Upload
helen-barber
View
216
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Introduction• This presentation deals with the
creation of a new module, step-by-step, taking accessibility into account along the way.
Introduction• This module, “Federal Court
Concepts”, was designed as a model for accessible modules.
• The subject matter introduces students to the federal court system.
Introduction• The process of creating the module
was extensively (and sometimes painfully) documented over several weeks.
Introduction• The goals for creating this module
were as follows:– Pedagogical Value– Accessible Design– Attractiveness and Usability– Putting Research into Practice
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• The first phase of module creation was determining the most basic issues:– Who?– What?– Why?– Where?– When?– How?
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• Who?– Curtis Edmonds, J.D.
• Background in content development• Experience in designing accessible web
content• Familiarity with MERLOT and modular
educational design
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• Who?– Marsha Allen, CATEA Web Designer
• Vast expertise in accessibility and usability
• Second set of eyes looking at content• Innovative design technique
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• What?– The module, as originally designed,
would discuss the federal court system.– Currently, MERLOT contains few
modules about this branch of government.
– Example: http://www.oyez.org
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• Why?– Prior modules created by the GRADE
project concentrated on disability issues.
– A new module needed to be accessible, but still appeal to a wider audience which may or may not have an interest in accessibility.
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• Why?– Creating a module on federal courts
leverages the knowledge of project participants.
– Additionally, the module can serve as a valuable training tool for CATEA staff and affiliates, especially when explaining new ADA caselaw.
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• When?– Deadline for MERLOT conference
helps concentrate the process– Commitments to other projects cause
project to be developed on an ad hoc, piecemeal basis
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• How?– Delivery using old-fashioned, hand-
coded HTML– Initial concerns regarding code
languages used by CATEA
Phase One – 5 W’s and an H
• How?– Most CATEA websites utilize database-
driven “Cold Fusion” or “PHP” languages– However, main content developer only
familiar with HTML coding– No time for developer to become
familiar with either language
Phase Two – Literature Review
• The next step was to determine if the module would be necessary – that is to say, if there were no sites that already had all the relevant information.
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Five sites were found with similar content about the federal court system.
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Administrative Office of the Federal Courts:– http://www.uscourts.gov/index.html – http://www.uscourts.gov/understand02/index.html
• American Bar Association:– http://www.abanet.org/publiced/courts/home.html
• Federal Judicial Council:– http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf– http://www.fjc.gov/federal/courts.nsf
Phase Two – Literature Review
• The Federal Judiciary– http://www.uscourts.gov/index.html
• Pluses:– Extensive list of court links– Good, detailed FAQ
Phase Two – Literature Review
• The Federal Judiciary– http://www.uscourts.gov/index.html
• Minuses:– Sketchy, overly basic information– Inconsistent layout– Not designed with students in mind
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Understanding the Federal Courts– http://www.uscourts.gov/understand02/
index.html
• Pluses:– Online textbook with very detailed
information– Extensive glossary
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Understanding the Federal Courts– http://www.uscourts.gov/understand02/
index.html
• Minuses:– Little or no outside resources– Layout confusing and inaccessible– Content not optimized for web
Phase Two – Literature Review
• How Courts Work– http://www.abanet.org/publiced/courts/
home.html
• Pluses:– Detailed information about the steps
of a criminal trial– Focus on role of jury in court system
Phase Two – Literature Review
• How Courts Work– http://www.abanet.org/publiced/courts/
home.html
• Minuses:– Difficult to navigate– Little focus on federal courts– No focus on civil cases
Phase Two – Literature Review
• History of the Federal Judiciary– http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf
• Pluses:– Database of information on federal
court history– Brief biographies of federal judges– Detailed module on the Amistad case
Phase Two – Literature Review
• History of the Federal Judiciary– http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf
• Minuses:– Difficult to navigate– Severe accessibility problem– Not focused on students
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Inside the Federal Courts– http://www.fjc.gov/federal/courts.nsf
• Pluses:– Good analysis of how cases move
through courts– Explication of the roles of court
personnel– Quizzes!
Phase Two – Literature Review
• Inside the Federal Courts– http://www.fjc.gov/federal/courts.nsf
• Minuses:– Severe accessibility problem– Designed for employees, not students– Some areas overly simplistic– Used my original title (#$&%&#!!!)
Phase Three – Template
• Benefits of template design– Ensures that all pages have a
consistent look and feel– Resolves most coding, accessibility
and usability issues ahead of time– Designing the template first saves
time spent hand-coding
Phase Three – Template
• Template 1– Step One: Find images for graphic
using Google Images (on copyright-free .gov websites)
Phase Three – Template
• Template 1– Step Two: Use Photoshop to create
new collage of photos found in Step One
Phase Three – Template
• Template 1– Step Three: Match color scheme
(dark blue text with gray nav-bar and white background) with image.
Phase Three – Template
• Template 1– Step Four: Create links to planned
pages in left-hand nav-bar.– Step Five: Insert footer information.– Step Six: Create cascading style
sheet.
Phase Three – Template
• Template 1– Step Seven: Accessibility
• Insert skip-navigation link at top• Insert alt-tag with image
Phase Three – Template
• Template 2– Step One: Adjust size of header:
• Put “Federal Court Concepts” in image• Change alt-tag• Add in d-link to describe image
Phase Three – Template
• Template 4– Step One: Integrate images of
sponsoring organizations in footer
Phase Three – Template
• Template 4– Step Two: Use HTML-Tidy to check
for coding errors– Step Three: Use WAVE to check for
accessibility errors
Phase Four – Content Development
• Introduction– Constitutional basis of federal courts– Interaction with executive branch,
with historical examples– Interaction with legislative branch,
with historical examples
Phase Four – Content Development
• Structure of the Federal Courts– Diagrams developed using Microsoft
PowerPoint– Long descriptions for accessibility
Phase Four – Content Development
• Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts– Table describing jurisdictional types;
use of accessible table headings
Phase Four – Content Development
• Federal District Courts– Added in chart from Microsoft Excel– Long description for accessibility
Phase Four – Content Development
• About Legal Research– Utilized color to highlight table
explaining legal citation system– Color helpful but not required to
access page