Sprint to Inclusion: Embedding Accessibility Sprint in a Software Engineering Course
This program is tentative and subject to change.
This experience report contributes to the expanding body of literature advocating for the inclusion of accessibility topics within core computing courses rather than restricting them to specialized electives such as human-computer interaction (HCI). We integrated an accessibility-focused sprint into a 3-credit software engineering course at a large private university in the US. Throughout the course, students progressively developed a software project in groups with a dedicated sprint designed to emphasize the importance of accessibility. This sprint included lectures on accessibility principles and hands-on accessibility testing on their own projects, followed by a sprint to fix the issues found. A survey was conducted at the end of the course to gauge their learning outcomes and perceptions of accessibility. The results demonstrate that integrating accessibility into a software engineering course not only enhances students’ technical skills but also boosts their commitment to creating inclusive software. We present the accessibility interventions made, assessment instruments used and our findings in this report. We also offer key insights as takeaways for the computing education community, providing guidance for educators aiming to embed accessibility into their curriculum.
This program is tentative and subject to change.
Fri 28 FebDisplayed time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) change
13:45 - 15:00 | |||
13:45 18mTalk | Accessibility Insights from Student's Software Engineering Projects Papers Wajdi Aljedaani University of North Texas, Parthasarathy PD BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Swaroop Joshi BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Marcelo Medeiros Eler University of São Paulo | ||
14:03 18mTalk | Enhancing Accessibility in Software Engineering Projects with Large Language Models (LLMs) Papers Wajdi Aljedaani University of North Texas, Marcelo Medeiros Eler University of São Paulo, Parthasarathy PD BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus | ||
14:22 18mTalk | Opening Digital Doors: Early Lessons in Software Accessibility for K-8 StudentsK12 Papers Chunyu Liu University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Samantha Sy University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Elizabeth Lodvikov Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Jingwen Shan University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Devorah Kletenik Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Rachel F. Adler University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | ||
14:41 18mTalk | Sprint to Inclusion: Embedding Accessibility Sprint in a Software Engineering Course Papers Wajdi Aljedaani University of North Texas, Parthasarathy PD BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Marcelo Medeiros Eler University of São Paulo, Swaroop Joshi BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus |