Category: Uncategorized

Hi everyone! I found some interesting cheat sheets for designing accessible websites. The information in the images below would have been useful to have a few weeks ago before everyone had already made up their lessons, but better late than never??? If we continue to update and maintain the course hubs, we can keep these tips in mind. I like that they go beyond the bare minimum of having a site be “accessible” according to some narrow or bureaucratic definition and instead offer tips for making sites actually *accessible* to different types of users. (A bit ironic: I doubt posting text in jpgs like this passes any accessibility tests…)

• Hellooooo!
• Status update
  • How is everyone doing?
  • Acknowledgements: on about page
  • 1475: Lin is using Ariane’s video resource guide – will verify it fits.
    • Ariane will make Lin admin on the VRG
  • 1372: Marianna – Collecting video resources. Working with Suman – will make him an admin on the 1372 course hub.
  • Organization of Lessons: Are we numbering them? Or name by topic? Should numbering skip exams?
• Inviting course coordinators to join our meetings? (Henry, Holly, ??Ezra/Thomas)
  • Pass along links to course coordinators
  • Would be great to have their input but not being paid
  • Lin: Henry modified course outline for 1475. Will reach out to Henry (cc Jonas) – will use his new course outline, will keep track of any changes.
  • Invite to a meeting in August
• Accessibility issues – making content accessible
  • Some basics to keep in mind:
    • People using screen readers (translate the text on the page to speech).
    • Download links (include explanatory text, avoid opening in new tabs, use text rather than URL in link.
      • Question: linking to external resources that you might want to access without losing your place on the OpenLab? (e.g.: include text “link opens in new tab” or “to open link in new tab, right click…etc”)
      • Ariane – attended webinar by AMS – accesibility expert in UK. Especially critical in math! (pdf is the worst format for screen readers)
    • Color contrast – text on colored backgrounds
    • subtitles for videos – (waiting to hear back – maybe Youtube is preferred?)
    • Alt tags for images
  • ASSIGNMENT: Read through these two posts on accessibility on the OpenLab:
    • Making your work accessible
    • Reading ease and accessibility
  • WAVE – tool for checking all contrast on a page at once
  • On Dashboard/Plugins:
    • WP Link Checker plugin – check for broken links
    • TablePress plugin – for making nice tables
• Design:
  • Similar enough so folks recognize “course hub”
  • Distinct enough by course so folks make connections between course resources (course hub, model courses, Video Resource Guides)
  • Existing resource design – each course has a color:
    • https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/projects/?search=video%20resources
  • Could consider a pic/graphic theme –
    • Pexels has free photos – https://www.pexels.com/search/math/
    • or take pictures ourselves – notebooks, textbooks, blackboards, etc
  • IDEA: Use color scheme for each course, e.g. 1475 is blue, but different visual elements for each different site (e.g. different elements).
• QUESTIONS:
  • Ariane: embedding video from Dropbox?
    • JONAS: reach out about embedding video – why is it small sometimes? Compare MAT 1275 lesson 14 vs lesson 16? (sometimes is converts video block to HTML block?!)
  • Lin: how to duplicate a lesson?
    • “clone” option appears in bulk edit dropdown but not in mouseover menu (?)
  • for Ariane: OG summer salary/webwork dev?
    • Focus on 1275, then clone and update for 1275CO
    • Focus on Course Hubs now – worked on WeBWorK in June, and will in August, also build resource page for 1575 (?). Will coordinate with Kate (and use videos recommended by Samar)
      • Will look into existing VRG – ask for cloning assistance if needed.
  • Menus & Sidebars:
    • As you create lessons, add them to the “Lessons” Menu
    • For now, don’t worry about the menu in the sidebar (Jonas is going to do some work on this).
  • Spoke to Sandie a few days ago re: online training in August
    • Sandie: in the module that we’re building, use 1275/1275CO as an example/model.
    • NOTE: for fall, looking like we have many more 1275 sections than 1275CO sections (new placement criteria?)
    • NOTE: Lin is also involved in SStF. Sandie says we have have funding going forward (next year) – RT. (last year: Andrew, Ariane, Lin – not sure about this year, also probably no Developmental work in this program this year??)