Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Pivoting To Deeper Experiences In Higher Education Classrooms, Danielle M. Pratt, Daniel W. Eadens

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In higher education, pivoting quickly to a fully virtual experience online in the midst of a global pandemic is an adventure. There are marked differences between the online experience for a student who was already in a web-delivered course versus one that started face-to-face and quickly pivoted to an online setting. Some assignments, lessons, and courses are easily delivered in alternate formats while other learning opportunities are much more difficult to transition for online delivery. For example, assignments that involve internships or in-person experiences had to shift dramatically, be delayed, or cancelled. Beyond the experiences within the higher education classroom, …

Left Out A Review Of Women’S Struggle To Develop A Sense Of Belonging In Engineering, Denise Wilson, Jennifer Vanantwerp

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Unmet or thwarted belonging needs have been implicated in multiple studies of women in engineering in college and in the engineering workforce. A wide range of other challenges that women face in engineering are tightly linked to deficits in belonging. Furthermore, many women face intersectional factors across race and ethnicity that make it even more difficult to belong. This literature review looks at women’s struggles in engineering in the context of the fundamental psychological need to belong. Studies that investigate belonging are reviewed, as are major contributors to unmet or thwarted belonging including gender identity threat and normative and numerical …

Integrated Curriculum In Physical Education, Delaney M. Rice

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This paper seeks to address an absence of resources for teachers that highlight cross-curricular integration of physical education and core academics to benefit the learning, motivation, health, and academic outcomes of students. Curricular integration, or the highlighting of overlapping themes between subjects, has become a popular way to maximize educational time in schools. The benefits of curricular integration are well documented, however, less known are the benefits of curricular integration in the fields of physical education and special education. By analyzing existing literature, reviewing existing curricula and educational resources, and surveying educational professionals, a guide was created to support teachers …

Self-Advocacy For Postsecondary Students Who Use Mobility Aids, Erin Moore

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Students who use mobility aids add to the diversity of postsecondary institutions. They provide a unique and important lens on postsecondary campuses. When students who use mobility aids arrive on campus, they need to ensure they have access to classes, services, and resources on campus. Because of their varied needs and varied access from campus-to-campus, students who use mobility aids must advocate for themselves so their needs are met. This phenomenological study examined the role of self-advocacy for postsecondary students who use mobility aids.

Five postsecondary students who use wheelchairs were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process that asked questions …

Celebrating Women Scholars In Athletic Training, Julie M. Cavallario, Cailee E. Welch Bacon, Lindsey E. Eberman, Stacy E. Walker

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Up Close And Personal: Hosting Diverse Authors, Sue C. Kimmel, Danielle E. Hartsfield (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Preparing diverse students to become lifetime readers and writers is best facilitated through experiences with high quality, diverse literature and through the models of the authors and illustrators who create those works. Nothing quite brings an author or illustrator to life like hearing from them in person by hosting an author visit. This chapter explores the value of planning an author visit as an authentic means to learn about diverse authors and their work. Information is provided about identifying and choosing a diverse author or illustrator, planning the logistics of the visit, and preparing to build background and interest within …

Universal Design For Learning’S Successful Implementation: What Can Administrators Do?, Monica Grillo

Graduate Research Posters

Administrators have a unique position to influence teacher attitudes by creating an inclusive school culture and providing instructional leadership. Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical issue for public schools in our country. UDL is an inclusive framework based on the science of learning. It supports and removes barriers to learning for all students while maintaining high expectations. Federal education policies have called for inclusive instruction based on UDL principles. Nevertheless, our educators and administrators are not sure they believe in it and do not know what exactly it is or how to implement it with fidelity. Previous …

Internet-Of-Things Devices In Support Of The Development Of Echoic Skills Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz, John B. Stull, Michelle M. Hascall, Saikou Y. Diallo, Kevin J. O'Brien

VMASC Publications

A significant therapeutic challenge for people with disabilities is the development of verbal and echoic skills. Digital voice assistants (DVAs), such as Amazon’s Alexa, provide networked intelligence to billions of Internet-of-Things devices and have the potential to offer opportunities to people, such as those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to advance these necessary skills. Voice interfaces can enable children with ASD to practice such skills at home; however, it remains unclear whether DVAs can be as proficient as therapists in recognizing utterances by a developing speaker. We developed an Alexa-based skill called ASPECT to measure how well the DVA …

Lessons From The Past And Challenges For The Future: Inclusive Education For Students With Unique Needs, William Evans, Robert A. Gable, Amany Habib

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The school-age population of students is becoming increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse. There is mounting recognition that English Learners (EL) represent a unique group of students who have special educational and linguistic needs. This article considered the needs of learners with diverse special needs such as (a) learning and behavior challenges and (b) English Learners identified as students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). We highlighted some potential lessons to be learned from past-to-present efforts to serve students with behavior problems. Selected evidence-based practices were featured that are applicable to learners with special needs, thereby supporting the development …

Pair Programming: Leveling The Field For Students With Learning Disabilities, Silvana Watson, Ling Li, Li Da Xu, Wu He, Shana Pribesh, Debra Major, Elizabeth Langran (Ed.), Leanna Archambault (Ed.)

