Education Commons^™

Teacher Perspectives On Engaging Sped Students In Stem, Matthew Ripple

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research is to learn more about the teacher perception of student engagement during STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities, specifically for students with disabilities. Additionally, this research enhances the understanding of which accommodations teachers perceive to be beneficial for students with disabilities, specifically during STEM curricula with an engineering component. To accomplish this purpose, the results from eight teacher interviews were analyzed qualitatively, being treated as case studies. Each of the teachers currently teach a STEM class incorporates at least one unit with a design challenge. Seven themes from teacher interview data are identified as …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Special Education: A Case Study, Megan Cercone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research project is to explore the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on special education by evaluating the experiences of one child with disabilities who attends public schools. METHODS: A semi-structured interview was conducted with the two parents of the child, who has physical disabilities and an IEP through his school, meaning he receives special education services through intervention teachers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. The interview was recorded and transcribed, and then interview transcripts were evaluated to identify themes in the subjects’ responses regarding their child’s experience with public education during the pandemic. …

A Case Study On Special Education And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan Cercone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this qualitative project is to explore the implications of online public schooling for a student with special needs, how this type of teaching impacted his individualized education plan (IEP), and investigate solutions to the consequences of the pandemic for special education. I am specifically interested in how the student's online education may have affected his progress in the physical, occupational, and speech therapy services he typically receives in school as required by his IEP. This project entails interviews of the parents and school-based occupational therapists of a child with special needs to examine the impact online schooling …

Developing Self-Efficacy In Mathematics Through Visual Art: An Observational Research Report On A Preschool Child With Exceptionalities, Ever Daw-Powers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Self-efficacy is a skill that can inspire problem solving, high confidence, and critical thinking skills. As educators seek to create an enriching, inclusive, and engaging academic environment for students with disabilities, it is important to incorporate strategies for building self-efficacy throughout learning. I pose a potential solution to integrate self-efficacy building into mathematical concepts through visual art. The participant in this study is a four-year-old child diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), sensory input issues, and a developmental delay. Over a four-week period, I performed a pre-assessment, four lesson plans, and a post-assessment. I created the assessment to measure …

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 …

Qualitative Survey Of A Collaborative Team Approach To Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder, Theresa Duff

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PURPOSE: To examine a unique interdisciplinary approach to ASD care that is utilized at KidsLink School/Neurobehavioral Center through a qualitative survey. This study determines the role of each interdisciplinary team member, the advantages and disadvantages of KidsLink’s approach, what is unique about their approach, and how a collaborative approach affects individual team members. METHODS: An online qualitative survey was distributed to KidsLink’s professional staff who are members on the interdisciplinary care teams. The survey results were read over three times in order to identify common themes and conduct a frequency analysis of codes across all participant responses. RESULTS: There were …

Productive Uncertainty In The Laboratory Setting: Engaging Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Abigail Hollowell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The University of Akron recently began a study by the name of “Productive Uncertainty in a Laboratory Setting (PULSe): Engaging Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Scientific Research” that has aims to promote the science, technology, engineering, or mathematic (STEM) career pathway for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder by broadening their experiences with relevant scientific research. The study involved a student enrolled in a STEM program that was also diagnosed with ASD, a student studying to be an intervention specialist, and other relevant faculty and students that could offer relevant research and learning opportunities for the students involved. Since …

How Dyslexia Affects Our Students, Kara Burton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The intention of this project was to research articles that explain what dyslexia is and how students are affected by this disability. As a teacher, it is important to address this topic since dyslexia is the leading disability that occurs in classrooms. The eight major subtopics primarily focused on include: what is dyslexia; how dyslexia affects students; and how teachers and parents can help students in their classroom preference. This can be done by using proper teaching techniques, including appropriate accommodations, and by meeting the academic needs of their students and including activities that are proven to help dyslexic students …

Transmedial Documentation For Non-Visual Image Access, Melody J. Mccotter

Proceedings from the Document Academy

In my doctoral studies on information accessibility for the individual who is blind or visually impaired, I’ve been exploring the ways we can make image documents more accessible. This requires using an alternative sensory modality, and translating the document into a different format. The questions that arise when we consider this process are many, but among them are:

• Is it the same document once we’ve converted it to an audio narrative about the work, or a 3D topographic map of an artwork, or a musical interpretation?
• If it is not the same document, how truthful can the “trans-medial” translation be …