This document outlines the structured progression through Learning Room skills and challenges.
The Learning Room uses progressive skill-building:
- Start with fundamentals
- Build on previous knowledge
- Increase complexity gradually
- Apply skills in real-world scenarios
- Teach others what you've learned
| Level | PRs Required | Focus Area | Challenges Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 0+ | Markdown basics & simple fixes | 3 challenges |
| Intermediate | 1+ | Accessibility fundamentals | 3 challenges |
| Advanced | 3+ | Complex accessibility & review | 3 challenges |
| Expert | 5+ | Content creation & mentorship | 3+ challenges |
Get comfortable with GitHub workflow and Markdown basics.
- Basic Markdown syntax
- Navigating GitHub interface
- Creating pull requests
- Describing changes clearly
- Responding to feedback
Scenario: The docs/welcome.md file has a broken internal link.
Your Task:
- Find the broken link
- Fix the path to point to correct file
- Verify link works in preview
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding relative file paths
- Using Markdown preview
- Testing your changes
Estimated Time: 10-15 minutes
Scenario: The docs/keyboard-shortcuts.md file is missing several common shortcuts.
Your Task:
- Research a keyboard shortcut not in the list
- Add it with proper formatting
- Include description of what it does
Learning Objectives:
- Markdown tables
- Finding documentation
- Clear technical writing
Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
Scenario: The docs/welcome.md file has [TODO] sections that need completing.
Your Task:
- Replace [TODO] markers with helpful content
- Keep style consistent with existing text
- Ensure all headings follow hierarchy
Learning Objectives:
- Document structure
- Consistent voice/tone
- Heading hierarchy basics
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Master accessibility fundamentals and document structure.
- Heading hierarchy
- Descriptive link text
- Alt text for images
- Screen reader considerations
- More complex Git workflows
Scenario: Several docs have heading hierarchy violations (H1 → H3 skips).
Your Task:
- Use bot feedback to find violations
- Fix hierarchy to be sequential
- Ensure document outline makes sense
Learning Objectives:
- Why heading hierarchy matters
- Screen reader navigation
- Document outlining
Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
Resources:
Scenario: Multiple docs use generic link text like "click here" and "read more".
Your Task:
- Find generic link text
- Rewrite to be descriptive
- Test that context is clear when reading links alone
Learning Objectives:
- Link text best practices
- Writing for screen readers
- Context-independent descriptions
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Resources:
Scenario: Images in documentation are missing alt text.
Your Task:
- Find images without alt text
- Write descriptive alt text
- Consider what screen reader users need to know
Learning Objectives:
- Writing effective alt text
- Decorative vs. informative images
- Testing with screen readers (bonus)
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Resources:
Conduct comprehensive accessibility reviews and mentor others.
- Complete accessibility audits
- Teaching through code review
- Creating clear documentation
- Identifying subtle issues
- Constructive feedback
Scenario: A peer has opened a PR. Conduct an accessibility-focused review.
Your Task:
- Review ALL accessibility aspects:
- Heading hierarchy
- Link text quality
- Image alt text
- Table structure
- Document organization
- Leave constructive comments
- Approve or request changes with clear explanations
Learning Objectives:
- Comprehensive review process
- Writing helpful feedback
- Catching subtle issues
- Balancing thoroughness with kindness
Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Resources:
Scenario: Pick an accessibility topic and create comprehensive documentation.
Your Task:
- Choose topic (ARIA, keyboard navigation, color contrast, etc.)
- Research thoroughly
- Write clear, actionable guide
- Include examples and resources
- Make it accessible!
Learning Objectives:
- Technical writing
- Researching documentation
- Creating learning materials
- Practicing what you teach
Estimated Time: 2-3 hours
Suggested Topics:
- Keyboard navigation in GitHub
- Using ARIA labels effectively
- Color contrast checking
- Testing with screen readers
- Accessible table creation
Scenario: Help a beginner complete their first challenge.
Your Task:
- Be assigned as peer reviewer for beginner PR
- Guide them through the process
- Explain not just WHAT but WHY
- Celebrate their progress
- Help them understand feedback
Learning Objectives:
- Teaching skills
- Patience and empathy
- Breaking down concepts
- Building confidence in others
Estimated Time: 1-2 hours (including async communication)
Tips:
- Ask questions that lead to discovery
- Share your own learning journey
- Be encouraging about mistakes
- Point to resources, don't just give answers
Create learning content and lead community initiatives.
- Instructional design
- Challenge creation
- Facilitating discussions
- Identifying learning gaps
- Building inclusive communities
Scenario: Identify a skill gap and create a new challenge.
Your Task:
- Identify what's missing from current challenges
- Design a new learning exercise
- Write clear instructions
- Create example solution
- Add to challenges documentation
Learning Objectives:
- Instructional design
- Identifying learning objectives
- Scoping appropriately
- Creating evaluation criteria
Estimated Time: 3-5 hours
Requirements:
- Clear learning objective
- Appropriate difficulty level
- Estimated completion time
- Resources for learning
- Success criteria
Scenario: Conduct full accessibility audit of workshop repository.
Your Task:
- Review ALL documentation files
- Test with screen readers
- Check keyboard navigation
- Verify color contrast
- Create issues for problems found
- Prioritize by severity
Learning Objectives:
- Systematic testing methodology
- Real-world accessibility evaluation
- Issue triage and prioritization
- Creating actionable bug reports
Estimated Time: 4-6 hours
Deliverables:
- Audit report (Markdown document)
- Issues filed for each problem
- Suggested fixes
- Priority rankings
Scenario: Design an issue template for a specific challenge type.
Your Task:
- Choose challenge category
- Design helpful template structure
- Include guidance for users
- Add relevant labels/metadata
- Test with sample issue
Learning Objectives:
- Template design
- Guiding user input
- Workflow optimization
- Community tools
Estimated Time: 2-3 hours
Resources:
These can be attempted at any level:
See GROUP_CHALLENGES.md for collaborative exercises that work across skill levels.
Pick any narrow accessibility topic and become the group expert:
- Screen reader testing workflows
- ARIA landmarks
- Skip links
- Focus management
- Form accessibility
Master a specific tool and teach others:
- Git command line workflows
- VS Code accessibility extensions
- Browser DevTools accessibility features
- GitHub keyboard shortcuts
The Skills Progression Engine automatically:
- Counts merged PRs
- Awards badges
- Unlocks new challenges
- Celebrates milestones
Keep your own notes:
- What did you learn?
- What was challenging?
- What resources helped?
- What would you teach differently?
After each merged PR:
- What accessibility principle did you apply?
- How would you explain this to a beginner?
- What related topics do you want to explore?
- How has this changed your perspective?
You "graduate" when you:
- Reach Expert level (5+ merged PRs)
- Complete at least one challenge from each level
- Mentor at least one peer
- Create new learning content (challenge, doc, or template)
In This Community:
- Become a facilitator
- Maintain the learning-room
- Create advanced challenges
- Help onboard new cohorts
Beyond This Workshop:
- Contribute to open source projects
- Apply accessibility skills in your work
- Advocate for inclusive practices
- Teach others what you've learned
Stay Connected:
- Share your success stories
- Return to mentor new learners
- Contribute to workshop improvements
- Build accessibility into everything you do
- Stuck on a challenge? Comment on your PR and tag your peer reviewer
- Need conceptual help? Ask in your study group issue
- Found a bug in a challenge? Open an issue with details
- Want to suggest a new challenge? Open an issue with label
challenge-idea
Progressive learning paths designed for diverse learners. Go at your own pace, support each other, and celebrate every achievement!