CCE STEM: Ethical Inclusion of People with Disabilities through Undergraduate Computing Education

据世界卫生组织估计，世界上有15%的人口患有某种形式的残疾；由于人口增长和医疗保健的改善导致寿命延长，这个数字还在上升。虽然计算设备和互联网已经成为充分参与社会的关键，但这些技术中的许多对那些经历残疾的人来说是无法获得的。平等获得技术的机会作为计算伦理中的一个问题进行了讨论，许多计算专业人员报告说，他们决定在工作中考虑可访问性是出于伦理动机。然而，在面向计算机专业学生的伦理学课程中，通常不会涉及平等访问的问题。为了解决这一差距，PI和她的团队将提供基于证据的信息，说明各种教育干预措施对培训未来计算机专业人员有关包容性技术开发的有效性。它们还将提供必要的资源，以便在其他大学推广这些干预措施。接受包容性设计伦理培训的学生将受到激励，以满足全球对包容性技术的需求。这种设计有可能为那些因年龄、事故或医疗条件而经历残疾的人创造公平的竞争环境。通过这个项目提供的材料(包括学生项目、可访问性项目想法和讲课幻灯片的视频展示)将为教师提供将可访问性信息纳入他们的计算课程的手段。为了确保这些材料满足教学需要，将对其他大学的教职员工进行调查，以评估这些资源。这项工作将在NSF相关的伦理档案位置和团队的网站上发布。残疾学生将作为研究助理参与该项目。虽然先前的教育工作者已经实施了具体的干预措施来培训计算机学位学生关于无障碍教育，但有必要对无障碍教育的其他干预措施进行系统的比较。PI和她的团队将在规模和实验严谨程度上调查无障碍教育的多种干预措施的效果，这是以前从未尝试过的。虽然可获得性和包容性对专业人士来说是关键，但到目前为止，这些概念在计算机学位课程的伦理学课程中的覆盖面有限。在另一个创新方面，这项工作将审查残疾人的参与在多大程度上有助于教育干预。这三位研究人员在他们的职业生涯中都参与了无障碍研究和教育。这项研究将在制定教育干预措施(例如，无障碍讲座、具有无障碍技术实践经验的作业、与无障碍或包容性有关的主题的团队项目、残疾用户作为最终用户或作为项目团队成员的参与)方面借鉴这一经验。干预措施将在本科课程中实施，作为人机交互必修课程的一部分。该团队将对比这些项目的学生和同一机构其他计算机本科项目的学生之间关于包容性设计必要性的观点，作为对照，这些学生没有接触到干预措施。学生对其在促进可获得性方面的作用的道德认知将在他们的最后一年学习中进行衡量。衡量标准包括对残疾人态度的标准化问卷调查，对设计中无障碍因素的基于情景的评估，以及对学生书面作业的定性分析。

It is estimated by the World Health Organization that 15% of the world's population has some form of disability; a number that is rising due to population growth and improvements in medical care leading to longer lifespans. While computing devices and the Internet have become essential for full participation in society, many of these technologies are not accessible for those who experience disability. Equal access to technology has been discussed as an issue in computing ethics, and many computing professionals report an ethical motivation for their decision to consider accessibility in their work. However, equal access is not typically addressed in ethics curricula for computing students. To address this gap, the PI and her team will provide evidence-based information as to the efficacy of various educational interventions for training future computing professionals about inclusive technology development. They also will provide the resources necessary to replicate these interventions at other universities. Students trained in the ethics of inclusive design will be motivated to meet global needs for inclusive technology. Such design has the potential to level the playing field for those who through age, accident, or medical circumstances experience disability. The materials to be made available through this project (including a video showcase of student projects, accessibility project ideas, and lecture slides) will provide faculty with the means to incorporate accessibility information into their computing curriculum. To ensure that these materials meet instructional needs, faculty at other universities will be surveyed to evaluate these resources. This work will be published in NSF-related ethics archive locations and on the team's website. Students with disabilities will be involved in the project as research assistants.While prior educators have implemented specific interventions to train computing degree students about accessibility, there is a need for a systematic comparison of alternative interventions for accessibility education. The PI and her team will investigate the efficacy of multiple interventions for accessibility education on a scale and with a level of experimental rigor not previously attempted. While accessibility and inclusion are key for professionals, these concepts have thus far had limited coverage in ethics curricula in computing degree programs. In another innovative aspect, this work will examine the extent to which participation of people with disabilities contributes to the educational interventions. The three investigators have each been involved in accessibility research and education throughout their careers. This research will build on that experience in developing educational interventions (e.g., lectures on accessibility, assignments having hands-on experience with accessibility technology, team projects on a topic related to accessibility or inclusion, involvement by users with a disability as either an end-user, or as a project team member). Interventions will be implemented within undergraduate programs as part of required courses on human-computer interaction. The team will contrast views about the need for inclusive design between students in these programs with, as a control, students in other computing undergraduate programs at the same institution who are not exposed to the interventions. Students' ethical perceptions of their role in promoting accessibility will be measured in their final year of study. Measurements will include standardized questionnaires of attitudes toward people with disabilities, scenario-based evaluation of accessibility considerations in design, and qualitative analysis of written student work.