DIG 3175.0W61: Design for Accessibility and Engagement
Games and Interactive Media, Nicholson School of Communication and Media
3 Credit Hours
Table of Contents
Instructor Information
- Instructor: Rachel Winter
- Office Location: CMB 173S
- Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-3 (virtual - email me for Zoom link)
- Phone: 407-823-1711
- Digital Contact: Webcourses messaging (preferred) or rachel.winter@ucf.edu
Course Information
- Term: Fall 2021
- Course Number & Section: DIG 3175.0W61
- Course Name: Design for Accessibility and Engagement
- Credit Hours: 3 hours
- Class Meeting Days: online
- Class Meeting Time: online
- Class Location: online
- Course Modality: W
Enrollment Requirements
Course Prerequisites: DIG 3174c Front-End Web Design
Course Description
A multidisciplinary examination of methods and strategies for designing accessible and engaging web applications. Fall, Spring
Course Materials and Resources
Required Materials/Resources
Student Learning Outcomes
Web Page/App usage has moved from luxury to necessity. Users engage with the product of design for virtually all aspects of life. As designers, it is increasingly important to create products which are both engaging and accessible. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ design strategy simply does not work with such a diverse user base. The purpose of this class is to thoughtfully interrogate issues of access and engagement.
Students will:
- Understand users in the abstract as well as individuals
- Exam design affordances for potential problems
- Explore cases in which design has failed a population
- Perform research on accessibility
- Synthesize new ideas about meaningful engagement
Course Activities
Requirements
Students must have access to a working internet connection and should plan to check in to the course at least twice a week.
Academic Engagement Activity
As of Fall 2014, all faculty members are required to document students' academic activity at the beginning of each course. In order to document that you began this course, please complete the following academic activity by the end of the first week of classes, or as soon as possible after adding the course, but no later than August 30. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid.
For this class, you are required to complete a short skills survey. Access your Webcourses@UCF (Canvas) course site following the directions below.
- Go to the myUCF portal (https://my.ucf.edu) and select the Webcourses@UCF button on the left side of the screen.
- Log in with your NID and NID password, then access each course by selecting it in the "Courses" dropdown menu at the top of the page.
- Find the “Syllabus Quiz” under quizzes and complete all questions
Reading Quizzes:
Due Date: Weekly
Doing the weekly reading is required. There are quizzes due by 11:59pm each Friday of the course.
Discussions:
Due: Weekly
Every week, we will have a discussion digging into an issue in depth. By 11:59pm each Wednesday, you'll post a reflection to the discussion board, exploring your thoughts on the discussion. You'll then respond to at least one peer by 11:59pm each Friday.
Major Assignments:
Over the course of the semester, you’ll be working in clusters to evaluate an accessibility in design. What’s a research cluster (you might ask)? In academia, a cluster is typically a group of people with similar research agendas who coordinate with one another in order to achieve their goals.
There are two major assignments:
Major Assignment #1: Students will work with cluster members to research a subject of accessibility and create a website exploring the subject
Due October 1st
Major Assignment #2: Each cluster will create a 10 minute audio/visual presentation as a companion to their website. These will go more deeply into your cluster’s topics.
Due Date Variable (see schedule below).
Final Exam
Students will complete a final reflection for the course that will be due during the course's finals period on Friday, December 10 at 11:59pm.
Activity Submissions
All assignments will be submitted through Webcourses.
Make-up Exams and Assignments
Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.
Religious Observances: Students are expected to notify their instructor in advance if they intend to miss class to observe a holy day of their religious faith. If the holiday conflicts with a major class assignment, alternate arrangements will be made.
Major Assignments: You have ample lead time for both parts of the major assignment Because of this, extensions on major assignments will only be granted under the direst of circumstances. If something has gone terribly wrong, do reach out though and we will figure something out.
***Note: Unexpected events do occur, and often the most disruptive ones are the hardest for which to plan. Common sense should apply here (Car accident = valid excuse / Overslept = invalid excuse). If something like this happens, contact me as soon as possible to see what arrangements can be made.
Assessment and Grading Procedures
The table shows the weight distribution for each assignment.
|
Assignment
|
Percentage of Grade
|
|
Quizzes
|
15%
|
|
Discussions
|
15%
|
|
Major Assignment 1
|
30%
|
|
Major Assignment 2
|
35%
|
|
Final Reflection
|
5%
|
|
Total
|
100%
|
|
Grade Range
|
|
Letter Grade
|
Points
|
|
A
|
90-100
|
|
B
|
80-89
|
|
C
|
70-79
|
|
D
|
60-69
|
|
F
|
59 or below
|
Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.
Course Policies
Late Work
No late work will be accepted in this course without a documented emergency. You can resubmit through Webcourses at any time up to the deadline, but work submitted after the close of the assignment will not be graded. University policy states that students must be allowed to turn in makeup work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for university-sponsored events, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). In these instances, students must also be excused from class without penalty. The instructor will make an effort to match the make-up assignment as closely as possible to the content the student missed, however, “equivalent, alternate assignments” will typically be 1-3 page research papers that provide students with an opportunity to learn/practice the skills they missed in the original assignment.
