Gathering Statistics from Over-sized Queries
As the only accessibility specialist on campus, I have several opportunities to influence my community to become more inclusive in the design and creation of our environment. I like to think I do a farily good job when improvising elevator speeches, holding short presentations and facilitating hands-on workshops. One area where I could improve considerably is in my ability to produce real numbers when answering questions like: How many students are using alternate format books this semester? OR What percentage of students with disabilities use assistive technology?
Some of these numbers exist. Some may require additional fields to be stored in our Colorado University Student Information System (CUSIS) database. I need to learn how to collect this data accurately so that I can speak intelligently about our students. Having these honed lists of students on hand will also allow me to send very specific messages via emails like reminders to return loaned equipment at the end of each semester.
Learning Goals
Be able to write macros that refine pre-existing query results in order to create relevant statistics about the students I serve.
Learn to create user-friendly graphs within Excel which will make a visual impact on stakeholders of accessibility at UCCS.
Learning Activities
Decipher the list of queries available from the CU student Information system (CUSIS) with regards to students with disabilities.
Watch instructional videos on building macros and creating graphs in Excel spreadsheets.
Practice my new skills by creating a filtered query from one larger query.
Produce a final chart displaying a statistic on students with disabilities who utilize assistive technology at UCCS.
Reflection
This new skill will allow me to add impact to my training sessions by producing current, relevant statistics for our campus rather than general estimated numbers.
I will also be able to produce a useable library for student workers who need contact information for the students requesting alternate format books. These student workers are not allowed to use CUSIS and need to be able to get this information quickly.
References
Bouck, E. b. (2016). A National Snapshot of Assistive Technology for Students With Disabilities. Journal Of Special Education Technology, 31(1), 4-13.
Etscheidt, S. L. (2016). Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology,31(4), 183-194. doi:10.1177/0162643416673912
The Skills Factory. (2016, Mar 13). Microsoft Excel 2016 - Create and Manage your Charts and Graphs. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/KOOGje8W3P0
Resources
CUSIS Queries for Disability Services Office
IT Personnel for Excel Macro Writing Assistance