Assessment for Academic Writer by Centennial - Module 1: Interface Appearance

Submitted by yshi@centennia… on
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are there functional images embedded in the background?
Answer: Never
Score: 2
Notes:
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Most pictures on this site do not have alt text, but they don't really affect how users interpret and understand the content. Most of the pictures are just accompanying the content, e.g. when the content is about disability, there is a picture with a person in a wheelchair.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: The only image used as text is the page logo "AW" for Academic Writer.
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: This site is a guide, containing mostly tutorials and samples. It's not a regular database where users usually search and download/save their results, so Icons aren't commonly used here.
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: One has to scroll horizontally to see the entire page at 200%, but the scrolling is minimal.
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Home page has a contrast ratio of 8.9:1, very high, but a few features on other pages have low contrast.
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: The only colour coded graph is a bar-chart that depends on color to represent the data changes. If colour was removed or changed, content and meaning of the chart will definitely change, but it doesn't seem fair to lower the score based on this single factor.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: Didn't find this option through out of the website.
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Most of them are accessible via Keyboard navigation, but sometimes are quite difficult to locate where your key is on. Yes accessible, but with difficulty.
Can users pause carousel movement?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: No Carousel movement found
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes:
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: No, on smaller screens, users have to scroll horizontally to view the whole page.
eResource: Academic Writer
eResource Type: Website
Vendor: American Psychological Association (APA)
Institution: Centennial
Score: A-

Images

Positioning of Images

Question Answer Notes Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? Always

Functional images embedded in the background

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background? Never

Presence of Icons

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc? Not Applicable This site is a guide, containing mostly tutorials and samples. It's not a regular database where users usually search and download/save their results, so Icons aren't commonly used here.

Alt Text

Question Answer Notes Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes Most pictures on this site do not have alt text, but they don't really affect how users interpret and understand the content. Most of the pictures are just accompanying the content, e.g. when the content is about disability, there is a picture with a person in a wheelchair.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Not Applicable The only image used as text is the page logo "AW" for Academic Writer.

Content Scaling

Question Answer Notes Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off? Always
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%? Always
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%? Sometimes One has to scroll horizontally to see the entire page at 200%, but the scrolling is minimal.

Colour and Contrast

Question Answer Notes Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1? Sometimes Home page has a contrast ratio of 8.9:1, very high, but a few features on other pages have low contrast.

Colour

Question Answer Notes Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents? Not Applicable The only colour coded graph is a bar-chart that depends on color to represent the data changes. If colour was removed or changed, content and meaning of the chart will definitely change, but it doesn't seem fair to lower the score based on this single factor.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)? Always
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action? Always

Text to speech

Question Answer Notes Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options? Never Didn't find this option through out of the website.

Clustered Links

Question Answer Notes Images
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily? Always
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate? Always
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)? Always
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation? Sometimes Most of them are accessible via Keyboard navigation, but sometimes are quite difficult to locate where your key is on. Yes accessible, but with difficulty.

Dynamic content

Question Answer Notes Images
Can users pause carousel movement? Not Applicable No Carousel movement found
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard? Not Applicable

Liquid layout

Question Answer Notes Images
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap? Always
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions? Always
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions? Sometimes No, on smaller screens, users have to scroll horizontally to view the whole page.
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