Engaging more Students with Disabilities
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Transcript of Engaging more Students with Disabilities
DISTANCE EDUCATION: CHALLENGES OF ACCESS AND SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIESINTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION CAN HELP!
The Query:
Has Distance Education Improved Access And Course Completions For Students With Disabilities in 3 prominent international universities?
Research Design
1. Interviews
Dean/Head of Teaching & Learning
Disability/Equity & Diversity Officer
Coordinator - Flexible/Distance Learning
1 or more ‘distance’ Professors
2. Collect/analyze current statistics
Interviews explored
• financial/assistive technologies available
• the number/types of SWD
• challenges SWDs must overcome
Factors correlating with Internet access AC Nielsen Netwatch 2000 (NZ)
• Low income least access• Rural versus urban – Q of broadband
coverage• Ethnicity “other” more access than “native”• Age – older less access
Issues Identified
• Self identification by SWD problematic• Availability of trained professionals• SWD demographics unreliable• Availability of Distance Courses
Edith Cowan UniversityPerth, Western Australia
• 23000+ students; 3000 intnl from 80 countries• 300+ courses, 40-50% “external delivery”• Camtasia provides l’ing experience like F2F• ’08 kit out 5 lecture theatres @$1.5 million• 1 year university prep course • Wireless 3 campuses “state of the art” IT• Stopped fully integrated on-line –lack resources ($,
designers & time)• Blackboard & CMS; rubric for quality control
Support @ Edith Cowan
• 1Diversity/Equity Officer for 3 campuses • low self-identification by SWDs• SWD Profiles & student ID->services letter• Network= support orgs /all WA unis monthly (PSEDN)• Paid note-takers• W3C adapted
•Technology: - Camtasia & Blackboard•attributes rubric for course design• ICT oversees course design• No $ for IDs
Table 1: Students with a Disability: Year x Delivery Mode
Mode of Delivery
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
ME SCH ME SCH ME SCH ME SCH ME SCH
01 Local Face to Face Class 37,800 1,293,099 35,197 1,149,519 32,490 1,101,072 30,917 1,081,239 23,327 846,778
02 Remote Live Electronic Conferencing
293 10,501 369 11,049 483 12,626 339 8,986 277 8,618
03 Self paced - Scheduled 4,766 157,146 4,976 168,391 5,313 181,183 5,801 182,499 5,873 195,481
04 Self paced - Unscheduled 1,808 63,226 1,810 61,345 1,526 48,374 2,166 72,833 1,286 40,908
05 External Studies 635 23,115 917 28,941 996 25,803 1,001 28,564 716 24,615
06 Workplace Learning 1,823 60,774 1,512 54,643 1,133 45,272 1,279 42,682 527 18,060
07 Mixed delivery 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,252 109,332
08 Video/Television based Learning
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 51
09 Online Learning 47 1,246 37 1,145 79 2,145 92 3,125 19 643
90 Not Applicable 629 19,511 348 11,944 406 13,564 483 14,456 404 11,963
All Delivery Strategies 47,801 1,628,618 45,166 1,486,977 42,426 1,430,039 42,079 1,434,388 35,682 1,256,449
Massey University, New Zealand
• 9600 sts @Palmerston North;4400@ Wellington; 7000@ Auckland; 1300 intnl
• Only NZ uni with Vet school & Aviation• 150 programs; part-time popular (4 X SS)• No competition to “extramural” @18000 students• Like WA, #’s down; jobs & trades push
Support @ Massey University
1518 SWD in 2004; 2007, 3000+ self-identifyStrong background in needs assessment Achieve program & student centre • Use alternative formats)- options known• Work closely with support orgs ->recruitment
& $ • Use on-line ASL translators & many assistive
technologies• Digital resources produced by Disability
Services; uniform/ quality controls
Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand
• Prestigious uni began 1917 (King Rama V)• 18 faculties,3 colleges & 2 schools• 19000 undergrad; 12000+ postgrads• Competitive scholarships (ed fees - 20000
Bht & living 4000 Bht/month)• Education seeks student/faculty exchange;
ICT dept seeks collaboration• 62 international programs in English
Persons with Disabilities in Thailand
Total population (2005) 64,261,000
No. of PWD (2001) 1,068,179
Source: Report of Disabled Persons Survey 2001, National Statistics Office
Disabled 6 years of age and over by educational attainment( 2001)Education attainment Number of PWD Total 1,068,179
No education at all 337,843
Education attainment• 1. Lower elementary (K) 476,045• 2. Elementary (1-6) 123,667• 3. Lower secondary (7-9) 67,409• 4. Upper secondary (10-12) 38,603• 5. Higher education 19,464• 6. Other education 1,177• 7. Unknown level of ed 2,416• 8. Nonformal 1,555
• Source: The Report of Disabled Person Survey. (2001). National Statistics Office, Thailand.
Disabled students in higher education in 2004 in Thailand
Institutions Number of EnrollmentsPublic Institutions 575
Private Institutions 29__________________________Total 604
• Source: Office of Basic Education. 2004. Report of Educational Administration for Disabled Persons of Office of Basic Education. Minister of Education: Thailand.
Level of Enrollments
Undergraduates 590
Masters 7
Unspecific degree 7
Total 604
Commission for Higher Education in Thailand (2007) survey of 187 institutions:
•1,928 SWDs
•64.35% of Thai universities had SWDs.
•68.75% had no center for SWDs.
•2008 Chula Uni had 0 SWDs
Thai media used in education – Online Learning 75% – VDO tape 55% – VDO conference 53% – PC based presentation 51% – Audio conference 27% – Digital VDO 19% – Other 19%
• Thailand Cyber University (TCU) founded National Education Act (1999) to widen educational opportunity - infrastructure & broadband only in big cities & tourist meccas.
What can we offer?
Accessible websites are available without:• a particular web browser• a particular plug-in or program, eg. Java
Script or Flash• graphics or color alone • a mouse to navigate • being unduly complex or using jargon
(Ford & Robertson, 2003; The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), 2003)
Software people with disabilities may use
(Microsoft)• Screen enlargers• Screen readers -• Speech recognition systems -• Speech synthesizers• Refreshable Braille displays• Braille embossers• Talking and large-print word processors
Assist people with hearing impairments
• Voice recognition products – to convert speech to sign language.
• Conversion modems- to enable telephone communication.
We can share:• highly skilled ID’s for courses• professionals for needs & assistive
technology assessments
Assist people with physical impairments
• On-screen keyboard programs –– Keyboard filters – Touch screens
• Alternative input devices include: – Alternative keyboards – Electronic pointing devices– Sip-and-puff – Wands– Joysticks – Trackballs
Assists people with cognitive impairments
• Word prediction programs• Reading comprehension programs• Reading tools and learning disabilities
software.
SWD in PSE – Canada
• 8% PSE institutions with no SWD identified• Of these ¼ - ½ receive disability services• Only 21.4 % paid for by the healthcare
system or other government programs(Fichten, Asuncion, Barile, Robillard, Fossey &
Lamb 2003)• 2006 – over 4.2 million people 15 and over
with disabilities(Participation and Activity Limitation Survey
2006 Stats Canada)
SWD in Distance Education: Summary
• Equal educational opportunity for all – Neither will nor resources exist now
• Cultural ‘fit” a ?• Learner access / support uneven• Alternate “distance ed” forms predominant• No upward trend in Distance enrolment
• Changes recommended go beyond the
responsibilities of the Disabilities
Resource Office
• Better data collection
• Information out to SWDs’
• Professional support provision