Instructor:
First-Year Experience Mentor:
Course Web Site:
www.cs.kzoo.edu/semn107/
- H. Robert King, Thinking About Digital Accessibility: From Ally to Advocate, H. Robert King, 2021.
- H. Robert King, Thinking About Digital Accessibilty: Stumbling Blocks and Steppingstones in Design and Development, H. Robert King, 2021.
- Additional readings will be made available electronically.
Seminar Description
Digital technology is an essential part of modern life. Much of the technology today is not designed with the needs of people with disabilities in mind, excluding them from opportunities and limiting their participation in many routine activities. When technology is designed and developed to be accessible it can reduce barriers for people with disabilities, increasing opportunities to work, learn, communicate, and engage in daily life. In this course, we will learn about accessibility in the context of computers, and study the distinction between accessibility, usability, and inclusion. We will explore the range of barriers to computer usage, the use of adaptive technologies, and best-practice guidelines for designing and developing accessible systems and technologies to meet the demands of users of all ages and abilities. Students will discover ways to advocate for changes in policy and practice.
Seminar Goals
As you participate in our seminar activities, I encourage you to think about the challenges and benefits of the different opportunities that we encounter. In working with fellow classmates for the first time, in traveling to the Blind Person's Training Center, in meeting with individuals with disabilities and accessibility technologists, you will be called upon to take risks and develop new skills. In this context, the goals of this seminar are to:
- Sharpen an ability to read and think critically, speak with distinctness, and write clearly and correctly,
- Develop skills that invite the active participation of and collaboration with people pf diverse experiences, voices, and ways of knowing,
- Generate an awareness of how technology is involved with accessibility,
- Provide the opportunity for written and oral reflection on our interactions to deepen this knowledge and develop effective strategies for accessibility advocacy in the community,
- Help students make a smooth transition to college life, both academically and socially.
Seminar Components
The faculty at Kalamazoo College has developed the following three critical seminar components. We hope that every student leaving the First-Year Seminar will develop competency in these areas:Component 1: Writing Competencies
- Achieving clarity through revision
- stating and developing a thesis
- writing coherent sentences and well-developed paragraphs
- using correct grammar and mechanics
- being conscious of overall structure and impact
- becoming proficient at editing and proof reading
- writing frequently to gain fluency
- expressing ideas directly and economically
- Constructing an argument using evidence
- understanding the difference between opinion, argument, and evidence, and becoming aware of which of the three serves the writing project at hand
- synthesizing others’ ideas with one’s own
- using sources to support ideas and positions
- using quoted materials effectively and correctly
- Gaining experience in research strategies
- citing sources correctly
- understanding synthesis, paraphrase, and plagiarism
- becoming aware of style guides; learning to use one correctly
- distinguishing between authoritative and inappropriate sources for college-level research
- Cultivating an authentic and versatile style of written
communication
- discovering one’s own way into material
- making deliberate choices about structure, style, and voice, with a distinct awareness of audience, context and impact
- writing in a natural, straightforward style
- demonstrating or developing authenticity and ownership of the work
Component 2: Beyond Google College Research Workshop
- Our Seminar will participate in a workshop intended to help you
develop and improve your skills as an independent scholar. Your
work will be part of a focused class project.
Component 3: First Year Forums
- First-Year Forums are intended to help entering K students
continue their academic and personal growth. They are
interactive, intentionally developmental, focused on learning,
and built on aspects of the K-Plan. The Forums fall into five
groups:
- Group 1: Social Justice and Civic Engagement
- Group 2: Intercultural Understanding
- Group 3: Personal Decision-Making and Habits
- Group 4: Career and Professional Development
- Group 5: Academic Success and Independent Scholarship
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance and fully engaged participation is expected of all students in this course and will affect your grade. Active participation means being on time, being prepared, listening to others, contributing ideas of your own, and asking questions as they come up. There are direct correlations between keeping up, how much you learn and can apply later, and your grade.
Assignments:
This course consists of several different types of writing assignments as well as participation through discussion in class. It is very important to remain actively engaged in the course on a regular basis in order to stay on track.
All assignments, including reading assignments from the texts and links to other resources will be made available on the Detailed Schedule page of the course web site. Students are responsible for checking this resource frequently.
Readings introducing new concepts and discussion ideas will be assigned for each class. You are expected to come to class prepared, ready for discussion.
Structured reflection journal entries provide a way for you to assess your own learning and to make personal connections to the material. The entries will consist of written responses to thought questions, exercises, applications, and occasional peer work.
Responses and Essays: Students will be assigned 4 or 5 brief (1 - 2 pages) responses addressing a particular question. The point of these is focus and specificity. There will be 1 or 2 longer essays (4-6 pages) that will provide the opportunity to synthesize ideas. To prepare for an essay, you will need to carefully prepare all assigned readings, glean more depth and connections during class discussions facilitated by your professor, and do some disciplined thinking and wrestling with ideas to find the best way to convey your thoughts.
Research Project/Presentation: Students will participate in a library research session and will be expected to put those skills to use to write an annotated bibliography and present their topic to the class.
Participation/In-class activities: Class time will generally be for discussion and occasional informal writing. It is a time to explore the ideas with others, to take risks, listen closely, provide thoughtful responses, and raise constructive questions—fostering the type of learning that is ideal in a seminar.
Assignments are due on or before midnight on the due date.
Deadlines and late policy: Assignment due dates have two important functions: to help you plan your time and keep you on track to successfully complete the course, and to make grading more manageable. Writing can be time-consuming so you should start thinking about the writing assignments as soon as possible. Sometimes it helps to spend some time wrestling with ideas in your mind before putting words on paper. Writing prompts will be announced far enough in advance that you will have some flexibility in when you schedule your work, but you are responsible for budgeting your time wisely so that you will be able to complete your assignments on time. Assignments that are more than 1 week late will not be accepted. In unusual circumstances an extension may be granted, but only if you speak to your instructor in advance.
Grades:
Grades will be based on the following activities:
Structured Reflection Journal 20% Response papers 35% Essays 15% Research Project/Presentation 15% Participation/Informal In-class writing 15%
Collaboration and the Honor System:
This course operates in accordance with the principles of the Kalamazoo College Honor System: responsibility for personal behavior, independent thought, respect for others, and environmental responsibility.
Respect in the Community: Creating a Culture of Support
K College is committed to fostering a supportive campus community that values respect, dignity, and safety free from fears of retaliation or reprisal. We all have a role in creating a supportive and respectful culture. To create an inclusive and supportive learning environment in which everyone can participate fully, please read and follow these Community Guidelines adapted from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan and the guidelines for creating a culture of respect and support outlined in Respect in the Community: Creating a Culture of Support.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of scholarship. Representing someone else's work as your own, in any form, constitutes academic dishonesty. Unauthorized collaboration and receiving help from others outside the bounds permitted by the instructor are also violations of the College honor system. You are responsible for working within the permitted bounds, and acknowledging any help from others or contributions from other sources.
A few words on citations: If you directly quote one of your sources, be sure to put the phrase/sentence in quotes and include a citation. When you borrow an idea and express it in your own words, thus thinking it through and making it your own, you should acknowledge the source with the proper citation and reference.
Consequences: Any violation of the above policies will result in, at a minimum, no-credit for the assignment. Depending on the severity of the incident there may be additional consequences, including a lowered course grade, or failure of the course. Depending on the severity of the incident, a report may be sent to the Dean's Office, which may result in additional consequences, including suspension from the College. Any subsequent violation will result in the immediate failure of this course.