This is a test post to demonstrate the functionality of a hover text tool. Our friends in Curriculum thought this tool might be useful for students who are not familiar with some of the jargon we use. Using the hover text tool, a student’s mouse can hover over specific text like this here: RGHTC and see through a pop-up what it stands for. EOM.
You would know there’s a definition available because of the little dots you see under defined text, again, like AAMC here. If you don’t see dots, that’s a big issue and please let Walter know that and what browser you’re using.
The hover text tool does not apply to headlines, so jargon within a headline would not have a pop-up. That’s OK because headlines should be simple and attention-grabbing.
One point I’d make is that the accessibility team at UW stressed something that is also part of our UWSOM Style Guide for the Intranet: Whenever we refer to an organization, we spell out its name on first reference. So for example:
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is announcing a scholarship. To receive the scholarship, you should contact AAMC.
We don’t have to spell out their name on second reference, and that’s when the hover text would be most useful for a student who does not want to read back to find out what AAMC stands for.
There are a couple of reasons we do this. For one thing, it’s a best practice in all news units and news stories since not everyone knows what an AAMC is. Additionally, there’s an Accessibility aspect: The full name also benefits sight-affected people who are using screen readers, where the hover text might not be as helpful as it is to people who do not use screen readers.
However as long as we spell out organizations on first reference, it seems to Walter that hover text could have benefit. But what do you think? Let me know by replying to the email that alerted you to this page.