Inclusive Syllabus Portfolio | Shannon Hurtz
Psychology 121: Methods and Statistics in Psychological Research
Course Description
This course is designated as an activity course, with an enrollment of 40 students. Students work on assignments involving statistical data analysis, and research projects that require both experimental design and data analysis. This is an upper division course for Psychology majors only. Here is the official course description: Project-based experience of Psychology. Study of scientific processes in research such as literature reviews; developing testable hypotheses; design; IRB review; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; critical analysis of studies; APA paper preparation; and issues in dissemination. Study of some advanced statistical processes such as factorial ANOVAs, planned and post hoc comparisons, and multiple regression. Study of statistical software programs used in the analysis of data.
Before:
Before I participated in this FLC, my syllabus was definitely not accessible and I did not know how to make it accessible! I learned that I needed to change the format of my headings, I needed to change the format of the tables I had in my syllabus, and I did not have hyperlinks that were descriptive (just provided URLs). In addition, I learned that I was using a font that was also not accessible-I needed to change to a sans serif font. I also had a lot of text formatted with underlines, boldface, and highlighting that I learned should be changed.
Motivation for Redesign of your Syllabi:
My motivation to redesign my syllabus was to have an understanding of what accessibility meant, and how to get it. Before doing this FLC, I was not knowledgeable about these things at all. Prior to updating my syllabus, my accessibility score was 68%. In addition, I did a check with the UDL guidelines and added a little about my background at the beginning of the syllabus to make my syllabus feel a bit more welcoming.
Here is my syllabus prior to the redesign Download Here is my syllabus prior to the redesign
After:
Now my syllabus is in an accessible format, with proper headings and tables changed so that they are much more readable for students using accessibility tools. The accessibility score is now 99%.
Here is my much improved accessible syllabus! Download Here is my much improved accessible syllabus!
Techniques Incorporated Into Redesign:
I found that the styles pane in Microsoft Word was the most helpful tool in getting my headings properly structured. Another tool I also appreciated in MS Word was learning how to make my hyperlinks descriptive. I also was excited to learn how to check accessibility both in MS Word and directly in Canvas.
Assessment of Syllabus Redesign:
My syllabus is now in alignment with the university requirements regarding accessibility. I hope that students in my class find it to be a useful tool for navigating the class, especially those with accessibility needs.
Reflection: Challenges and Lessons Learned
It was a challenge for me to improve the accessibility of my syllabus. I found that it took some time, and a bit of trail and error, to get my headings properly formatted. One concern I have after going through this FLC is the length of the my syllabus. It increased from 8 pages to 11 pages. In an attempt to keep the length from increasing too much and overwhelming students, I intentionally avoided adding more links to external resources or course material in Canvas. I will instead be sure to introduce my students to additional material when the timing is right for the course. I also plan to provide verbal instructions to students on which parts they should print. I have intentionally placed the course schedule of topics and assignments on a separate table at the end of the syllabus so that students can easily find that and print only those two pages if needed.
I think the biggest lesson learned for me is the fact that this FLC opened my eyes to what it takes to create accessibility, and helped me to understand the importance of taking initiative to do this rather than leave it up to our students with accessibility needs to tell us what they need after the semester starts. I now know that ALL my students can easily access the syllabus information.
Faculty Biography
| I am a graduate of Sac State, class of '94! My undergraduate degree is in Psychology. My doctoral degree is in Social and Personality Psychology. My Ph.D. is from The University at Albany, State University of New York. My research areas are in health behavior, and health promotion. I have been teaching at Sac State since 2004. I mostly teach classes in statistical data analysis, research methods and design, as well as motivation theory in Psychology. I am also a data analysis consultant, and I have done consulting work for private companies as well as state agencies. |
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