Digital Commons Network^™

Does Neurodiversity Have A Place In Adult Education’S Discussion Of Diversity And Social Justice?, Tulare W. Park, John Szabo, Kari Sheward, Carol Rogers-Shaw

Adult Education Research Conference

This literature review explores the place of neurodivergent adults in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging policies and practices and the relationship between neurodiversity and social justice initiatives in adult education.

Children’S University In Australia And New Zealand: Reach And Impact, Katherine Dix, Shani Sniedze, Tamara Van Der Zant

Higher education research

This report presents a comprehensive overview of the reach and impact of Children’s University in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian Council for Educational Research compiled available evidence to consolidate the evidence of the Children's University outreach program's extent and influence across the Australasian partnership. The independent evaluation synthesises information from existing research, reports, operational data, social media, and other documentation to provide a current snapshot of the Children's University's reach and impact, guided by the following research questions. How is the program underpinned by evidence-based best practice? What is the reach of the program in Australia? What does the …

Growing Together: Cultivating The Social-Emotional Effects Of Art Education Through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Lawrence

Masters Theses

In many societies, the process of art is recognized as a healing and transformative practice. In recent years, it has been emerging in tandem with social emotional practices and procedures in American education. However, it is also a fact that social emotional learning (SEL) does not account for all students due to its inability to account for the needs of all students in the classroom. SEL alone aims to teach healthy development and emotional management skills, but fails to account for students with varying experiences. While there are those who can and do integrate the skills from the Social Emotional …

Visions Of A Captured Mind: Using Expressive Film Techniques To Convey The Experience Of Liberty Deprivation As A Neurodiverse Individual, Sam H. Grant, Ken Fero

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

In this article, I make the case for the use of expressive film techniques to convey the emotional, or affective, experience of neurodiverse people who have been subjected to liberty restricting practices and policy. I do this by discussing my own experience with film practice as a man living with autism, presenting a broader philosophical case for how artistic modes of communication can close affective and social divisions between neurodiverse and neurotypical people, explaining why it is the cinematic techniques I advocate for are uniquely suited to neurodiverse people, and then I showcase some of my own work as a …

Learners' Perceptions Of Elementary Math Class: A Mixed Methods Exploration, Erica Moy

Educational Studies Dissertations

For social justice and change to occur in classrooms, it is necessary to consider the perspective of learners. Voices from learners around math education is limited in research, especially for younger students. This study examined math class from the perspective of elementary students, with math identity and equitable mathematics instruction as the core. A quantitative coded approach from student survey drawings (n=348) was used for comparative statistical analysis, and a qualitative observation method of categorizing attributes of interest related to emotions in the classroom was used to pull a case study of drawings for deeper analysis. Summary results from teacher …

Disabilities, Identity, And Success At Law School, Andrew Palos

Master's Theses

West Coast Law School, a pseudonym for a medium sized law school, is the subject of a qualitative case study with the focus of the case study on the experiences of students with disabilities. The case study was conducted in as a single-site setting with only one law school being the subject of the research. Students, staff and faculty were interviewed to offer several perspectives of the law school and the environment it created for students with disabilities. Research questions for this thesis focused on potential obstacles to success for students with disabilities, students with disabilities of color and structural …

Challenging Norms, Creating Art: An Anti-Ableist Lens On Visual Arts Education, Alexis Lino

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored the active role of disabled artists in their own descriptions of meaning making through their artistic process, utilizing phenomenological research to examine the lived experiences of intellectually or developmentally disabled and neurodiverse adult artists in the Bay Area. The literary study element of the research strove to understand and employ anti-ableism and constructivism as framing lenses, while also reviewing literature on issues such as access barriers, traditional quality standards in arts education, and the de-emphasis of art within curriculum funding priorities, indicating a need for continued reform toward promoting inclusive and process-oriented art education. With a focus …

Beyond Accommodations: Imagination, Decolonization, And The Cripping Of Writing Center Work, Karen Moroski-Rigney

Writing Center Journal

This article examines connections among disability, colonization, university policies, and writing center work in North America. By positing that university policies have long mimicked medical and scientific processes for creating—and then discriminating against—perceived categories of disability, this article makes interventions into traditional writing center practices and pedagogies without dismissing the spirit with which these aspects of our field came to be. The article has several central claims:

• Disability has been constructed by nondisabled entities (including doctors, scientists, and institutions).
  
