Proposal: Understanding and Involving Users

_data/navigation.yml

@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@
         url: "/curricula/foundation-modules/principles-standards-and-checks/"
       - name: Getting Started with Accessibility
         url: "/curricula/foundation-modules/getting-started-with-accessibility/"
+      - name: Understanding and Involving Users
+        url: "/curricula/foundation-modules/understanding-and-involving-users/"
     - name: Developer Modules
       url: "/curricula/developer-modules/"
       pages:

content/foundation/getting-started-with-accessibility.md

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ parent_in_h1:
     name: "Curricula on Web Accessibility"
 navigation:
   previous: /curricula/foundation-modules/principles-standards-and-checks/
-  next: /curricula/developer-modules/
+  next: /curricula/foundation-modules/understanding-and-involving-users/
 ---
 
 ## Introduction

content/foundation/understanding-and-involving-users.md

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+---
+title: "[Draft] Module 6: Understanding and Involving Users"
+nav_title: "Understanding and Involving Users"
+permalink: /curricula/foundation-modules/understanding-and-involving-users/
+ref: /curricula/foundation-modules/understanding-and-involving-users/
+lang: en
+github:
+  repository: w3c/wai-curricula
+  path: content/foundation/understanding-and-involving-users.md
+license: creative-commons
+acknowledgements: /curricula/acknowledgements/
+changelog: /curricula/changelog/
+footer: >
+  <p><strong>Date:</strong> Updated @@ Month 2021. First published December 2019.</p>
+  <p><strong>Editors:</strong> Daniel Montalvo and <a href="http://www.w3.org/People/shadi/">Shadi Abou-Zahra</a>. Contributors: <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/EOWG-members">EOWG Participants</a>. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lists contributors and credits.</p>
+  <p>Developed by the Education and Outreach Working Group (<a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/">EOWG</a>). Developed with support from the <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/about/projects/wai-guide/">WAI-Guide Project</a> funded by the European Commission (EC) under the Horizon 2020 program (Grant Agreement 822245).</p>
+parent_in_h1:
+  - ref: /curricula/designer-modules/
+    name: nav_title
+  - ref: /curricula/
+    name: "Curricula on Web Accessibility"
+navigation:
+  previous: /curricula/foundation-modules/getting-started-with-accessibility/
+  next: /curricula/developer-modules/
+---
+
+## Introduction
+{:.no-display}
+
+Courses based on this module should:
+
+* explain the impact of involving people with disabilities to create more accessible products and services
+* present strategies for involving real people with disabilities in the analysis, design, and development phases
+
+## Learning Outcomes for Module
+
+Students should be able to:
+
+* explain how involving people with disabilities can lead to more accessible products and services
+* examine applicable requirements for accessibility, such as those defined by accessibility standards and policies
+* articulate the potential risks of not involving people with disabilities, such as increased costs to implement accessibility at a later stage
+* describe different types of feedback from people with disabilities depending on the project phase where they are involved
+* describe strategies to consider when bringing in people with disabilities, such as providing accommodations, checking the accessibility of the facilities, exploring remote participation, and considering different timings depending on user skills
+
+{% include excol.html type="all" %}
+
+## Competencies
+
+Skills required for this module:
+
+Students:
+
+* Basic understanding of computers and the Web.
+
+Instructors:
+
+* Prior [Foundation Modules](/curricula/foundation-modules/)
+* Good understanding of the links between web accessibility components.
+* In-depth knowledge of how people with disabilities use the Web (including assistive technologies and adaptive strategies) and of accessibility principles.  
+
+## Topics to Teach
+
+Topics to achieve the learning outcomes:
+
+{% include excol.html type="start" %}
+
+### Topic: User Research
+
+{% include excol.html type="middle" %}
+
+Discuss how organizations conducting user research can include feedback on different accessibility features, barriers, and requirements that relate to people with disabilities. 
+
+#### Learning Outcomes for Topic
+
+Students should be able to:
+
+* describe the impact of including real people with disabilities versus including only personas or simulations
+* describe other research activities to be conducted in situations where it is not feasible to include real people with disabilities, such as asking for experts' advice, or following documented best practices for accessibility
+* articulate and communicate the consequences of not involving people with disabilities, for example higher costs to implement accessibility at a later stage
+* describe the characteristics of potential participants in user research activities based on different factors, such as the type of disability and the level of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies
+* identify related requirements for project managers and other team members to include accessibility in the overall project requirements
+
+#### Teaching Ideas for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to teach the learning outcomes:
+
