| Unit name | Accessible and Inclusive Design |
|---|---|
| Unit code | COMSM0143 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Paul Marshall |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Computer Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
Diversity is ingrained in the way interactive technologies are used, and therefore should be at the forefront of HCI design. Designing for interactive technologies to be accessible and inclusive benefits the entire user base. This unit will apply theories of design for diverse abilities to a larger group project that will give the students hands-on experience of deeply engaging in a design coursework that explicitly engages with diversity and inclusion.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This TB2 unit will follow other fundamental HCI units to provide an opportunity to apply HCI theory in addition to disability theory to an accessible and inclusive design problem. This gives students the experience of working in a group to tackle a real-world issue or opportunity with diversity as the focus of the design and not an afterthought.
An overview of content
This unit will combine the fundamentals of HCI and designing for diverse abilities. This will include diversity in physical, sensory and cognitive abilities, as well as a focus on neurodiversity. Different modalities of technologies for inclusive design will be discussed, along with assistive technologies. The students will be taught about tools and frameworks for accessible and inclusive design, as well as methods for user research and testing. Challenges around empathy, ethics, legality and regulatory aspects will be explored.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit will prepare students for the real-world application of disability and diversity theories in the design and evaluation of interactive technologies. Students will be up to date on regulations and best practices, and will be able to take this knowledge into real world UX practice. Students will experience working as a UX team towards a solution, sensitively engaging with the cutting edge in accessible and inclusive design.
Learning Outcomes
1. To apply theory, frameworks and design practices in supporting accessibility and inclusion in technology use
2. To critically appraise and advocate for accessible and inclusive design theories, frameworks and methods
3. To creatively apply accessible and inclusive design and disability theories to plan and design an innovative solution that is accessible and/or inclusive
4. To work effectively as part of a team, including time management, and organisational skills, and to present the outputs of HCI work in appropriate formats for different audiences
The approach to teaching will be online and synchronous, and therefore will be interactive. Through a site for the unit, students will be able to engage with the lecture materials, reading materials, the teaching staff and their peers. Many of the sessions will be a mix of theory, methods and hands on practical formative work. The coursework will be completed by groups of students, but the oral presentation will be individual. The focus of the unit will be linked to advances and future possibilities of accessible and inclusive design, with learning tied in with state of the art in inclusive interactive technology design research and state of the art industry practice and regulations.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
This unit will be taught online and synchronously with significant engagement directly from lecturers and teaching assistants in class orally and visually, but also through online chat. Ongoing engagement will occur on MSTeams, which will help students to reflect on their understanding. In-class consultations will be regularly held throughout the unit, and particularly focused on the group coursework.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (Summative):
50% will be
for the group project (ILOs 1-4), where a team of students will work towards an inclusive and accessible design goal with some user research and design. The report will be reflective of the different approaches and critical of the design choices given the context of the inclusive design and its challenges. An anonymous contribution agreement submitted by each student will be used to calculate individual final marks.
50% will be an individual oral presentation (ILOs 1-4) conducted after the course material has been delivered and the coursework handed in conducted. Two members of staff will have an individual MSTeams meeting with a student to discuss different aspects of the inclusive and accessible design chosen for their coursework, as well as disability theories, contexts, diverse abilities, inclusive design and evaluation practices, and some legal/regulatory and ethical concerns.
When assessment does not go to plan
In the case of required reassessment, where the student was unable to complete their contribution to the group project, we would enable the student resitting to undertake further individual development and critique of their group’s original submission, highlighting areas for improvement and development using knowledge and understanding from the taught components. The resubmission components would be as above, but all individual.
In the case of a student who experiences delayed progression to the unit and a group project is not possible, an individual project (40% ILO1-3) will be set with a separate reflective report about teamworking also required (10% ILO4), as well as an individual oral presentation (50%).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. COMSM0143).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