  
• Disability’s “drift” and myriad forms act as both specter and insidious insurance against progress or inclusive design.
  
  
• Writing center scholarship has …

Incorporating Books As Strength-Based Examples Of Characters With Dyslexia, Vera Sotirovska, Margaret Vaughn

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Incorporating books that facilitate inclusive understandings of dyslexia can be a challenging yet important pedagogical approach to promoting equitable practices. As realistically portrayed characters and stories provide a way for students to see not only themselves but also others, and enter different worlds, the need for multiple representations of children with dyslexia is necessary when working to create equity-oriented classrooms. First, we discuss strategies on how to select and use books with diverse representations of individuals with dyslexia. Next, we provide book selection criteria to guide teachers in curating their own classroom libraries with similar texts. Finally, we include activities …

Culturally Responisve Teaching Practices To Support Students With Visual Imapirments, Genesis C. Miranda

Honors Capstones

This project examines education for children with visual impairments and those from racial, cultural, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Taken separately, they result in a unique educational experience for the individual. This projedct also looks at the intersection of visual impairment and diversity and how students who fall within these groups are taught. The value of culturally responsive teaching practices is presented and applied to teaching children with vision loss to provide educators with strategies to create inclusive environments that promote learning and empowerment.

Designing Research Assignments That Enhance Student Research Skills, Kathleen Oakey

Books & Chapters

Hi, I’m Kathleen. I have worked as an academic librarian at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada for the past 13 years. In my role, I help International and domestic students find, evaluate, and use information sources ethically for their research assignments.

This handbook is the culmination of an 8-month sabbatical project to create an open educational resource that supports research assignment design at post-secondary institutions in Ontario.

Redefining The Landscape Of Educational Interpreting: A National Study, Kristen Guynes, Deborah Cates, Angelina Pelikan, Stephanie Zito

Journal of Interpretation

This national study was conducted to examine the level of progress that educational sign language interpretation has made towards professionalization as a field, particularly since the establishment of the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) in 2016 and the subsequent release of their Standards and Professional Guidelines in 2019. Following a long history of literature indicating drastic disparities in educational interpreters’ credentials, qualifications, expectations, and working conditions, this mixed-method study partially replicated Johnson and colleagues’ (2018) national study, with added exploration of newly acknowledged domains. Data from 591 educational interpreters were analyzed using descriptive and content analyses, triangulated through …

The Effects Of Text-Based Gaming On Reading Comprehension For Students With Intellectual Disability, Faith Ihrig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, reading comprehension and reading engagement have decreased in the United States. Our world is also becoming increasingly technological, and a large percentage of individuals in the United States, specifically children, are playing video games. There are increasing amounts of video games that target educational skills, such as reading and math, and video games that have been created strictly for entertainment. This study examined the potential effects of playing text-based video games on the comprehension and engagement of 6-8 grade students with intellectual disabilities. A Multiple Baseline Across Participants single case design was used to measure the …

Sexual Wellness Across Abilities: Reimagining Education For Adults With Disabilities, Damiana Kelsey

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs) lack sexuality education and opportunities for personal expression. Because of this, a sexuality education curriculum was developed for Gateway’s program, Without Walls. This program is specifically for adults with Intellectual Disabilities. This curriculum was delivered to 15 students ages 25 to 56. The purpose of this project is to bridge information for this population and make it more accessible. Especially with this group, there is a need for further discussion and a space to ask questions about social-emotional and sexual health. Over the course of 11 classes, the students reported having a …

Exploring Community College Faculty And Administrators Work Providing Educational Opportunities For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd): An Integral Framework For Inclusive Postsecondary Education, Stacy Eldred

Education (PhD) Dissertations

There is a growing number of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs and scholarship in higher education. Providing a spectrum of educational opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in higher education plays a pivotal role in creating inclusive and meaningful access to postsecondary education. However, little is known about the ways in which the faculty and administrators who are integral stakeholders on campus perceive their work developing and supporting higher education as a socially valued experience for students with IDD. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory, this study examines the ways in which community college faculty and administrators working in …

The Experiences Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services: A Grounded Theory Approach, Ivan Noe

