Research Experience for Undergraduates in Digital Accessibility

数字无障碍本科生研究经验

• 批准号: 2426230
• 负责人: Marouane Kessentini
• 金额: $ 42.94万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Flint
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-15 至 2027-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2426230&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Experience; Undergraduates; Digital; Accessibility

This funding establishes a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Michigan Flint focused on digital accessibility. People with a disability are much less likely to have completed a bachelor's degree than people without a disability. Graduate degrees are particularly important for this demographic because the unemployment rate for people with disabilities drops significantly with higher levels of education. However, few opportunities exist for students with disabilities to prepare for graduate studies. This undergraduate research experience site will enable new opportunities for students with and without disabilities to be involved in digital accessibility research. The proposed research will bridge the digital divide, ensuring that individuals with diverse abilities can leverage the advancements in technology, leading to a more inclusive and equitable digital society.The proposed research projects within the site will develop new knowledge, methods, and frameworks to build the next generation of inclusive software and assess the challenges that people with disabilities experience when using technology. This site will build on the experience of many mentors who have worked with undergraduate students in their individual research to cover three themes: (1) Inclusive Software Requirements Engineering and Design, (2) Inclusive Software Development, and (3) Inclusive Software Testing and Maintenance. The proposed activities will include understanding the research literature, formulating and refining relevant research questions, performing empirical studies and designing novel approaches and prototypes. Students engage in critical problem-solving and multidisciplinary research through these projects, which incorporate principles from computer science, software engineering, human-computer interaction, health and related disciplines. Students will be able to broaden their understanding of user-centered design and the significance of developing equitable digital experiences. In addition to conducting research, the students will participate in other professional development activities, such as field trips, professional seminars, invited speaker series, career guidance, and graduate school preparation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这笔资金为密歇根大学Flint的本科生（REU）网站建立了新的研究经验，该研究专注于数字可访问性。与没有残疾的人相比，残疾人完成学士学位的可能性要小得多。研究生学位对于此人群尤为重要，因为残疾人的失业率随着教育水平较高而大大下降。但是，残疾学生几乎没有机会为研究生学习做准备。这个本科研究经验网站将为有和没有残疾的学生提供新的机会，以参与数字可访问性研究。拟议的研究将弥合数字鸿沟，确保具有不同能力的个人可以利用技术的进步，从而导致更具包容性和公平的数字社会。该网站内的拟议研究项目将开发新的知识，方法和框架来构建下一代的包容性软件，并评估使用技术时具有自由责任感的挑战。该网站将基于许多导师的经验，这些导师曾与本科生在个人研究中合作以涵盖三个主题：（1）包容性软件需求工程和设计，（2）包容性软件开发以及（3）包含性软件测试和维护。拟议的活动将包括了解研究文献，制定和完善相关研究问题，进行经验研究以及设计新颖的方法和原型。学生通过这些项目从事批判性问题和多学科研究，其中结合了计算机科学，软件工程，人力计算机互动，健康和相关学科的原则。学生将能够扩大他们对以用户为中心的设计的理解以及发展公平数字体验的重要性。除了进行研究外，学生还将参加其他专业发展活动，例如实地考察，专业研讨会，邀请演讲者系列，职业指导和研究生院的准备工作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评估审查标准来通过评估来支持的。