+* Discuss different examples of involving people with disabilities, such as bringing real people and using personas when you cannot bring real people. Explain that this gives the opportunity to collect direct feedback from people with disabilities on products that are working for them and on products that are not. Emphasize that you can then include that feedback in the research conclusions so that they lead to better overall design for everybody.
+* Discuss scenarios where it might not be economically feasible to involve people with disabilities. Explain different research methods that can be used to get an understanding of how people with disabilities interact with technology. For example, asking users, checking documentation, or watching videos. Explain that these research activities help the team understand different solutions to common pitfalls that people with disabilities may encounter when using the product or service.
+* Explain the consequences of not involving people with disabilities. Emphasize that accessibility remediation is often difficult and can lead to higher costs when  implementing accessibility later on in the development phase.
+* Present characteristics of potential participants in user research activities based on several factors, such as the type of disability and the level of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies.
+
+#### Ideas to Assess Knowledge for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to support assessment.
+
+* Short Answer Questions &mdash; Students reflect about how they could include people with disabilities in their user research activities. Assess how students understand the added value of involving people with disabilities.
+* Short Answer Questions &mdash; Students reflect about the characteristics of potential participants with disabilities in user  research activities. Assess how students understand the diversity among people with disabilities.
+
+{% include excol.html type="end" %}
+
+{% include excol.html type="start" %}
+
+### Topic: Establishing Requirements
+
+{% include excol.html type="middle" %}
+
+Refer back to [Foundation Module 4: Principles. Standards, and Checks Topic: W3C Accessibility Standards](/curricula/foundation-modules/principles-standards-and-checks/#topic-w3c-accessibility-standards). Present requirements that relate to people with disabilities, such as those included in the W3C accessibility standards. Invite students to explore policies that may apply in their region (if any). 
+
+#### Learning Outcomes for Topic
+
+Students should be able to:
+
+* identify requirements that relate to people with disabilities, for example:
+  * a person with disabilities needs to understand how clothing looks like both through vision and through text descriptions
+  * a person with disabilities needs to be able to choose their sit when buying a ticket using their assistive technology of choice
+* research existing personas and scenarios that avoid common clichés and myths related to people with disabilities
+* create personas that include people with different types of disabilities and different levels of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies
+* create scenarios that include use of the product with different types of assistive technologies and adaptive strategies
+
+### Teaching Ideas for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to support assessment:
+
+* Refer back to Foundation Module 4: Principles, Standards, and Checks, [Topic: W3C Accessibility Standards](/curricula/foundation-modules/principles-standards-and-checks/#topic-w3c-accessibility-standards) and explain the importance of including the W3C accessibility standards in the overall project requirements for ensuring accessible products.
+* Explain some functional requirements of products and services that relate to accessibility, such as appropriate contrast ratios, compatibility with assistive technologies and adaptive strategies, and keyboard support.
+* Reflect on the diversity of people with disabilities. Explain that, when creating personas, these need to reflect the different types of abilities people have as well as their level of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies. Explain the importance of creating realistic personas that avoid clichés and myths. For reference, see [Interacting with People with Disabilities](http://www.uiaccess.com/accessucd/interact.html).
+
+### Ideas to Assess Knowledge for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to support assessment:
+
+* Short answer questions &mdash; Ask students about three different types of non-functional requirements included in accessibility standards, such as WCAG. Assess how students understand non-functional requirements included in accessibility standards.
+* Short Answer Questions &mdash; Ask students about three types of functional requirements that are related to people with disabilities. Assess how students understand functional requirements that relate to people with disabilities.
+* Practical &mdash; Students create several personas that include different types of disabilities and different levels of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies. Assess how students understand diversity among people with disabilities.
+* Practical &mdash; Students create several scenarios that include use of the product with different assistive technologies and adaptive strategies. Assess how students understand different scenarios that include use of the product with different assistive technologies and adaptive strategies.
+
+{% include excol.html type="end" %}
+
+{% include excol.html type="start" %}
+
+### Topic: Working with Real People with Disabilities
+
