ADCHE 8 (1) pp. 27–55 © Intellect Ltd 2009 27 Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education Volume 8 Number 1 Article. English language. doi: 10.1386/adche.8.1.27/1 © Intellect Ltd 2009 Keywords accessibility art education Computer Supported Collaborative Learning design research film studies inclusion multimodality usability web-based learning material Concept maps in the design of an accessible CinemaSense service Antti Raike Media Lab, University of Art and Design Helsinki (TaiK) Kai Hakkarainen Department of Education, University of Helsinki Abstract The purpose of the study was to produce accessible web-based study material concerning cinematic expression, entitled CinemaSense (http://elokuvan- taju.uiah.fi), suited to those of diverse backgrounds. The design of the web service in question took place in collaboration with two groups of students in two universities. The first ‘Novice Group’ consisted of seven deaf teacher- training students who use Finnish Sign Language as their first language; they were education majors in a five-year MA programme, preparing them for the primary-level classroom. They were engaged in a two-year web-based study concerning cinematic expression, culminating in making their own documen- tary. The second ‘Expert Group’ consisted of five Finnish-speaking students majoring in film who followed their own art school-based curriculum. The participants were asked to draw concept maps concerning cinematic expres- sion several times during the design experiment. The conceptions and struc- tures of the participants’ concept maps significantly affected the design of CinemaSense’s map-like user interface and assisted in validating design deci- sions across three iterative cycles. Multi-level evidence gathered at the end of the experiment indicated that the participants in the ‘Novice Group’ adopted a novice film-maker’s perspective on films rather than a film-viewer’s per- spective. Implications of creating more accessible learning environments are discussed. Introduction In the present design study the objective was to develop the CinemaSense web service (http://elokuvantaju.uiah.fi) to provide basic information on film art. Technology-enhanced learning environments provide tools and practices that facilitate inclusive processes of collaborative learning across educational contexts serving diverse populations, in terms of backgrounds and abilities. The purpose of the qualitative study was to develop a tool and practice of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) (Wasson, Ludvigsen and Hoppe 2003; Lehtinen, Hakkarainen, Lipponen, Rahikainen and Muukkonen 1999) for learning cinematic expression, which were more accessible and flexible in nature. The study