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This paper is the report on the findings of a three-year study conducted in undergraduate computer science courses. It also describes the changes made to deal with COVID-19 during the summer and fall of 2020. We collected data on over 800 students with approximately 35 students identified as having learning disabilities (LD). These students were not professional programmers in a computer science department; rather, they were students from a Business College. Our preliminary results show that pair programming improved (a) teamwork and communication between the pairs; (b) confidence in students; and (c) comprehension and learning for all students. Thus, our …

The Efficacy Of Art And Movement Treatment Modalities On An Individual With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tristen Valentino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Current statistics report 1 in 54 children have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), many of whom have co-occurring mental health disorders. However, minimal research has been conducted on adults with autism with co-occurring mental health disorders and the efficacy of art and movement therapy techniques. This is the case study by Tristen Valentino, clinical therapist, of a client, David Smith (who was given the pseudonym to maintain confidentiality), a 35-year-old, obese, single, cisgender, heterosexual, Caucasian, male. The implications of this case study are discussed relative to the diagnosis and treatment of adults with ASD who possess comorbid clinical …

Effective Inclusive Classroom Practices For Students With High-Functioning Autism That Foster Positive Social And Academic Learning Outcomes, Allison Klein

Capstone Showcase

How can effective inclusive classroom practices foster positive social and academic learning outcomes in students with high-functioning autism? In many public schools, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often not provided with the same educational opportunities of their neurotypical peers, and are often isolated from them, which has the ability to delay their academic and social development. Unfortunately, in the public school system a majority of students with autism are often grouped together rather than seen as individuals when it comes to developing and carrying out interventions in the classroom. This becomes a problem when targeting specific learning outcomes …

Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain variables, such as faculty’s years with the university, budget, size, and location of the institution impact the level of support provided and what specific accommodations SWDs receive.The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the current level of knowledge that faculty obtain for accommodating SWDs. …

Covid-19 And The Achievement Gap, David Herr

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will investigate whether the shift of many schools to remote instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the achievement gaps between students of different racial identities and socioeconomic groups. I will use existing research and my understanding of pedagogical principles, as well as GPA data from before and after the advent of remote learning, to determine whether these gaps have changed since the implementation of remote learning, as well as to identify the mechanisms that have caused these changes, if they do exist. I will then extrapolate strategies with which to combat these disparities in …

“It Sucks, But I’M Grateful”: Understanding The Experience Of Autistic Students Living In The Residence Halls, Mary F. Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As populations of Autistic students at institutions of higher education increases, it is becoming more important for institutions to evaluate their programs with these students in mind. While the Autistic population has grown, policies and services on campuses have not become more inclusive or supportive of this population as a response. This evaluation examines the Residential Learning Model, the guide through which the residential life program at one institution of higher education is delivered to the students living in the residence halls. Through the lens of the Autistic students and the student staff who live and work in the residence …

Mentoring Prospective Engineering Students Through The After School Program "Girls In Engineering" Focused On Building An Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle, Vukica M. Jovanović, Deborah Marshall, Jeff Warren Larson Jr., Abdul Rahman Badawi, Neil R. Stclair, Otilia Popescu, Murat Kuzlu, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Linda Vahala, Michael Anthony Crespo

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A number of studies by engineering education researchers have pointed out that all-female teams, rather than mixed teams, result in better forms of participation and interaction in engineering related after-school programs and clubs. In particular, for after-school programs or clubs that form in response to a STEM competition, all-female teams have better chances of developing. One such competition, which will be discussed in this paper, is a regional Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) competition in which students from Blind_Review High School have been participating for many years.For each year’s competition, an all-female team of students enrolled in the Career and …

Education Inequality In The United States: A Wicked Problem With A Wicked Solution, Lincoln Bernard

CMC Senior Theses

A problem wicked in its complexity and detriment; the United States has failed most of its students in its inability to address the unashamedly rampant inequality throughout its public education system. The inequality in American public schools appears evident and boundless, but the causes of that inequality, and especially its solutions, are not as obvious. It is easy to explain away the system’s failures as a product of the United States’ ultra-varied environment, but further investigation reveals much of the systems problems are self-caused, resulting from the United States’ uniquely local approach to supporting its schools. A misguided fear of …

Supporting Instructors To Promote At-Promise Students’ Success: How Faculty Coordinators Facilitate Tslc’S Ecological Validation, Jonathan Toccoli

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent per annum to promote at-promise student—that is, low-income, first-generation, and/or racially/ethnically minoritized students—college success, at-promise students continue to be retained and graduate at lower rates than their traditionally college-going peers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how faculty coordinators in the Thompson Scholars Learning Community (TSLC) facilitate and integrate instructors into the program’s ecological validation which has been found to promote at-promise student success. This study is framed by the ecological validation model of student success in conjunction with a systems theory perspective of faculty roles to investigate how …

Journey As A Special Education Teacher Of Color With Dis/Abilities, Saili Kulkarni

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Teachers Of Color Implementing Restorative Justice Practices In Elementary Schools, Saili Kulkarni, Melanie Chong

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.