+{% include excol.html type="middle" %}
+
+Discuss different strategies to consider when working with people with disabilities, such as accommodations, participation modalities, accessibility of the facilities, and specific setups people with disabilities may require.
+
+#### Learning Outcomes for Topic
+
+Students should be able to:
+
+* identify the need for including people with disabilities depending on the project requirements and the activities to be conducted
+* articulate the advantages and disadvantages of guided and non-guided testing
+* identify the existence of custom setups that may require researchers to visit users at their home or office
+* identify the following needs when research activities are conducted at a specific location:
+  * accessibility of the facilities
+  * assistive technology needs
+  * accessibility of transportation means to get to the chosen venue
+* identify the need for appropriate timings for participants with different levels of skills to conduct the research activities
+* relate different testing methods to different accessibility outcomes
+* identify the need for  involvement of different roles, such as project managers, user researchers, designers, developers, and content authors, to implement received feedback that relates to their specific tasks during the development and authoring phases
+
+#### Teaching Ideas for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to teach the learning outcomes:
+
+* Explain how including real people with disabilities can help better inform the decisions taken in iterative design processes. For example, mention complex interaction patterns, such as complex form fields or custom dialogs, and reinforce the idea that feedback on expected behaviors and interaction patterns will help take the best design decision.
+* Discuss the different levels of skills of people with disabilities when using an assistive technology or an adaptive strategy. Emphasize that some assistive technologies and adaptive strategies are difficult to learn. Explain that different people may need different timings to conduct the proposed activities. Present different strategies to include these differences. For example, setting up different time expectations depending on different levels of experience with the assistive technology and different levels of familiarity with the product.
+* Explain different testing methods that exist, such as testing with an assistive technology, testing a paper prototype, or testing an HTML template. Explain that each of these methods delivers different types of outputs. For example, testing a paper prototype is more likely to deliver results related to visual aspects, and assistive technology testing is more likely to deliver results related to the compatibility of the product with assistive technology.
+* Discuss several examples of complex user interfaces. Explain that participation of other team members, such as developers and content authors, may be required to address the feedback received from people with disabilities. Emphasize that requesting that participation is a responsibility of the user researcher, whereas coordinating such participation is a responsibility of the project manager.
+
+#### Ideas to Assess Knowledge for Topic
+
+Optional ideas to support assessment:
+
+* Practical &mdash; Ask students to select a venue where they would conduct a face-to-face research activity with people with disabilities. Assess how students understand different accommodations and needs of people with disabilities, such as accessibility of the facilities, transportation means, and others.
+* Practical &mdash; Give students an activity and ask them to provide different timings depending on the different levels of skills with adaptive strategies and assistive technologies that users have. Assess how students consider different timings depending on the participants' level of skills using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies.
+
+{% include excol.html type="end" %}
+
+{% include excol.html type="all" %}
+
+## Ideas to Assess Knowledge for Module
+
+Optional ideas to support assessment:
+
+* Portfolio &mdash; Students design a focus group involving users with disabilities to research about people with disabilities needs for a chat bot application. Assess how students research and include user requirements of people with disabilities in user research activities.
+* Portfolio &mdash; Students pick a product feature of their choice and conduct a usability testing session including real people with disabilities. Explain how students consider aspects related to involving real people with disabilities, such as accommodations, and accessibility of the facilities, and different timings to conduct the activities.
+
+## Teaching Resources
+
+Suggested resources to support your teaching:
+
+* [[Involving Users in Web Projects for Better, Easier Accessibility]](https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/involving-users/) &mdash; Helps you understand real-world accessibility issues, such as how people with disabilities and older people use the web with adaptive strategies and assistive technologies.
+* [[Web Accessibility Perspectives Videos: Explore the Impact and Benefits for Everyone]](https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/) &mdash; Explore the impact of accessibility and the benefits for everyone in a variety of situations.
+* [[How People with Disabilities Use the Web]](/people-use-web/) &mdash; Describes some of the barriers that people encounter using the Web; and introduces types of assistive technologies and adaptive strategies that some people use.