Email
Students can send messages through Webcourses or email at any time. The instructor will generally respond within 24 business hours during the week and 72 over the weekend. UCF policy requires you to use your UCF email account to communicate.
Webcourses
You can access your grades and feedback at any time using the Grade Book function of Webcourses. All assignments will be submitted through Webcourses. Plan on checking the site at least twice a week for updates and assignment information. If you miss a class, a summary of what you missed will be posted in the corresponding week’s announcements.
Course Schedule
|
Week/Dates
|
Topic
|
Assignments
|
Due Dates
|
|
Week 1
|
Course Introduction and Syllabus Review
|
Syllabus Quiz
|
Friday, August 27 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 2
|
Introduction to Design Justice and Justice by Design
|
Quiz #1
Discussion #1
|
Friday, September 3 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 3
|
Discriminatory Design and Affordances
|
Quiz #2
Discussion #2
|
Friday, September 10 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 4
|
Related Approaches, Retooling for Justice, and Gender Shades
|
Quiz #3
Discussion #3
|
Friday, September 17 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 5
|
Design Practices: Inequities in the field of design and Women in Tech
|
Quiz #4
Major Assignment #1 Tasks
|
Friday, September 24 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 6
|
Design Practices: Imagined users and Von Hippel's Lead Users
|
Quiz #5
Major Assignment #1
Major Assignment #1 Student Evaluation of Cluster
|
Friday, October 1 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 7
|
A Brief Introduction to Cognitive Disabilities, Designing for Cognitive Accessibility, and Improving Games for Cognitive Accessibility
|
Quiz #6
Discussion #4
|
Friday, October 8 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 8
|
Introduction to Visual Impairment, Designing for Cognitive Accessibility, and Low-Vision Gamers: Evaluating for Accessibility
|
Quiz #7
Major Assignment #2 Tasks
|
Friday, October 15 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 9
|
A Brief Introduction to Auditory Accessibility and Improving Games for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
|
MA II Groups 1 and 2
Quiz #8
|
Friday, October 22 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 10
|
Participatory Design, Major Assignment #2 Group 1 and Major Assignment #2 Group 2
|
MA II Groups 3 and 4
Quiz #9
Discussion #5
|
Friday, October 29 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 11
|
Design Narratives, Innovation, Attribution, and Appropriation, Major Assignment #2 Group 3, and Major Assignment #2 Group 4
|
MA II Groups 5 and 6
Quiz #10
Discussion #6
|
Friday, November 5 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 12
|
Scoping and Framing Issues in Design, Major Assignment #2 Group 5, and Major Assignment #2 Group 6
|
MA II Groups 7 and 8
Quiz #11
Discussion #7
|
Friday, November 12 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 13
|
Community-Based Design, Subaltern Design Sites and Practices, Major Assignment #2 Group 7, and Major Assignment #2 Group 8
|
MA II Groups 9 and 10
Quiz #12
Discussion #8
|
Friday, November 19 at 11:59pm
|
| Week 14 |
Major Assignment #2 Group 9 |
MA II Groups 11, 12, and 13
Discussion #9
|
Friday, November 26 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 15
|
Hacking Design Sites, Hackathons for Design Justice, Major Assignment #2 Group 10, Major Assignment #2 Group 11, Major Assignment #2 Group 12, Major Assignment #2 Group 13
|
Quiz #13
Discussion #10
|
Friday, December 3 at 11:59pm
|
|
Week 16
|
Final Exam
|
Final Reflection
|
Friday, December 10 at 11:59pm
|
University Services and Resources
Academic Services and Resources
A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.
Non-Academic Services and Resources
A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.
If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.
Policy Statements
Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. According to Section 1, "Academic Misconduct," students are prohibited from engaging in:
- Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
- Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
- Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
- Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
- Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
- Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
- Helping another violate academic behavior standards.
For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity.
For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices”.
Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating
Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a "Z Designation" on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see UCF's Golden Rules.
The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need specific access in this course, such as accommodations, should contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss various access options. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (Ferrell Commons, 7F, Room 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone (407) 823-2371). Through Student Accessibility Services, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential access and accommodations that might be reasonable.
Fully online course sections (W, V)
Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.
- To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.eduLinks to an external site.> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
- Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
Sections with face-to-face components (M, RA, RV)
Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.
- In case of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.
- Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. Students should make a note of the guide’s physical location and review the online version at <http://emergency.ucf.edu/emergency_guide.htmlLinks to an external site.>.
- Students should know the evacuation routes from each of their classrooms and have a plan for finding safety in case of an emergency.
- If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To learn where those are located, see <http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/AEDlocations-UCFLinks to an external site.> (click on link from menu on left).
- To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to <https://my.ucf.eduLinks to an external site.> and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
- Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
- To learn about how to manage an active-shooter situation on campus or elsewhere, consider viewing this video (<You CAN Survive an Active Shooter (Links to an external site.)
Minimize Video>).
Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.