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including assistance with enrollment services through one stops. This study sought to understand the multiple ways in which this population of students experiences the one stop at one of three four-year public research universities in California. This qualitative research study utilized the constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods to aid in the emergence of …

Gamification Of Speech Therapy With Pronunciation Pal, Parker Zbylut

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone report examines the theory and implementation behind applying game design principles to educational applications, and explores their implementation in an educational game through the Pronunciation Pal application. The gamification of learning tools aims to increase learners' engagement and attentiveness with a subject by restructuring content using game design principles of challenges, rewards and feedback. Feedback can be delivered via visuals and/or sounds, as well as regular indicators of player progress and accomplishment. In addition, a successful game implementation establishes challenges to facilitate a player's intrinsic desire to continue playing and improving at the skills presented by the game. …

Disability Services As Related To Higher Education Leadership: An Exploratory Study, Tara Wade Franklin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past three decades, the number of students with disabilities (SWD) attending postsecondary institutions has increased, yet their completion rates remain significantly lower than those of students without disabilities. This mixed methods exploratory study investigates the role of provost leadership in supporting disability services and understanding the needs of SWD in higher education. The study focuses on Texas higher education institutions, examining the relationships between provosts and directors of disability services. Data collected through the e-survey with open-ended questions primarily came from directors of disability services. Quantitative analysis of Likert scale items explored domains such as leadership, collaboration, consultation, …

Controlled Digital Lending Is Dead; Long Live Cdl / Progress Report From Project Lend: Uc's Initiative To Expand Digital Access For Copyrighted Material, Sagan Wallace, Rice Majors

Digital Initiatives Symposium

From Sagan Wallace:

Much has been said about the future of controlled digital lending (CDL) after the 2023 Hachette vs Internet Archive ruling. Some say CDL is on legally shaky ground, and others say CDL will continue to revolutionize how libraries provide materials. I believe these questions are a distraction from a significant issue in many CDL collections - inadequate accessibility.

My institution is a heavy user of CDL, with over 700 scanned textbooks. We formed a task force to identify the best methods to make our CDL collection more accessible. We found that creating screen reader accessible materials takes …

Supporting Ksu English Instructors In Meeting The Access Needs Of Deaf And Hard And Hearing Students, Kris Roberson

Master's Projects

The lack of instructors prepared to work with deaf and hard of hearing (DHOH) students in higher education causes course accessibility barriers (Palmer et al., 2019; National Deaf Center [NDC] of Postsecondary Outcomes, n.d) and increased stress for students and instructors (Valle-Flórez et al., 2021; Salko, 2023). These obstacles inhibit DHOH student graduation rates and workforce entry (Garberoglio, 2019). Instructors require more training to effectively support DHOH students with best practices beyond basic accommodations. This qualitative research study presents phenomenological data from six interviews conducted with participants from one large, southeastern, R2 public university (Kennesaw State University, [KSU]) and one …

Beyond The Library: The Role Of Academic Libraries’ Chat Reference In Answering Campus Questions, Erin Owens, Vanessa Acre, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Robin Fowler, Silvia Sheffield

Library Faculty Publications

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic drove most users online, chat was establishing itself as a core service for asking library-related questions of many types, from basic directional and reference to research queries of a more sophisticated nature. This investigation seeks to provide insight into how academic libraries are seen not only as a source of library assistance, but also as a means of filling an information gap on a wider subject: the university campus at large. The study’s methods involved analyzing chat transcripts from five large four-year public universities during a two-year period (2019- 2021), noting the frequency of campus-related …

An Exploration Of Educator Experiences Making Data-Driven Decisions Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Jennifer L. D'Angelo

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

School districts across the country often face challenges using data to implement a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to meet the needs of all learners through high quality educational opportunities. This qualitative investigation explored how educators in a public school district in the northeastern United States experience the collection and analysis of data to inform decision-making within a MTSS. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and employing a phenomenological analysis, this study addressed the inconsistencies in educator training along with a lack of existing literature focused on the foundational elements of data literacy. The research questions focused on understanding …

Unveiling The Voices: Lived Experiences Of Adolescent Girls With Emotional Disturbance In Special Education, Jasmin Hagen

