Designing Usable and Accessible Web Pages: Needs Analysis, Design Planning, XHTML and CSS Standards, Accessibility Validation

Date, Location

Mon, 01/25/2010 - 1:00pm to Wed, 02/10/2010 - 1:00pm

To Register:

ACRL member: $150
ALA member: $195
CACUL member: Can $205 (charges will be made in U.S. dollars)
Nonmember: $205
Student: $65

Register with Credit Card

• You will need to log in with your ALA ID & password. If you do not have an ALA ID & password, you will be asked to create one in order to register.

Register by PO

• Download and complete the PO registration form.
• Submit the form along with your actual PO to ALA registration (fax or mail; see form for details).
• You will not be considered registered for the course until both your PO and the registration form have been received and processed by ALA registration.

Member rates apply to personal memberships only. Want to join ACRL or ALA? Complete the online membership form, available on the ALA Web site. If you join ALA/ACRL within five days of registering, we will adjust your fee (please fax a copy of your completed registration form to ACRL at 312-280-2520).

Payment may be made by credit card or purchase order (PO) only.
If paying by PO, the PO number is required at the time of registration.

Class size is limited to 60 participants. Full refunds will be granted up to 14 days prior to the start of the seminar.

About the Event

Course Description:
This hands-on course focuses on the basics of Web site planning, design and content development. The course will also examine Web standards, usability, and accessibility. XHTML and CSS (external) will be introduced. The course begins with XHTML/HTML basics tutorials and a practice activity to make sure everyone has the basic skills. Students will plan and design a representative site during the course.

This is a primarily asynchronous seminar, allowing participants to work through course material at times convenient to them. The instructor will provide feedback to all completed work via email. Participants may also choose to schedule online chat time with the teacher, as they feel necessary.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

    * Plan and design a Web site for Usability and simple Accessibility for selected users/groups.
    * Understand and apply Web Standards
    * Develop basic Web site contents for selected users/groups.
    * Use DreamWeaver (MX2004 or higher preferred) or a text editor to create usable, accessible, and interesting Web pages. You may use Microsoft Expression (was FrontPage) or other HTML editor if you already know what you are doing with it.

Participants will end the session with a draft Web site plan, design, and a Web page (or pages) that will allow minimal accessibility validation and usability testing.

Weekly Schedule

• Week 1: User Centered Design: Needs Assessment and Design Planning
• Week 2: Review of HTML/XHTML and CSS Standards
• Week 3: Creating Draft Organizer Page
• Week 4: Final Project: Validating XHTML, CSS (External), and Accessibility Standards

This seminar will be delivered through Moodle.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand and apply Web Standards
• Plan and design a Web site for Usability and Accessibility for selected users/groups.
• Develop basic Web site contents for selected users/groups.
• Use DreamWeaver or a text editor (MX2004 or higher preferred) to create usable, accessible, and interesting Web pages. You may use FrontPage if you already know what you are doing with it.

Participants will end the session with a completed Web site plan, design, and a main Web page illustrating how the design will be implemented and will allow for minimal usability and accessibility testing. These pages will also be validated XHTML with external CSS.

Course Materials:
All of the required readings and activities for the course will be available on-line but it will be useful to have available the references in the Recommended Materials listed below.

• Graph Paper for laying out CSS design.
• Freeman, Elizabeth and Eric (2005). * Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-10197-X
• Niederst, Jennifer (2006). Web Design in a Nutshell , 3rd Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-00987-9
• Meyer, Eric (2007). CSS Pocket Reference, 3rd. Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN 10: 0-596-51505-7 | ISBN 13:9780596515058 (9.99 list price)
• Bickner, Carrie. (2004) Web Design on a Shoestring. New Riders Publishing: Boston ISBN 0-7357-1328-6
• Donald Norman (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. Basic Books ISBN: 0-385-26774-6
• Jennifer Niederst (2006). Web Design in a Nutshell , 3rd Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-00987-9

 

*Strongly recommended for those students who come to class with no HTML experience.

Audience:
Librarians and other information specialists who want to learn to design usable, accessible, standard Web pages that will attract the intended users and encourage and invite them to persist and return to the site.

Experience working with the academic library patrons in any subject area chosen is assumed. Level of instruction is intermediate in regard to academic library experience, beginner in regard to XHTML/CSS and Web design experience.

Participants must understand paths -- directories or folders and where files are saved -- in a Windows or Mac OS environment. FTP or other experience uploading Web pages to a Web server will be expected. Some basic assistance will be provided.

Course Requirements:
Your participation will require approximately three to five hours per week to:

• Read the online seminar material
• Post to online discussion boards
• Complete activities, which will result in a basic draft academic library oriented Web site
• Complete a seminar evaluation form