Students with Disabilities in Distance Education: Characteristics, Course Enrollment and Completion, and Support Services

This study describes the characteristics, enrollment, and completion rates of students with disabilities and the support services they received over a three-year period. Between 1998 and 2001 a total of 604 students with disabilities enrolled in undergraduate courses at Athabasca University, which represents 1.5% of the student population. More than half (52%) had a physical disability, 20% had a learning disability, 20% had a psychological disability, 4% had some form of visual impairment, and 3% had a hearing impairment. Of these students 56.6% completed one or more of the courses in which they were enrolled. Their overall course completion rate (including early withdrawals) was 45.9%, somewhat lower than that of the general university population. Most students received a variety of types of assistance and accommodation through the Office for Access for Students with Disabilities. Only 7% of students with disabilities received no support services. Students who received more types of support services tended to have somewhat more success in terms of course completions, and certain types of disabilities appeared to be more amendable to certain types of assistance

Students with disabilities: Their experience and success at Athabasca University

Preliminary findings of a study examining the experience and success of Athabasca University students with disabilities, over a three-year period, are presented in this session. Student characteristics, including the nature of their disabilities, as well as enrollment and course completion data are reviewed and discussed in terms of services and assistance received

Community Building and Computer-Mediated Conferencing

This study examined the relationship between community cohesion and computer-mediated conferencing (CMC), as well as other variables potentially associated with the development of a learning community. Within the context of a graduate-level course in instructional design (a core course in the Masters of Distance Education program at Athabasca University) students participated in asynchronous online discussion groups as an integral part of their course activities. Upon completion of the course, a questionnaire based on Rovai's (2002) Classroom Cohesion Scale (CSS) was administered to examine the relationship between community cohesion and students' perception of their CMC participation as well as other selected variables. The CSS was comprised of two subscales: the Connectedness subscale and the Learning Community subscale. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between community cohesion and passive CMC involvement (i.e., reading postings) but not with more active CMC involvement (e.g., making postings, replying to others' postings). Significant positive correlations were also found between course satisfaction and community cohesion (both the Learning Community and Connectedness subscales) and between program satisfaction and community cohesion (only the Connectedness subscale)

The Athabasca University edusource Project: Building An Accessible Learning Object Repository

Athabasca University - Canada's Open University (AU) made the commitment to put all of its courses online as part of its Strategic University Plan. In pursuit of this goal, AU participated in the eduSource project, a pan-Canadian effort to build the infrastructure for an interoperable network of learning object repositories. AU acted as a leader in the eduSource work package, responsible for the metadata and standards for learning objects. In addition, the team of professionals, academics, librarians and other researchers worked to create an accessible repository of learning objects across university departments and subjects. Most critically, the team worked beyond the development of a learning object repository and considered the adaptation of content and related applications, pedagogical approaches and the use of learning objects by instructional designers, faculty and the learners themselves. This paper describes one institution's approach to learning object repository development, from a technical and pedagogical perspective, along with some of the lessons learned during the process

E-Portfolios: A Viable Capstone Activity for Graduate Programs

The presentation was very well attended, and it was great to see all the CDE students in the audience – five doctoral students were present and about five masters students or alumni. The audience appeared engaged and interested in the content of the presentation and asked questions throughout. As we became short of time to respond to all of the questions, members of the audience were asked to discuss their questions outside the room. Two members of the audience did so, engaging in long conversations about how they might incorporate e-portfoplios into their particular situations. The only negative comment (which was actually a suggestion) was from a CDE colleague who commented that having four presentators was too many and led to a somewhat disjointed presentation. Two presenters would have been much more manageable. The interest in our project and the enthusiasm of the audience lends support to our project and that we are on the right track and that our investigations of the use of e-portfolios should continue as planned.Abstract A pilot study was conducted to explore the use of e-portfolios as an alternative to the standard written and oral comprehensive examination process used in the Master of Distance Education (MDE)program at Athabasca University, as well as the initial stages of the subsequent program-wide implementation. Students in the final year of the MDE program were invited to participate in the pilot study; ultimately six students completed their program using the e-portfolio alternative. A competency-based approach was used where students reflected on their skills and knowledge in selected areas and included artifacts as evidence of their learning. Artifacts included course assignments, web sites, instructional materials, learning objects, postings in CMC discussions, and other formal, informal, and work-based experiences and products. Me2U social software was used as the platform. Once their e-portfolios were complete, students engaged in a discussion with two faculty members to examine the student’s growth in skills and knowledge as well as their ability to engage in reflective practice. All aspects of the pilot study were conducted online. Responses from students and faculty participating in the pilot study were highly positive resulting in the e-portfolio alternative being offered on a program-wide basis. Currently, students at various points in the MDE program are opting to use e-portfolios. As a capstone activity for the MDE program, the e-portfolio has proven to be a reasonable alternative, and potentially an improvement, to the current competency examination process with e-portfolios being cited as a more valid and meaningful assessment of student learning

Building Inclusive Libraries to Bridge the Digital Divide presented at the 3rd International Conference on E-Learning in Cape Town, South Africa, June 26-27, 2008

The session was well received, with approximately 40 participants attending the session. A number of conference attendees stayed afterward to ask questions -- one remarked that this was the best session she had attended. Unfortunately, no attendees appeared to have a role in providing library support at their institutions. Still, experience has shown that this project tends to produce unexpected results, promoting values related to inclusion and accessibility. I am confident that the presentation will have an impact for at least some of the participants in their work. The article (attached) was included in the Conference Proceedings and is under consideration for publication in the peer-reviewed online journal “E-Learning.”In rural communities, common barriers to the use of web-based information and communication technology include a lack of equipment and connectivity, as well as expertise and literacy. These barriers are especially common for people who are economically or socially disadvantaged, such as individuals with disabilities and others in marginalized groups (e.g., aboriginal people, new immigrants, those living in poverty). The Inclusive Libraries Initiative has been designed to address these barriers. Since 2003, this project has been fostering the development of inclusive libraries in Northeast Alberta, the second-most-westerly province in Canada. The project is based on the premise that local libraries are ideally positioned to offer access to high-quality computer and online technology, including assistive technology, as well as expertise in their use. Libraries are natural supports that can be developed to increase community capacity, thereby enhancing the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, as well as those in other marginalized groups, in the communities where they live, work, and learn. This presentation will present the outcomes that are being achieved through this project and the lessons learned along the way.Academic & Professional Development Fund (A&PDF

An Integrated Instructional Design Model to Foster Lasting Behavior Change.

Reproduced here with permission of Educational Technology

Research Notes ~ Virtual Community for Adults with Developmental Disabilities and their Families

Adults with developmental disabilities in Northeast Alberta, Canada, face numerous barriers to learning opportunities within their immediate and extended communities. The disability itself, as well as geographic distance and the circumstances in which individuals live, may hamper their access to information, interfere with their ability to communicate, and reduce their ability to achieve the quality of life they desire. There are few opportunities for individuals to meet, to get to know each other, and to share their experiences and learn from each other. Family members and guardians face similar barriers, such as lack of access to information, few networking opportunities, and limited means of providing input into decisions about service needs and policy making

Women Entrepreneurs: Informal Learning and the Internet (Women Entrepreneurs' Perceptions of the Value of the Internet in Informal Learning - published title)

Thomas, P. & Moisey, S. (2006). Women entrepreneurs' perceptions of the value of the Internet in informal learning. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship 19 (2), 183–202