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a significant gap in existing research by exploring lived experiences of cisgender female adolescents (Grades 7–12) diagnosed with emotional disturbance (ED) in the U.S. Current statistics indicate that 28% of students in special education with an ED diagnosis are girls; yet, their perspectives remain largely absent from scholarly discourse. Rooted in critical constructivism, critical feminist theory, and dis/ability studies and critical race theory (DisCrit), this qualitative study aims to elucidate insights that can enhance academic success and elevate high school graduation rates for this demographic. This research investigates the experiences of seven participants from New England, representing …

Creating Inclusive Environments For Students With Disabilities Within Civic Engagement Programming, Phillip D. Brzezinski

Culminating Experience Projects

The rate of participation in civic engagement programming among students with disabilities remains low on US college campuses, despite the rate of enrollment of students who identify as disabled increasing (Manikas et al., 2018). This is likely due to the stigmatization associated with disabilities that leaves students with disabilities feeling excluded and without the resources to assist in overcoming the obstacles they face (Aquino & Bittinger, 2019). Because students with disabilities are feeling discouraged to participate in civic engagement activities on college campuses, they are missing out experiences that have been shown to benefit students in academic and professional development, …

Education For Sustainable Development Competencies In A Community-Engaged Art Workshop, Amy J. Schmierbach

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Arts participation can expand empathy and cognitive growth capacity while creating a social bond and communal meaning (McCarthy et al., 2004). As an art instructor for over twenty years, I have witnessed the bonds that can be created through collaborative art experiences. These bonds are nurtured from a space of equity and inclusion. Teaching a community-engaged art course can bring these qualities into the community, allowing university students to use their art skills in real-world applications to impact society through experiential learning art practices. Making art with others will enable us to help others build empathy and social bonds that …

Chapter 05: Message Design: How To Communicate Visual Information To Learners Who Are Visually Impaired, Meaghan Mcleod

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Message design consists of signs and symbols that play a crucial role in guiding our daily lives. text, images, videos, graphics, and diagrams are essential tools for communication and education. However, individuals with visual impairments are not able to fully access this visual content that plays such a critical part of our daily lives. Therefore, there is a need to create educational material that can be accessed by all learners including those with visual impairments. This chapter explores practical strategies that instructional designers, teachers, professors, and instructors can use to provide an inclusive learning experience for learners with visual impairments. …

Parent Experiences Navigating The Hartford Youth Scholars Program Application, Maria Vicuña

Senior Theses and Projects

In the United States, large disparities in education and educational attainment across racial and ethnic groups continue to exist. To combat this disparity, families may look for opportunities that will help their child succeed such as academic programming/enrichment. Hartford Youth Scholars (HYS) is one such program, located in Hartford, CT. While programs such as HYS exist, these programs are usually in demand and unfortunately, due to lack of resources and funding, there are only a limited number of students programs have the capacity to admit. While this is the case, it’s important that all families have a fair shot at …

Chapter 10: Increasing Accessibility In Educational Simulations, Meaghan Mcleod

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Simulations are an important aspect of education and training. They provide the learner with situations that mirror real life situations or provide access to unobservable phenomena. The simulations provide the learner with a unique opportunity to master skills through the use of and practice in a safe environment. However, many simulations are not designed with accessibility and accommodations in mind. This chapter provides a general overview of simulations and provides suggestions on how to increase accessibility and enhance the learning experience for all learners.

Chapter 03: Message Design For Instructional Designers – Audio And Video Best Practices, Shelby Taylor

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Instructional message design is the way that information is delivered to users or the learners. Learners have short-term and long-term memory. Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning theory are two theories that can be applied to best practices in audio and video. Audio and video can range from speeches, podcasts, DVDs, and streaming videos. Both can enhance learning but should not drive the instruction. Segmenting video and audio is one of the many best practices as it allows learners to chunk the information and process it in small bits. There are learners who have auditory and visual deficits and instructional …

Go Beyond Compliance: Use Individualized Education Programs To Answer Strategic Questions And Improve Programs, Adrienne D. Woods, Marie C. Ireland, Kimberly Murphy, Hope Spark Lancaster

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The most significant document to ensure effective and compliant design, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of a program of special education services in the United States is the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Although IEPs have been used to document procedural compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for individual students, IEPs also provide extensive data that can and should be used by a variety of stakeholders including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), school administrators, and state education agencies to design targeted professional development and collectively improve programs, processes, and outcomes in special education.

Method: We summarize existing literature on the …