled by Adobe. It was officially
released as an open standard on July 1, 2008, and published by the International
Organization for Standardization
EBOOKS
 .EPUB
WEB GRAPHICS
 GIF is recommended for images comprising flat or solid areas of colour
 JPEG is recommended for photographs and other images with smooth
variations of colour (gradients).
 PNG can be used for both the bitmap image types described above, and has
the additional option of a transparent (alpha) channel. (JPEG will often
produce a smaller file size, but with a quality trade-off).
MOBILE
 Specify image size (both width and height as percentage of parent element)
in web page mark-up for all images.
AUDIO
Balancing quality and size:
 .MP3 defacto standard for playback on digital audio players
MP3 reduces the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still
sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most
listeners. An MP3 file that is created using the setting of 128 kbit/s will result in a file
that is about 1/11 the size[note 1] of the CD file created from the original audio
source. An MP3 file can also be constructed at higher or lower bit rates, with higher
or lower resulting quality.
VIDEO
 .MPEG4
The delivery platform is the primary consideration in deciding the format of video
content however the H.264 codec has the broadest application and support.Content
developers must balance quality with data rate while maintaining clarity and
meaning. The H.264 codec is recommended for both SWF and MP4 formats for
broadest forward compatibility.
Note: 3GP video container format (.3gp) may be used for playing (lower quality)
stand-alone video files on mobile devices: 3GP_and_3G2 (Opens in new window)

.SWF (Incorporating FLV, F4V, with H.264 codec)
For mobile devices:
The delivery platform is the primary consideration in deciding the format of video
content however the H.264 codec has the broadest application and support. Content
developers must balance quality with data rate while maintaining clarity and
meaning.
The H.264 codec is recommended for both SWF and MP4 formats for broadest
forward compatibility.
Note: 3GP video container format (.3gp) may be used for playing (lower quality)
stand-alone video files on mobile devices: 3GP_and_3G2 (Opens in new window)
SOFTWARE ANALYSER TOOL: Slide 5
http://estandards.flexiblelearning.net.au/implementation/software_analyser_tool.php
This tool has been developed to assist you in identifying applications, plug-ins and
settings on your computer so that you may successfully use e-learning content
developed to meet the 2011 VET e-learning content standards, such as Toolboxes
TEACHER TOOLKIT: SLIDE 6
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/implementation/vet_teacher_elearning_toolkit/index.php
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TOOLKIT: SLIDE 7
This is being reviewed at present – but currently there are a raft of
recommendations as to what functionality in needed to support e-learning.
Lets Guess!
ACCESSIBILITY: SLIDE 8.
1.1 Text Alternatives:
Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into
other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler
language.
1.2 Time-based Media:
Provide alternatives for time-based media.
1.3 Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for
example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
1.4 Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including
separating foreground from background.
2.1 Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
2.2 Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content.
2.3 Seizures: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.
2.4 Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine
where they are.
3.1 Readable: Make text content readable and understandable.
3.2 Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
3.3 Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
4.1 Compatible: Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents,
including assistive technologies.
COLOUR EXAMPLE: SLIDE 9
Understanding SC 1.4.1
1.4.1 Use of Color: Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying
information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual
element. (Level A)
Note: This success criterion addresses color perception specifically. Other forms of
perception are covered in Guideline 1.3 including programmatic access to color and
other visual presentation coding.
Intent of this Success Criterion
The intent of this Success Criterion is to ensure that all users can access information
that is conveyed by color differences, that is, by the use of color where each color
has a meaning assigned to it. If the information is conveyed through color
differences in an image (or other non-text format), the color may not be seen by
users with color deficiencies. In this case, providing the information conveyed with
color through another visual means ensures users who cannot see color can still
perceive the information.
Color is an important asset in design of Web content, enhancing its aesthetic appeal,
its usability, and its accessibility. However, some users have difficulty perceiving
color. People with partial sight often experience limited color vision, and many older
users do not see color well. In addition, people using text-only, limited-color or
monochrome displays and browsers will be unable to access information that is
presented only in color.
Examples of information conveyed by color differences: “required fields are red",
“error is shown in red", and “Mary's sales are in red, Tom's are in blue". Examples of
indications of an action include: using color to indicate that a link will open in a new
window or that a database entry has been updated successfully. An example of
prompting a response would be: using highlighting on form fields to indicate that a
required field had been left blank.
Note: This should not in any way discourage the use of color on a page, or even color
coding if it is redundant with other visual indication.
Specific Benefits of Success Criterion 1.4.1:
 Users with partial sight often experience limited color vision.
 Some older users may not be able to see color well.
 Users who have color-blindness benefit when information conveyed by color
is available in other visual ways.
 People using text-only, limited color, or monochrome displays may be unable
to access color-dependent information.
 Users who have problems distinguishing between colors can look or listen for
text cues.
 People using Braille displays or other tactile interfaces can detect text cues by
touch.
Examples of Success Criterion 1.4.1
 A form that uses color and text to indicate required fields
A form contains both required and optional fields. Instructions at the top of
the form explain that required fields are labelled with red text and also with
an icon whose text alternative says, "Required." Both the red text and the
icon are programmatically associated with the appropriate form fields so that
assistive technology users can determine the required fields.
 An examination.
Students view an SVG image of a chemical compound and identify the
chemical elements present based on the colors and numbers used in the
diagram. The text alternatives associated with each element name the color
of the element and indicate the element's position in the diagram. Students
who cannot perceive color have the same information about the compound
as their classmates. (This technique also satisfies Guideline 1.1 Level A.)
 Disabled Form elements.
Form elements which are disabled via mark-up or scripting, are greyed out
and made inactive by the user agent. When in the disabled state these
elements do not receive focus. Assistive technologies can programmatically
determine the state of disabled elements and will provide this information to
the user as the elements are encountered on the page. The change in color
and loss of focus provides redundant, visual information about the state of
the control.
Source: http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/visual-audio-contrastwithout-color.html
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/Overview.php