Questions
Question 1. Can anyone use the web site?Question 2. What about accessibility aspects of the web site?
Question 3. What are "cookies" and how are they used in this site?
Question 4. What is the site's policy regarding privacy?
Question 5. What does this icon
mean? Question 6. Is English the only language available on the site?
Question 7. If I want to reprint or cite materials I find on this site, how should I do that?
Question 8. I teach architecture and I am interested in informationin information about my field. Can I search the web site to find architecture-related information? Question 9. How much interaction will there be on the site?
Question 9. How much interaction will there be on the site?
Question 10. How will materials be selected for use on the web site?
Question 11. Will my materials be protected? Is there any copywright?
Question 12. I have a great deal of information on my own web site; can you link to it rather than my giving you my materials?
Question 13. What benefits are there for me in submitting materials to this project?
Question 1. Can anyone use the web site?
Answer 1. The web site can be entered and explored by anyone. However, the Discussion Forum requires that visitors complete a simple sign-in form in order to post messages. The purpose of the sign-in is to prevent inappropriate content from being posted to the site. The information collected is for internal use only.
Question 2. What about accessibility aspects of the web site?
Answer 2. The web site is accessible and as universally usable as possible. Each user is able to select the formats (e.g., fonts and page colors) that are most usable for her or him. The site is readable by screen readers and as far as technologically possible by older, slower computers. For more information see Accessibility of This Site.
Question 3. What are "cookies" and how are they used in this site?
Answer 3. Cookies are very small text files stored on your computer, used by your web browser to save information related to a particular web site. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet web sites and is frequently used to distinguish users of a site.
The Universal Design Education Online site uses cookies to store unique membership codes that allow us to authenticate users who post messages to the Discussion Forums. This information is used only for internal processing in the site and will not be used for any other purpose. Please reference our privacy statement for further details.
In addition, cookies are also used to store your site appearance customization preferences so when you return to our site, it will remember the appearance you prefer. Users who choose not to use cookies or their cookies will be required to log in each time they want to post messages to the Discussion Forums or use their site appearance preferences.
Question 4. What is the site's policy regarding privacy?
Answer 4. The Universal Design Online Web site developers will handle all information obtained from its users in a confidential manner:
- If you become a member by completing the membership registration form, we will not share, sell or make this information available to any other organization.
- When you visit our web site, we collect and store only the following information about you: IP address, date and time of access to our site, web browser used, and the domain name and internet address of the site referring you to our site.
We use the information we collect to measure the number of visitors to the various sections of our site.
Question 5: What does this icon
mean?
Answer 5: This icon is being used to denote a link to external web pages that contain related information. These page will appear in a new browser window. The Universal Design Education Online is not responsible for the content on these pages. If you have any questions about a page from an external web site, please contact the administrator of that site.
Question 6. Is English the only language available on the site?
Answer 6. The official language of the UD Education Online site is English. Some materials and information may also be available in other languages, but everything will be offered in English.
Question 7. If I want to reprint or cite materials I find on this site, how should I do that?
Answer 7. You may use any materials you find on this site; that is why they are provided. If you reprint anything, you must make sure to include its source and copyright information. Please use the citation information printed at the end of each submission. We are still developing these and will complete them before the end of December 2003.
Question 8. I teach architecture and I am interested in information about my field. Can I search the web site to find architecture-related information?
Answer 8. The site is organized by types of content and not by design discipline. You may search the site for a single field but it will limit what you find. Although most of the materials on this site were created for specific design disciplines, many can be applied or adapted to different disciplines. We invite you to explore a variety of materials and consider new approaches.
Question 9. How much interaction will there be on the site?
Answer 9. User interaction is a high priority for the sponsors. Discussion Forums on this site offer opportunities for discussion on various themes/issues. As noted in Answer 1, above, user registration is required to post messages to the Discussion Forums.
Question 10. How will materials be selected for use on the web site?
Answer 10. All materials will be subject to review by a peer review panel. The reviewers include expert design educators in architecture, engineering, graphic design, industrial design, interior design and landscape architecture. The review will not be anonymous as the nature of the materials is usually indicative of the author. The selection criteria for teaching materials and selection criteria for announcements are detailed on the web site.
Question 11. Will my materials be protected? Is there any copyright?
Answer 11. Yes. When you submit your material, the Cover Sheet will ask if anyone holds a copyright on all or any part of what you have submitted. That copyright will be included with your material when it is posted on the site.
Question 12. I have a great deal of information on my own web site; can you link to it rather than my giving you my materials?
Answer 12. That is one option but many academic sites require a user ID and cannot be used by anyone who is not registered for a particular course. We will review this on a case-by-case basis, if you can assure access to the site. However, you must still submit all the required content, including an internet address so that the content can be reviewed (see How to Submit Materials.)
Question 13. What benefits are there for me in submitting materials to this project?
Answer 13. This site represents a rare opportunity for you to get some feedback from other people who will use something that you have developed. You can ask for specific or general feedback from other educators. You can explain why you have developed a particular approach and learn how this works for other people. A hit-counter will record the number of visits to each submission. Also, if your material is accepted through the peer review process, this may have academic value in your institution's tenure and promotion annual review and report process.
