Technique For SC 2.2.4

Status:

This technique is under review by Team C?

Applicability:

This technique applies to any technologies or methods supporting the formation of a plan for an activity which does not require timed interaction for its functionality.

Description:

This technique involves planning a specified form of supervised action, in which the form does not require timed interaction to achieve its purposes. Real-time events are excluded. (NOTE: Is the scope a "Web activity"?). By accomplishment of this technique, at least in the design phase, users should not be constrained by time limitations from interacting with an activity. Accomplishment of this technique satisfies SC2.2.4 because, if timing is not an essential part of an activity in the design phase, then it is likely that timing will not be an essential part of content presented after implementation of the design.

User Agent Notes:

User agent support information for technologies involved in the planning of activities as mentioned previously will be listed here.

Examples:

  1. The design for an interactive exam for a course specifies that all of the questions on the exam are located on one delivery unit without timeout commands, rather than one question on each delivery unit, where each delivery unit has a timeout.
  2. The design for a clock activity specifies that a clock updates once every second; clicking "pause clock" would pause the clock, and clicking "Resume clock" would cause the clock to continue
  3. The design of a website specifies that all information is contained in a single delivery unit without timeout, rather than on multiple delivery units in sequence, each with a timeout
  4. The design of a CGI/Perl/web-database applications specifies that relevant information is moved out of tables, or tables so that any SQL timeout commands are not generated when trying to access locked tables
  5. The design of an activity specifies that all timeout commands are removed in the implementation of the design, for each application/service specified in the design. For example, if there is a Javascript implementation, the design would exclude the possibility of a setTimeout() function; if Perl is implemented, using %SIG to timeout keyboard entry would be prohibited in the design.
  6. The design of an interactive game specifies having the users take turns instead of competitive time interactions?
  7. The design of an online auction would specify having each bidder submit one bid for the duration of the bidding, and then compare bids at the end to determine which is highest, rather than time-dependent bids?
  8. A web activity would use UML in the design process?
  9. CAD/CASE/software enginnering tools would be used in the activity design process?
  10. Design authoring tools would use "preview" or "simulation" modes to represent "final" activity presentation/structure at an intermediate "state" of the design authoring process
  11. Various workflow methodologies would be used in the design process?

Resources:

NOTE: Not sure how appropriate or relevant these are, - suggestions for other resources welcome?
  1. UML reference?
  2. Successful Web Development Methodologies
  3. The New Methodology
  4. Web Design Tutorial index - free tutorials but contributions requested by company?
  5. Resource-Oriented vs. Activity-Oriented Web Services
  6. Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 2005

Tests:

  1. Prerequisite tests - any tests to demonstrate "basic" support of technologies required for proper operation of "basic" design methodology (NOTE: separate from testing of particular design methdology itself?)
  2. Procedure -
    1. Specify, using automated or manual means, a particular design methodology for the desired Web activity,
    2. For that specified design methodology, check (via automated or manual means) that that design methodology excludes the possibility of timed interaction as a requirement for successful operation of the final output/implementation of the design methodology (except for timeouts not controllable by author or user in the activity?)
    3. Repeat the previous step for every stage in the design process for that design methodology
  3. Expected Result - in every stage of the design methodology for the activity, there should be no possibility of timed interfaction as a requirement for successful operation of the final output/implementation of the design methodology (except for timeouts not controllable by author or user in the activity?)
  4. Sample Test Files - Optional, since this technique involves design rather than implementation?