Course Syllabus

[Syllabus for OHIO Web Essentials ]

This syllabus was created following the Syllabus Guide from OHIO Center for Teaching and Learning.

Instructor Information

Please schedule a meeting with me if at anytime you struggle with the content of this course. There is a large amount of material and it can be overwhelming at times.

This is a professional development course intended for Drupal WebCMS editors. The trainer for this course is Shelli Minton, WebCMS Training and Support Manager in University Communications and Marketing.

Any student or employee who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs and provide written documentation from Accessibility Services. If you are not yet registered as a student with a disability, please contact Accessibility Services at 740-593-2620 or visit the office in Alden Library, Suite 230.”

Goal

This course is an overview of the roles and responsibilities for anyone working in or responsible for the content in OHIO websites created in Drupal. The goal of this course is to provide editors, publishers, and their supervisors with the knowledge and skills needed to create and approve webpages that adhere to accessibility standards and follow best practices in usability and inclusive design. You will remain enrolled in this course until you drop it. You can return to this training whenever you need as an ongoing resource.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, the fully engaged learner will be able to: 

1. 1. Define the user roles and responsibilities for Drupal CMS and basic web principles. 
   2. Using the webpage checklist, review web pages that follow best practices for usability and accessibility to ensure all key points have been covered before a page is published
   3. Identify images and phrases that convey the diversity and inclusiveness of our campuses to promote a sense of belonging
   4. Using the editorial style guide and OHIO brand website, utilize the colors, fonts, web elements, and "voice" to build stories and pages that convey the Ohio University narrative.

Grading Information

• You will be asked to complete short quizzes, reflection discussions and a final assessment to demonstrate understanding of best practices for accessibility, inclusivity, and usability.
  
  

Pronouns and Names

It is my desire that I, and your fellow students, will honor the name and pronoun that you would like used when addressing you. I will create space within the classroom for you to notify me of your name and pronoun, but you may also contact me privately. I also understand that this may change throughout the semester, as students become more comfortable or as one’s experience changes.

Respect and Civility in the Classroom

Our class discussions should, at times, lead to debate and academic disagreement. In a community of mutual respect and consideration, respectful disagreement is productive because it challenges assumptions and leads to exploration, growth, and thoughtfulness. Do not hesitate to express your ideas or to challenge the ideas of a peer, but please do so using respectful language and reasoned argument. Some guidelines:

• Approach discussions with good faith and assume that others have good intentions.
• Do not assume that everyone shares your experiences or perspectives.
• Ask clarifying questions, offering feedback from a place of shared humanity.
• Receive feedback by listening carefully and responding graciously.
• Be mindful that discussion is shared time. Think of how and what you want to express, but look for opportunities to be brief and to allow others to speak.
• During discussion, reflect on how your perspective connects directly with the assigned readings.

I am committed to continuously improving my understanding and practice of inclusive teaching. There are many ways we can all improve in creating inclusive environments. I am committed to learning. We all should acknowledge that this is an area of growth for everyone, even experts. Feedback can be challenging to hear, and changes difficult to implement, but I encourage us all to have an open dialogue about how we can create an inclusive environment that will foster success I know my students are capable of.