Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Stereotypes Of A Black Man Misunderstood: The Experiences And Development Of Black Men With Bipolar Disorder On College Campuses, Gerron Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Black men graduate from universities at a lower rate compared to other groups. Students with disabilities also graduate at a lower rate. When the two groups intersect, the results can be disastrous. Black men with bipolar disorder face a host of problems on college campuses. From a lack of sense of belonging to trouble in class, they struggle to stay afloat in college. The purpose of this study was to document the experiences and development of Black men with bipolar disorder on college campuses. A grounded theory approach was used in this study. Grounded theory was chosen because it leads …

An Overview Of Udl Theory And Scholarship In Higher Education, Rachel Mcmullin, Danielle Skaggs

University Libraries Faculty Publications

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework for improving and optimizing teaching and learning. It’s focused on intentionally designing for the needs and abilities of all learners—putting accessibility into the planning stages instead of as an accommodation after the fact—and providing flexibility in the ways students access and engage with materials and learning objectives.

The [Dis] Advantage Of Studying Higher Education (He) With Dyslexia, Keith Murphy

Journal of Franco-Irish Studies

Contemporary discourse and literature surrounding dyslexia is often dominated by notions of disability, deficit, lack, vulnerability, and social expectancies around achievement in education. This paper explores that when students identify dyslexia as a limitation, it becomes a barrier to successful learning and has a negative effect on their identity, which impacts them socially and academically, leading to vicissitudes, voice suppression and what I term, academic imprisonment. Accepting dyslexia as an integral part of the self and viewing it through a prism of difference as opposed to a deficit, are emerging themes for students with dyslexia to help achieve, while studying …

Autism Friendly Lesson Planning: A Universal Design For Learning Training For College Level Instructors, Juliann Stark

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The literature on adults on the autism spectrum is a vastly growing one, but there is still a great need for more in-depth research. There are common misunderstandings about individuals on the autism spectrum that leads to stigma from the overall population in the United States (John et al. 2018). As more individuals on the spectrum enroll in higher education, their needs in the classroom are becoming more apparent to instructors at this level. This literature review explores research on the community of people on the spectrum, their needs in the college setting, what can be done to accommodate these …

Autism To Higher Education: Tools For Parents, Amber L. Jordan, Shannon Emery

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Over the years, a marked increase in the number of students with High Functioning Autism (HFA) attending colleges and universities has occurred. This can be attributed to: (a) the passage of legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); (b) revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM); and (c) early intervention and treatment (Pillay, 2012). Although the increase in enrollment may be an indicator that a more welcoming climate for individuals with HFA has been created, many institutions are not adequately prepared to accommodate these students and parents have …

Bringing Swipe Out Hunger To Vcu: Identifying Best Practices And Analyzing Administrative Policies For Future Reform, Jackie Stephens, Anjali Ta

Undergraduate Research Posters

At first glance, a college campus might look like a place of equal opportunity– communal dorms, shared dining halls, and similar course loads. However, arriving on campus is not where the college access conversation ends if students’ basic needs are not met. Food insecure students are at elevated risk of poor academic performance and delayed degree completion, with first-generation students being particularly vulnerable. Swipe Out Hunger is an organization that partners with colleges to reduce food insecurity among students by allowing those with extra dining hall meal swipes to donate them to food insecure peers. If implemented at VCU, Swipe …

A Phenomenological Replication Study On The Unique Challenges Experienced By Veterans Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) While Attending A California State University (Csu) In Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Or Orange County, Ralph Martinez

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological replication study was to understand the unique challenges experienced by veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, or Orange County. Furthermore, it was the intent of this study to explore the current and prospective services veteran students believe were helpful or would be helpful in promoting positive academic outcomes.

A phenomenological approach was utilized in the development of this qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of veteran students diagnosed with PTSD attending a California State University (CSU) in Riverside, …

Systemic Functional Linguistics In The Community College Composition Class: A Multimodal Approach To Teaching Composition Using The Metalanguage Of Sfl, Jennifer James

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This qualitative research study sought to understand the affordances and limitations of a systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach to teaching composition at the community college level. The study took place over the course of a semester in two developmental college composition classes using the language of SFL to teach writing through multimodal assignments. The study was developed in response to the increasing diversity in writing skills and educational goals of students in the community college composition class. The increase in diversity is a result of legislation in California that restructures developmental class offerings and affects placement in the transfer-level composition …

The Value Of Interactive Multimodal Online Higher Education Classrooms: Examining The Impact Of Interactive Multimedia-Based Instructional Design (Imbid), Andrea Munro

Dissertations

Purpose: Despite their affordability and convenience, online courses have higher student failure and dropout rates than ground based-courses. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative single-case study was to determine if there is a difference between interactive, multimedia-based online instruction and traditional text-based online instruction as it relates to the level of student performance, engagement, and satisfaction in higher education.

