Exploring Accessibility Features and Plug-ins for Digital Prototyping Tools

Many digital systems are found to be inaccessible and a large part of the issue is that accessibility is not considered early enough in the design process. Digital prototyping tools are a powerful resource for designers to quickly explore both low and high fidelity design mockups during initial stages of product design and development. We evaluated 10 popular prototyping tools to understand their built-in and third-party accessibility features. We found that accessible design support is largely from third-party plug-ins rather than prototyping tools\u27 built-in features, and the availability of accessibility support varies from tool to tool. There is potential to improve accessible design by increasing the potential for accessibility to be consider earlier in the design process

Fostering co-creation tools for more inclusive digital mobility services: The DIGNITY Toolkit

El desenvolupament digital de les eines de mobilitat estan provocant un canvi de paradigma en la mobilitat, però pot excloure als qui no tenen accés a les eines digitals o els resulta difícil utilitzar-les per diverses raons. Això pot comportar majors desigualtats socials i limitar el desenvolupament urbà sostenible en diferents dimensions. Aquest projecte es basa en la co-creació d’un toolkit, una plataforma digital emmarcada en el projecte europeu H2020 DIGNITY. L'objectiu general del DIGNITY és fomentar un ecosistema de mobilitat digital sostenible, integrat i fàcil d’usar que millori l'accessibilitat i la inclusió social. Aquest toolkit presenta una metodologia amb eines sobre com avaluar i fer front a la bretxa digital per promoure la inclusió en la mobilitat. El toolkit està adreçat principalment a policymakers, proveïdors i operadors de mobilitat. La recerca s’ha basat en el procés de co-creació i el disseny centrat en l’usuari, amb la finalitat d’identificar les necessitats dels usuaris finals d’aquest toolkit, per a poder incloure’ls i tenir-los en compte durant tot el procés. S’ha seguit un procés de tres fases. La primera fase (framing) ha consistit a entendre la problemàtica i identificar les necessitats, fent una revisió de la literatura, creant un mapa de stakeholders, fent un benchmarking i entrevistes. Durant la segona fase (bridging), orientada a co-crear la solució, s’ha realitzat un taller de co-creació amb stakeholders rellevants, i s’ha dissenyat l’arquitectura web, prototips i una llista de requisits per assegurar que es tindran en compte necessitats dels usuaris finals. La tercera fase (evaluating) es basa en una proposta d'eines que consisteix en una avaluació d'accessibilitat, un taller de validació amb els stakeholders i un qüestionari als usuaris finals del toolkit, a completar durant la fase final del projecte.El desarrollo digital de las herramientas de movilidad están provocando un cambio de paradigma en la movilidad, pero puede excluir a quienes no tienen acceso a las herramientas digitales o los resulta difícil utilizarlas por varias razones. Esto puede comportar mayores desigualdades sociales y limitar el desarrollo urbano sostenible en diferentes dimensiones. Este proyecto se basa en la co-creación de un toolkit, una plataforma digital enmarcada en el proyecto europeo H2020 DIGNITY. El objetivo general del DIGNITY es fomentar un ecosistema de movilidad digital sostenible, integrado y fácil de usar que mejore la accesibilidad y la inclusión social. Este toolkit presenta una metodología con herramientas sobre como evaluar y hacer frente a la brecha digital para promover la inclusión en la movilidad. Lo toolkit está dirigido principalmente a policymakers, proveedores y operadores de movilidad. La investigación se ha basado en el proceso de co-creación y el diseño centrado en el usuario, con el fin de identificar las necesidades de los usuarios finales de este toolkit, para poder incluirlos y tenerlos en cuenta durante todo el proceso. Se ha seguido un proceso de tres fases. La primera fase (framing) ha consistido a entender la problemática e identificar las necesidades, haciendo una revisión de la literatura, creando un mapa de stakeholders, haciendo un benchmarking y entrevistas. Durante la segunda fase (bridging), orientada a co-crear la solución, se ha realizado un taller de co-creación con stakeholders relevantes, y se ha diseñado la arquitectura web, prototipos y una lista de requisitos para asegurar que se tendrán en cuenta necesidades de los usuarios finales. La tercera fase (evaluating) se basa en una propuesta de herramientas que consiste en una evaluación de accesibilidad, un taller de validación con los stakeholders y un cuestionario a los usuarios finales del toolkit, a completar durante la fase final del proyecto.Digital development of mobility tools is causing a paradigm shift in mobility, but it may exclude those who do not have access to digital tools or find it difficult to use them for various reasons. This may lead to greater social inequalities and limit sustainable urban development in different dimensions. This project is based on the co-creation of a toolkit, a digital platform framed in the European H2020 DIGNITY project. The general objective of DIGNITY is to promote an ecosystem of sustainable, integrated and user-friendly digital mobility that improves accessibility and social inclusion. This toolkit presents a methodology with tools on how to evaluate and tackle the digital divide to promote inclusion in mobility. The toolkit is primarily targeted at policymakers, suppliers and mobility operators. Research has been based on the user-centred design and co-creation process, in order to identify the needs of end users of this toolkit, so that they can be included and taken into account throughout the process. A three-phase process has been followed. The first phase (framing) has consisted of understanding the problem and identifying needs, reviewing literature, creating a list of stakeholders, benchmarking and interviews. During the second phase (bridging), aimed at co-creating the solution, a co-creation workshop with relevant stakeholders has been carried out, and web architecture, prototypes and a list of requirements with users' needs have been designed. The third phase (evaluating) is based on a tool proposal consisting of an accessibility assessment, a validation workshop with the stakeholders and a questionnaire to end users of the toolkit, to be completed during the final phase of the project

