About the Research
The idea for this research project emerged in the fall of 2023, when a student with vision loss enrolled in a course containing a significant number of educational images. The instructor was unsure how best to provide meaningful image descriptions, so the department asked a member of our research team for help.
We explored using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create alternative text (alt-text) for these images. However, this raised an important question: Did the AI-generated descriptions provide the information students needed to understand the images in an educational context?
This experience became the foundation for our research into the potential benefits and limitations of AI-generated alt-text in Humanities and Social Sciences education.
Research Purpose and Objectives
This study explores the challenges and benefits that blind and low-vision students in higher education experience when using educational images and their associated alternative text (alt-text) in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Research Objectives
- Identify challenges and benefits: Examine the challenges and benefits of AI-generated alt-text for blind and low-vision students studying in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
- Improve AI-generated alt-text: Explore ways to address the limitations of AI-generated alt-text and improve its accuracy, relevance, and usefulness for educational purposes.
- Develop educational resources: Create practical guides for students, faculty, and staff on using generative AI to produce meaningful and accessible alt-text for educational images in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Who Can Participate?
We are seeking undergraduate and graduate students who are blind or have low vision and use a screen reader to access or understand their course materials. Participants must be enrolled at an Ontario post-secondary institution and either be majoring in the Humanities or Social Sciences or taking courses in these disciplines.
What Does Participation Involve?
Participation in this study involves a 90-minute online group interview conducted through Zoom, where participants will discuss what makes alternative text (alt-text) effective or ineffective. Participants will also complete a short online survey through Microsoft Forms that takes less than 30 minutes to evaluate sample image descriptions. As a thank-you for their time, participants will receive $50 in gift cards to a retailer of their choice, distributed in two installments: $25 after the group interview and $25 after completing the survey.
Interested in Participating?
Please complete the participant eligibility and pre-screening questionnaire through Microsoft Teams. We will follow up with next steps for those selected.