Call for Tutorials - More resources

By Yanina Bellini Saibene in Theme Features R

November 26, 2022

We mentioned that the tutorial session can be one of the ways attendees gain value from a conference. This is only true if the conference and its tutorials are accessible and friendly to as many people as possible. And this must be worked on from the very conception of the conference.

Accessibility

The conference should have an accessibility guide or a list of accessibility standards for the event.

You can also generate templates to scaffold the creation of accessible materials and accessibility profiles to let people know whether they can be accommodated.

These are the standards written for the tutorials of the useR! 2021 conference.

Accessibility Standards

For tutorials, we kindly ask that prospective instructors:

When Preparing the Tutorial Material

  • Give priority to text-based slide platforms such as markdown or Beamer
  • Avoid transitions, animations, and complicated layouts
  • Add alt-text to images that explain short but completely the features in the picture. Include explanations of how the code relates to the visual output
  • If you still need to present in MS PowerPoint or similar, keep the original file
  • Add speaker notes to your slides

While Giving the Tutorial

  • Speak as clearly as possible, looking at the camera, and try not to go too fast
  • Be aware of clues in the chat that signal if your pace is letting everyone follow your instructions
  • During the session, comment briefly on what you are showing and why. Avoid explanations that rely only on obvious features that may not be obvious to everyone, such as “As you can see” or “The image speaks for itself.”

Code of Conduct

The conference must have a code of conduct. This code also applies to the tutorial space.

If the conference is online or hybrid, the text of the code of conduct should include examples of unacceptable behavior in these areas.

The text should also clarify the process for reporting an incident and resolving reports.

There are many codes of conduct already written and various application processes. Naturally, you must select the one that best suits your event, but you must have one, and, most importantly, you must have a strategy for enforcing it.

If the event is multilingual, you must consider presenting the text in the different official languages and be able to apply the procedure in those languages as well.

As examples, here are the link to the

Next Step

The next blog post will discuss in detail the data in the application form.