Helping Computer Science Students Learn How to Build Accessible Computing Technologies

该项目旨在通过帮助学生学习在软件设计和开发中考虑不同用户受众的可访问性来服务于国家利益。无障碍是指确保用户公平地获得信息和服务，而不论其背景或能力如何。计算机科学课程往往缺乏对这一重要主题的充分覆盖，这影响了学生为计算机劳动力做好准备。该项目将通过在现有核心计算机科学课程中编写和评估无障碍教学教材，同时保持课程的完整性，将无障碍覆盖面扩大到选修和特殊兴趣计算机课程之外。这些教材将通过学术和行业网络向公众提供，以便其他机构可以根据其课程调整教材。 将无障碍纳入计算机科学课程将有助于学生获得建立无障碍技术的必要技能，从而使毕业生在竞争日益激烈的技术行业中拥有更广泛的技术知识。此外，提高对无障碍环境的认识是计算机科学的一个关键主题，这有助于建立一个开放的课堂环境，更欢迎STEM残疾学生，这可能会扩大STEM教育的参与。（1）利用一套侧重于与可访问性有关的问题（如数据结构和对象）的模块，改进现有的计算机科学核心课程，（2）评估学生对核心及可达性学习目标的学习情况，以及教师对新单元的使用和接受程度。为了实现这些目标，项目小组将完善和更新一套现有的无障碍模块，与其他机构的教师一起启动试点研究，并分析评估数据，以改进模块。每个模块将包括一个简短的指南所涵盖的无障碍内容，计算机科学的概念所解决的分配和如何无障碍已被纳入，示范教学幻灯片的无障碍内容，作业材料，包括评分的标题，以及前和后的调查问题。对学生学习和教师看法的评估将使用经验抽样、学生调查和焦点小组。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by helping students learn to consider accessibility for a diverse user audience in software design and development. Accessibility is about ensuring equitable access to information and services for users regardless of their background or ability. Computer science curricula often lack sufficient coverage of this important topic, which affects students’ preparation for the computing workforce. This project will expand the coverage of accessibility beyond elective and special interest computing courses by creating and assessing educational materials for teaching accessibility in existing core computer science courses while maintaining the integrity of the courses. The teaching materials will be made available to the public using academic and industry networks so that other institutions can adapt the material to their programs. Including accessibility in computer science curricula will help students acquire the necessary skills to build accessible technology, resulting in graduates with a wider breadth of technical knowledge for an increasingly competitive technology industry. In addition, raising awareness of accessibility as a key topic in computer science facilitates an open classroom environment that is more welcoming for STEM students with disabilities, which could lead to broadening participation in STEM education.The goals of this project are to: (1) improve existing core courses in computer science using a set of modules that focus on accessibility-related problems such as data structures and object-oriented programming; (2) assess student learning of core and accessibility learning objectives as well as instructors’ use and acceptance of the new modules. To achieve these goals, the project team will refine and update a set of existing accessibility modules, initiate a pilot study with instructors at other institutions, and analyze assessment data to inform improvements in the modules. Each module will include a brief guide to the accessibility content covered, the computer science concepts addressed by the assignment and how accessibility has been incorporated, exemplar instruction slides for the accessibility content, assignment materials including grading rubrics, and pre- and post-survey questions. The assessment of student learning and instructor perceptions will use experience sampling, student surveys, and focus groups. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.