How inclusive is the on-line learning environment? Perspectives of students with disabilities at Abertay University Kate Smith & Mhairi Thurston

Overview of presentation Introduction Rationale for study Aims Method Results Recommendations Conclusion

Introduction The Equality Act 2010 - Students entitled to full access and participation in education HE institutions have a duty to make reasonable adjustments in education to ensure individuals do not face ‘substantial disadvantage’. In order to do this it is important to understand the nature of difficulties and barriers

Rationale for study To build on the HEA Change Programme -Developing an Inclusive Culture in Higher Education (2011-12). To examine the online learning at Abertay - are we getting it right for our students with disabilities?

Project aims To understand how students with disabilities experience Abertay’s on-line learning environment To produce a set of student led recommendations for staff developing on-line learning materials to ensure full-participation of students with disabilities To develop Abertay’s reputation as an innovative and inclusive organization

Project scope Abertay students – future projects could extend this if desired On line learning environment All schools - any students who self selects as having a disability

Method Ethical approval for study Participants recruited through disability support mailing list Focus groups Audio recorded, field notes, transcription Thematic analysis

Results : Emerging Themes How my condition affects me – physically and emotionally How my condition affects my study On line learning tailoring study to my needs The importance of ‘real world’ Asking for help…..The lecturer effect The importance of the lecturer - student relationship Problems with support Student resourcefulness Student recommendations

How my condition affects me – physically and emotionally “…. Leaving the house is not always possible, sometimes its not even an option…” (p5) “..some days you just can’t get out of bed and you cant think” (p4) “… my confidence was so low when I started, my condition was up and down and my emotions were really bad….” (p1 )

How my condition affects my study “….my day is a sort of juggling act between taking enough painkillers to be able to be out and about and not taking too many to make me sleepy - too sleepy to study…” (p3) “..I feel like I’m learning at a slower pace, because I’m having to play catch up some of the time. I think like they are already two or three steps ahead of me” (p2) … for first and second year I had so many different operations and I was off so much it was hard to catch up…” (p1)

On- line learning tailoring study to my needs “…some of my energy levels are up at three in the morning and if the lectures are there…I like the fact that on line I can watch and watch again.” (p5) “… I’m better off doing the study in the middle of the night. I start my study about 10 o’clock at night and I’ll be there till 3or 4 in the morning..”(p6)

The importance of ‘real world’ “… I feel I wouldn’t learn if I was at home trying to do it myself.. I’d rather be here in lectures and taking what I can from it, rather than being away. That’s my way of being able to work” (p8) “…(being in my own home)…doesn’t suffice for interaction, noise, people and banter”(p4)

Asking for help…..The lecturer effect “…there was a lecturer who never gave you any back up information and I found myself failing…because the on line part wasn't there……I sent an email that explained it all. Before I knew it, I got all the lecture slides that I wanted and all the information I needed…”(p1)

The importance of the lecturer - student relationship “…. I definitely think that the student teachers relationship is important…I think as a regular student you don’t need to interact with the teacher as much…If I have a hypo attack or if I’m not well at exam times, I want them to understand. If you were a healthy student I don’t know if you would have to build that kind of rapport… You’re invested in that tutor “ (p5)

Problems with support “…..With the laptop I got through the dyslexia thing, it gave me the package, but then Windows 10 came around and we all upgraded to that and the package we got was not compatible with Windows 10 and I’d already upgraded… what the hell am I going to do now?... I couldn’t go back because Windows 10 didn’t let you go back….”(p2)

Student resourcefulness “.. We created at chat on Facebook for our group project to actually get that information back and forth for anybody to edit it before it was submitted. We used Facebook as an additional tool on top of the stuff the university already provided..” (p2)

Student recommendations Instructions for on line environment taught as part of the curriculum. On line lecture about disability support Better system of information handling and confidentiality when students declare a disability (one stop shop approach) Lecture capture as standard Consistency in PowerPoint Getting the correct material in advance Systems that work

Limitations of study Scale of study (8/538 /3775) Difficulty in recruitment Not representative Not generalizable Possible researcher bias in analysis

Conclusion Students with disabilities face unique difficulties - no one size fits all solution On line environment can be useful if it is consistent and functional Real world environment and relationship with the lecturer is important More research needed about the experiences of students with disabilities and the accessibility of the on line environment

Thanks for listening – Questions?