Methodology: This quantitative research design used inferential statistics to analyze the research questions. The researcher selected 13 text-based courses that were redesigned to become interactive, multimedia-based courses. Archival student performance, engagement, and satisfaction data was abstracted from both the text-based and …

A Review Of Literature: Identifying Barriers To Academic Success Among Students With Disabilities Attending College In Rural Regions, Kaycee Lynn Bills

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

College students who have disabilities are an oppressed population that faces many challenges related to accessibility barriers in higher education located in rural environments. The number of adults with disabilities attending college has been steadily increasing over the past decade. As the number of college students with disabilities continues to rise, it is essential for researchers to identify the barriers education attainment barriers they face in rural college settings. This study is a systematic review of literature that analyze past studies in order identify the challenges students with disabilities face in higher education settings located in rural regions. It also …

Mapping International Refugee Access To Higher Education, Melody Viczko Dr, Marie-Agnès Détourbe Dr, Shannon Mckechnie

Education Publications

There are approximately 25 million refugees around the world, and over half of this 25 million are under the age of 25. While many refugees hold strong aspirations to attend higher education, about 3% of refugees have access due to political, social and economic challenges. The challenge is how to understand, support, and develop successful greater access to higher education for refugees.

Stories Of The 3%: Foster Care Alumni Narratives Of Resilience And Postsecondary Attainment, Molly Sarubbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although education continues to be a pathway for social mobility, disparities remain in post-secondary attainment for traditionally marginalized populations such as the half-million youth in foster care (Children's Bureau, 2016). Due to multiple personal, social, and system barriers, only 46% of foster youth will earn a high school or GED diploma, and less than 3% will enroll in postsecondary education (Naccarato, Brophy & Courtney, 2010; Sarubbi, Parker, & Sponsler, 2016). Barriers impacting foster care alumni (FCA) have been widely documented, yet their narratives of resilience receive less attention. This study employs a participatory action research design in which FCA participants …

Project Summary: Mapping International Refugee Access To Higher Education, Melody Viczko Dr, Marie-Agnès Détourbe Dr, Shannon Mckechnie

Education Publications

There are approximately 25 million refugees around the world, and over half of this 25 million are under the age of 25. While many refugees hold strong aspirations to attend higher education, about 3% of refugees have access due to political, social and economic challenges. The challenge is how to understand, support, and develop successful greater access to higher education for refugees.

Life-Lines Of Spanish Students With Disabilities During Their University Trajectory, Noelia Melero, Anabel Moriña, Rosario López-Gavira

The Qualitative Report

The authors conducted this study at a Spanish university to find out what barriers and aids students with disabilities identified during their university trajectories. The authors used a biographical narrative method, and specifically, life histories. Our analysis concentrated on the life-lines and interviews, showing the histories of three students with disabilities. We analyzed data through a narrative system, approaching each life history separately and making a global analysis of it. The results section presents the university trajectory of three students with disability, Javier, Luz María and José Manuel. Each student made a personal narration of his own university experience in …

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Accessibility Awareness Among Faculty In Online Learning Environments, Rachael Sessler Trinkowsky

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Although all organizations and institutions should consider accessibility when developing online content, inaccessibility is a recurring issue in recent literature pertaining to online learning environments (OLEs) and faculty accessibility awareness. The goal was to describe how online faculty gain knowledge regarding accessibility, to explore the lived experiences of online faculty who have worked with students who have disabilities, and to gain a better understanding of how faculty experience the process of accessibility implementation. The following research questions guided this study: How do faculty in OLEs experience encounters regarding accessibility for students who have print related disabilities? How do faculty in …

Engaging Students With Disabilities, Kirsten R. Brown, Ellen Broido

Kirsten R. Brown, Ph.D.

Students with disabilities are a rapidly growing, yet historically underrepresented population in postsecondary education. Historically underrepresented groups share a common experience: all faced unwelcoming environments when initially entering higher education (Hall & Belch, 2000). Ableism (the oppression of people with disabilities) plays a powerful role in shaping the way student with and without disabilities experience the educational environments, because “[b]y assuming one normative way to do things (move, speak, learn, and so forth), society privileges those who carry out these functions as prescribed and oppresses those who use other methods” (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton & Renn, 2010, p. 242). To …

The Evaluation Of The Use Of Technology/Electronic Media In Teaching Or Delivering Instructions/Lectures At A Florida University: History, Philosophy And Practices, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

According to the previous survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University Student Academic Affairs department in 2001, it was indicated that faculty uses of teaching and learning technologies/electronic instruction media to teach and deliver their lectures at the college were lacking.

With the current research study, investigations were thoroughly made and suggestions are provided on the improvement of faculty performance in the use of technologies at the institution to teach and convey knowledge to their students. In this report, the institutional personnel and its administration are made aware whether all existing technologies are being optimally used by faculty. This study also …