Ethical Practice

Usability Assessment: Interface Evaluation Using Cognitive Walkthrough

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Description
Using the cognitive walkthrough method, my team members and I evaluated specific features of the interface of the Knox County Public Library's website in the Usability Assessment: Interface Evaluation Using Cognitive Walkthrough. Our team put ourselves into the target users’ shoes in order to perform the evaluation. During the evaluation, team members asked appropriate questions such as, "What would the target user do? How will the target user feel in this situation?" After reflection and discussion, our team developed potential solutions for issues discovered during the walkthrough.

Rationale
I chose to include this work sample for several reasons. Not only do I demonstrate my ability to work well within a team, but I also demonstrate my knowledge of effective, accessible user design. In the Walkthrough, I evaluated the design of the library interface based on my knowledge to determine what improvements would make the interface more user-friendly.

Alignment to Career Goals and Professional Standards
The most beneficial aspect of this project was that I had the opportunity to strengthen my skills in user design. An instructional designer has to work with the user in mind, and this project forced me to become the user in order to determine what works and what doesn't work and how best to address the problem.

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge)
AECT Standard 3 (Learning Environments)
AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge and Skills)

Assisting Faculty with ESL Instruction: An Accessible D2L-based Approach to Professional Development

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Description
Since resource availability for non-native English speakers is not guaranteed in higher education, my colleague, doctoral candidate Caitlin Chapman-Rambo, and I saw an opportunity for professional development. To help composition instructors respond to the needs of non-native speakers in the college writing classroom, we’ve developed an online training resource deliverable via the Tennessee Board of Regent's mandated course management system, Desire2Learn (or D2L). While my colleague's primary focus was the content, my focus was on course assembly and ensuring accessibility for all faculty members.

Rationale
I included this work sample because I feel it demonstrates my ability to create accessible training for a variety of learners. I had an opportunity to showcase my skills in the use of D2L, a course management system used in community colleges in the state of Tennessee. Besides showcasing my strengths, I was also able to provide needed resources to faculty in the hopes that learners who are non-native speakers will be able to maximize their potential.

Alignment to Career Goals and Professional Standards
As I am interested in higher education and adult learning as focus areas for IDT, it is essential that I am well-versed in best practices in universal design. Working on this project, I discovered the value and importance of building inclusive online course content in from the onset. Not only does it save time and money in the long run, but it also ensures that learners of all abilities are able to access the material.

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge)
AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy)
AECT Standard 3 (Learning Environments)
AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge and Skills)

Reference:
Association for Educational Communication and Technology (2012, July 16). AECT Standards, 2012 version. Retrieved from http://www.aect.org/newsite/.