Abstract
Over the last years, accessibility has been gaining more recognition, hence there is a market demand for professionals skilled in accessibility. Therefore, there is a trend towards incorporating accessibility in computer science curricula. Many approaches were presented in order to teach accessibility in the academy, however many failed in the department of motivation and engagement. Moreover, gamification is a strong contender when it comes to engaging, motivating and improving the students' performance using game design elements in non-game context, and it has not been much explored to teach accessibility in the academy. Consequently, this paper proposes to teach accessibility in the academy through a gamification-based approach. The paper starts with a presentation of the proposed approach and finally concludes the paper along with future research direction.

Abstract

Abstract
The human population with disability is rapidly expanding, more than 15% of people worldwide suffer from a disability and, despite the availability of accessibility guidelines, the websites are still inaccessible. Moreover, professionals with knowledge of accessibility and design abilities are hard to come by. Therefore, the current paper addresses the introduction of accessibility to the Software Engineering students through AccessCademy, a gamification-based tool, in a fun way. The activity is delivered via a Web-based learning environment, that presents bad accessibility scenarios or failures based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and then encourages the students to solve them. Furthermore, a case study will be presented that evaluated the learning effectiveness of the tool in the context of a university course. The results demonstrated the potential of AccessCademy which offers students a fun and engaging way to learn about accessibility, to understand the importance of accessible design with WCAG and gain accessible design skills as well. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.

Abstract
In the field of engineering education, hands-on experiences in laboratories are essential for effective learning. However, traditional laboratories face challenges such as cost and infrastructure, hindering access. And virtual laboratories are believed to have significant potential to offer efficient and cost-effective solutions for practical lab work compared to traditional labs. Moreover, currently there is a growing implementation of these solutions in various educational and professional areas where practical knowledge is crucial, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the current research focuses on the design and development of a 3D virtual laboratory for computer hardware classes aiming to provide a solution to the problem of the lack of physical equipment for conducting practical IT laboratory activities. Additionally, to develop the virtual laboratory, tools such as Blender, Sculptris, and ZBrush were used for modelling, and the Unity Game Engine was used for programming and rendering. This simulated environment allows interactions with digital computer hardware components and circuits, promoting accessibility, scalability, and cost savings. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.