Accessibility in Web Development

1. Provide the citation and attach a pdf of the article (10 pts) Pro Tip: You can use ZotZero but check the output against theAPA Style online guidelines. 

Ferati, M., & Vogel, B. (2020). Accessibility in web development courses: A case study. Informatics, 7(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics7010008

2. What is the abstract of the article?  (10 pts) Tips: This is usually a 200 word or less article summary. The abstract is youronly cut and paste answer.

Web accessibility is becoming a relevant topic with an increased number of people with disabilities and the elderly using the web. Numerous legislations are being passed that require the web to be universally accessible to all people, regardless of their abilities and age. Despite this trend, university curricula still teach traditional web development without addressing accessibility as a topic. To investigate this matter closely, we studied the syllabi of web development courses at one university to evaluate whether the topic of accessibility was taught there. Additionally, we conducted a survey with nineteen students who were enrolled in a web development course, and we interviewed three lecturers from the same university. Our findings suggest that the topic of accessibility is not covered in web development courses, although both students and lecturers think that it should. This generates lack of competence in accessibility. The findings also confirm the finding of previous studies that, among web developers, there is a low familiarity with accessibility guidelines and policies. An interesting finding we uncovered was that gender affects the motivation to learn about accessibility. Females were driven by personal reasons, which we attribute to females having an increased sense of empathy. Finally, our participants were divided in their opinions whether accessibility contributes to usability.

3. Was the study experimental or non-experimental? Explain, tell us what made that clear.  (10 pts)

According to Patten and Newhart (2018), to know if a study is experimental, one can ask themselves if a treatment is being introduced. It is also important that, if at all possible, there should be a measurement of how things were before the experiment even takes place. Additionally, it is vital that an experimental have a control group on top of the experimental group with random assignment.

In contrast, a nonexperimental study involves observations made about participants and often involve asking them questions about their behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs (Patten & Newhart, 2018).

When following Patten and Newhart’s definitions of experimental and nonexperimental studies, it can be concluded that the case study Accessibility in web development courses: A case study is a nonexperimental study. This is concluded due to the fact that there was no treatment introduced, rather a survey was conducted among participants. The syllabi were also observed, furthering the conclusion that the case study in question is a nonexperimental study.

4. Was the research qualitative or quantitative? Again, explain. (10 pts)

The research presented in Accessibility in web development courses: A case study is both quantitative and qualitative. Observations were initially made about class syllabi and students were surveyed which, alone, would make the study qualitative. However, since the teachers involved in the study were interviewed and the data can be analyzed in a qualitative manner, we can say there was a mixed approach.

According to Ferati and Bahtijar, “As part of the exploratory nature of this study, we utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We utilized a mixed approach via a survey and sem-structured interviews as the data collection method.”

This reasoning holds true to Patten and Newhart’s definitions of qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is commonly associated with interviewing participants and/or observing settings then analyzing the collected data to identify themes. Quantitative research on the other hand, is presented as numbers (Patten & Newhart, 2018).

5. What was the population studied? Why do you say that? (5 pts)

The studied population would be students enrolled in the web development related courses and respective teachers. The researchers were wanting to understand whether or not accessibility is introduced as a topic in web development courses in Sweden. They chose to focus on Swedish application and laws for the sake of simplicity (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020)

6. What sample was used for this study? Explain. (5 pts)

The sample used for this study were the 19 students of an introductory JavaScript class. According to the study, 19 students were involved in the study and 3 teachers were interviewed to, “…get additional insights by exploring teachers’ perspectives” (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020, p. 4)

7. What was the method of measurement? (10 pts)

1. • • If the research was quantitative, was the measurement scale used, Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, or Ratio?
     • If the research was qualitative, what data was collected?

The research conducted was measured on a nominal and ordinal scale. For example, one question on the survey that was nominal was the first question asking gender. Another question on the survey that displayed ordinal scale was the third question asking classification of experience ranging from “Expert” to “Not Sure” (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020, p. 5)

Qualitative data was collected through the surveys of the teachers, although limitations were stated in the conclusion that all of the teachers were male (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020)

8. What was the method of analysis? (10 pts)

1. • • If the research was quantitative, what statistical tools were used to analyze the data?
     • If the research was qualitative, in what manner was the data analyzed?

Analysis took place by organizing the collection of data and putting all interview notes into cumulative digital notes that the researchers put together after reviewing together. There was also data coming from the student surveys and the teacher interviews. The interviews and surveys were then analyzed for emerging themes. Between the interviews and surveys, there were six themes that were identified (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020)

9. What was the conclusion of the study? (10 pts)

The overall conclusion of the study was that there is a need, recognized by both students and teachers, for accessibility to be taught as part of the curriculum. In a broader sense, it was concluded that there is a large need for awareness around of accessibility and training due to a wide lack of knowledge about guidelines and policies. Interestingly, they noted that an unexpected find of the study was the connection with gender and motivation to learn about accessibility. It was concluded that this is most likely due to female participants being more inclined towards empathy (Ferati & Bahtijar, 2020).

The researchers were also forthcoming in their conclusion about the limitations of the study. They noted that their study was connected with only one university and had low sample numbers.

10. Why is this study useful to you? Explain in detail. (10 pts)

As part of my own research, I decided to look at accessibility. This is important to me after learning about accessibility through a position I held as a webmaster and computer learning associate while working for an elementary school in Kansas in 2021. This study could be useful to me as a jumping board into my research. The case study also brought up an interesting point about gender and perceived need for accessibility. I have personally started to notice a trend of more and more women joining web and application development industries. It could be interesting to work off of this finding from the case study and look at possible correlations between increasing accessibility awareness and the amount of women entering IT and development fields.

11. What would be the next logical step in extending this study? (10 pts)

A logical next step to help extend this study would be to survey more students and teachers across multiple universities.

 

References

Patten, M., & Newhart, M. (2018). Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials. New York: Routledge.

Ferati, M., & Vogel, B. (2020). Accessibility in web development courses: A case study. Informatics, 7(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics7010008