Experiences of interaction for students with disabilities in online university programs Dissertation proposal Dzenana Jalovcic June 16, 2016 Committee Members: Dr. Susan Moisey (chair) Dr. Cynthia Blodgett-Griffin Dr. Linda Chmiliar Dr. Shelley Kinash

Presentation overview

What? What are the structures of experience of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who study online?

Why? Significance Giving a voice to online students with disabilities may influence: How online educators perceive, theorize, teach and support students with disabilities How access and services are regulated and implemented What research questions are asked

Why now? Increasing number of post- secondary students with disabilities University participation rates still lag behind New technologies Anti-discrimination and accessibility laws Less-researched area

Why? Background Disability studies Disability and online education Medical model Social model Human rights model Digital inclusion Digital capital Diverse, emerging Accessibility, needs, support services, academic achievement Mostly quantitative Pedagogy and theories neglected Policy Theoretical and philosophical inspiration Human rights based Patchwork of sectoral/ jurisdictional policies Policy paradoxes Phenomenology Learning interactions Disability as an interaction

A gap in the literature

Why? Voices and silences “The first great silence relates to the fact that the voices of stakeholders are still largely ignored. … assumptions are made about their perspective, but little is drawn directly from personal narratives and experiences of the stakeholders themselves. The dominant voices in the literature therefore, are those of accessibility researchers and campaigners.” Seale, J. (2014). E-learning and disability in higher education.

Purpose of research The purpose of this research is to describe experiences of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities enrolled in online university programs.

Philosophical and theoretical inspiration interaction

How? Phenomenology is philosophy and a research methodology that focuses on understanding of phenomenon from the perspective of those who experience it.

How? Research method (Giorgi, 2009) Descriptive phenomenology Probing consciousness about the phenomenon Gaining deeper understanding of experience by revealing its nature Describing experience with its essential structures

Participants Purposeful, criterion based participants’ selection: 10-16 students who self-identify as having a disability Who completed at least two online courses Who are enrolled in one online course at the time of interview Recruitment strategies: Invitation via ASD Office Faculty referral Announcement in social media

Data collection Semi-structured Skype or phone interviews (recorded and transcribed) Interview notes Artefacts (if voluntarily provided, secondary)

Semi-structured interview guide What is it like for you to study online with a disability? Describe your experience in the online course you are currently taking commenting on your interactions with instructors, students, and materials. Semi-structured interview guide Describe how your disability affects your experience of studying online. Give me an example of disability related learning challenges your face. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Data analysis (Giorgi, 2009) whole-part-whole Assume phenomenological attitude Read the entire transcript Determine meaning units Transform meaning units into sensitive statements of the lived experiences Write the description of structure of experience

Limitations Delimitations Causes and consequences of the experience may be overlooked Self-selection of participants Participants’ ability to express themselves Sole researcher Bracketing might be challenging Description not interpretation Participants selection – current experience

Ethical considerations Informed consent Anonymity and confidentiality Voluntary participation Risks and benefits Storing data Dissemination of results

Trustworthiness (Creswell, 1998; Depoy & Gitlin, 1998) Reflexivity: journaling; phenomenological attitude Triangulation: interviews, interview notes, and artefacts Member checks Peer review Audit trail Saturation

Outcomes Developing description of structures of experience Giving a voice and breaking the silence Sharing results at various events Defending a dissertation, and submitting/publishing two manuscripts in peer reviewed publications

Acknowledgements This research was supported by Wayne Perry Ed. D Acknowledgements This research was supported by Wayne Perry Ed.D. Student Research Award and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship Program. All illustrations from Pixabay licensed under Creative Commons CC0.

Thank you From pixabay by blickpixel

References Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five designs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. DePoy, E. & Gitlin, L.N. (1998). Introduction to Research: Understanding and Applying Multiple Strategies. Toronto: Mosby, Inc. Giorgi, A. (2009). The descriptive phenomenological method in psychology: A modified Husserlian approach. Duquesne University Press. Seale, J. K. (2014). E-learning and disability in higher education: accessibility research and practice [Kobo version]. Retrieved from Kobo.com.

Research questions What are the structures of experience of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who study online? What are their experiences of interactions with content, instructors or tutors, other students, system, and support services? What are the barriers and facilitators that shape online academic experiences of students with disabilities?