Computing · Secondary 3

Active learning ideas

Inclusive Technology Design

Active learning works especially well for inclusive technology design because students must personally experience barriers to value the principles. When they simulate disabilities or critique real apps, they connect abstract guidelines to human-centered outcomes, making accessibility skills stick through direct engagement.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Ethics and Social Issues - S3

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hundred Languages
• 35 min · Pairs

Empathy Walkthrough: Disability Simulations

Provide devices with accessibility blockers like grayscale filters, no-touch mode, or audio-only interfaces. Students in pairs test a common app, note barriers, and discuss impacts. Groups share findings in a class debrief.

Analyze how technology can be designed to be more accessible for individuals with disabilities.

Facilitation Tip

During the Empathy Walkthrough, have students rotate roles in each simulation to ensure everyone experiences multiple perspectives.

What to look for

Present students with a screenshot of a common website (e.g., a news site or online store). Ask them to identify two potential accessibility issues and explain why they are barriers for specific user groups, referencing at least one WCAG principle.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Hundred Languages
• 45 min · Small Groups

App Audit Stations: Critique Rotation

Set up stations for popular apps: one for visual impairment checks, one for motor skills, one for cognitive load. Small groups rotate, score inclusivity on a checklist, and suggest fixes. Compile class data for trends.

Critique existing technologies for their inclusivity and suggest improvements.

Facilitation Tip

For App Audit Stations, assign each group a different WCAG guideline to focus their critique, then share findings in a jigsaw format.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are designing a new social media app. What are the top three accessibility features you would prioritize, and what user groups would benefit most from each?' Encourage students to justify their choices.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Hundred Languages
• 50 min · Small Groups

Design Sprint: Inclusive App Prototype

Teams brainstorm an app for a school need, like event booking, applying POUR principles. Sketch wireframes, test with peers using simulated impairments, and iterate based on feedback. Present final designs.

Construct design principles for a new application that prioritizes accessibility.

Facilitation Tip

In the Design Sprint, provide a strict 20-minute prototyping phase to mirror real-world constraints and force prioritization of features.

What to look for

In pairs, students review a simple digital prototype (e.g., a paper sketch or basic digital mockup) created by their partner. They use a checklist based on universal design principles to provide feedback, noting one aspect that is well-designed for accessibility and one area for improvement.

• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Feedback Rounds

Display student prototypes around the room. Students circulate, test each with a random impairment card, and leave sticky-note feedback. Creators revise based on input.

Analyze how technology can be designed to be more accessible for individuals with disabilities.

Facilitation Tip

During Peer Review Gallery Walks, give students sticky notes in two colors: one for strengths and one for improvements, to streamline feedback.

What to look for

Present students with a screenshot of a common website (e.g., a news site or online store). Ask them to identify two potential accessibility issues and explain why they are barriers for specific user groups, referencing at least one WCAG principle.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing accessibility as a design challenge, not a compliance task. They avoid overwhelming students with WCAG jargon by first building empathy, then layering principles as tools to solve real problems. Research shows that students retain concepts better when they test their own prototypes with diverse users, so plan for iterative testing beyond the classroom.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying accessibility gaps in apps, proposing targeted solutions, and defending design choices with WCAG principles. They should articulate why inclusive features matter for diverse user groups, not just list them.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Empathy Walkthrough, watch for students assuming inclusive design is only for people with disabilities. Redirect by asking them to reflect on how simulations affected their own task efficiency, linking to universal benefits like larger buttons helping in sunlight.

  Have students map their simulation experiences to common scenarios where accessibility features help all users, such as captions aiding in noisy environments, then discuss these connections in small groups.

• During the Design Sprint, watch for students believing accessibility features make designs less appealing or efficient. Redirect by having them test their prototypes with peers and compare performance metrics like task completion time with and without features.

  Use peer testing data to show how features like high contrast or keyboard navigation streamline interactions for everyone, not just specific groups.

• During the Empathy Walkthrough, watch for students claiming all users have the same needs. Redirect by providing case studies of diverse users and asking groups to identify one unique need for each, then brainstorm flexible solutions.

  Use the empathy maps from the activity to highlight how varied needs emerge from real user stories, emphasizing the importance of adjustable features like text size or color schemes.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Hundred Languages
• Gallery Walk