Inclusive Experiments

Overview

You appropriately consider accessibility, ethical/intersectional identity issues, and power dynamics in your experimental design

ABET Requirement

This competency meets the ABET requirement that you demonstrate:

An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

In our course, this means you appropriately consider the following in your experimental design and analysis:

  • Accessibility
  • Ethical and/or intersectional identity related issues relevant to your project
  • Concerns regarding power dynamics, safety, ableism, racism, or anything else that might affect inclusive participation or engagement with your project

Best Practices

Accessibility Considerations

  • How will the access needs of each person be met?
  • Include communication, materials, space, and time
  • Ensure research materials are accessible
  • Support multiple modes of participation

Ethical and Identity Issues

  • Identify any risks of safety, privacy, or other concerns
  • Address intersectional identities
  • Consider cultural context
  • Ensure inclusive language and framing

Power Dynamics

  • Acknowledge researcher-participant power differentials
  • Ensure participants can decline or withdraw
  • Avoid extractive research practices
  • Give back to the community

Assessment

You will be assessed on your ability to:

  1. Design accessible experiments
  2. Create inclusive informed consent
  3. Address power dynamics
  4. Consider intersectional identities
  5. Identify and mitigate ethical issues

Rubric for this Competency

Excellent
The experiment is designed to consider issues of access across time, space, materials and communication; power dynamics. Further, the experiment directly addresses questions that relate to client identities
Competent
The experiment does not have obvious access or inclusion flaws and addresses some aspects of client identity
Not Competent
The experiment is not inclusive or does not engage at all with client identity

Typical Handin for this Competency

  • Experimental design documentation
  • Informed consent forms
  • Accessibility and inclusion considerations
  • Analysis of power dynamics and ethical issues

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