Thinking about Inclusion: Designing a Digital App Catalog for People with Motor Disability

Some apps serve as assistive technologies or digital therapeutic tools that can be used by rehabilitation professionals in the motor disability context, bringing benefits to therapists and people with disabilities. However, websites or catalogs do not provide reliable information, easy search, and intuitive access to these apps, causing access information difficulties. Therefore, this work proposes to develop a digital catalog of software focused on motor disability. This work performed a systematic search of websites and catalogs related to motor disability, a systematic search of the apps that the digital catalog would show, and a quality evaluation of selected apps using the Mobile Application Rating Scale tool. The digital catalog was developed with the information obtained in the previous phases combining the Prototyping and User Experience criteria, then assessed by final users, software testers, and a web accessibility evaluation tool. The catalog obtained a satisfactory quality score based on the end-users’ and therapists’ satisfaction when finding technological resources to use in their professional and health-care activities. This research aims to contribute to those interested in developing software for people with disabilities and encouraging them to create and design their implementations based on this study.This work was supported by the EduTech project (609785-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHEJP) co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

Education and Training Funded by the H-1B Visa Fee and the Demand for Information Technology and Other Professional Specialty Workers

CRS_April_2005_Education_and_Training_Funded_by_the_H_1B.pdf: 1087 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

The development of website games as learning media for 4th-grade elementary students

Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan game website sebagai media pembelajaran untuk siswa kelas 4 sekolah dasar pada semester dua. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah desain dan pengembangan (D&D) oleh Richey & Klein (2007) dengan model ADDIE (analisis, desain, pengembangan, implementasi, dan evaluasi). Terdapat beberapa instrumen penelitian yang digunakan dalam proses pengambilan data, yang bernama panduan wawancara kepada guru bahasa Inggris, lembar observasi untuk mengobservasi proses pembelajaran di kelas, analisis dokumen dalam bentuk modul pembelajaran dan alur tujuan pembelajaran, lembar penilaian ahli untuk ahli pendidikan, dan lembar kuesioner pengguna untuk guru dan lima siswa sekolah dasar kelas 4. Hasil penelitian ini adalah prototype game website. Hasil dari analisis data menunjukkan bahwa prototype game website dikualifikasi sebagai media yang sangat valid. Oleh karena itu, game website ini layak untuk digunakan sebagai media pembelajaran untuk siswa kelas 4 sekolah dasar.Abstract: This study aims to develop a website game as learning media for 4th-grade elementary students in the second semester. The subjects of this study were 4th-grade elementary students and an English teacher. The research method used is design and development (D&D) by Richey & Klein (2007) using ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) mode. Several research instruments were used in the data collection process, namely interview guides for English teachers, observation sheets to observe the learning process in the classroom, documents analysis in the form of teaching modules and objective learning flow, expert judgment sheet for the educational experts, user questionnaire sheet for the teacher and five 4th-grade elementary students. The outcome of this research is a website game prototype. The results of the data analysis show that the website game prototype qualified as a very valid product. Therefore, this website game is feasible to use as a learning media for 4th-grade elementary students

VCU Media Lab

We propose the establishment of a VCU Media Lab – a professional creative media technology unit whose mission is to support the development, design, production and delivery of innovative media, multimedia, computer-based instruction, publications and tools in support of VCU education, research and marketing initiatives. This centrally administered, budgeted and resourced facility will acknowledge, refine, focus and expand media services that are currently being provided at VCU in a decentralized manner

Dynamic e-learning modules for student lecture preparation

We have developed and demonstrated the effectiveness of a set of online interactive learning modules to accompany physics courses at first- and second-year university levels. Students access the modules prior to attending lectures to familiarize themselves with content which is then discussed and reaffirmed in class. Student surveys and access data show that students were much more likely to use material presented in this form, rather than a textbook, when preparing for lectures given in an active learning format. The students found that interactive simulations, videos of problem-solving approaches prepared by course staff, and quick-check immediate feedback questions were all useful tools for lecture preparation–none of which are available when using a traditional textbook for lecture preparation