1. Experiences of interaction for students with disabilities in online university programs Dissertation proposal Dzenana Jalovcic June 16, 2016
Committee Members:
Dr. Susan Moisey (chair)
Dr. Cynthia Blodgett-Griffin
Dr. Linda Chmiliar
Dr. Shelley Kinash

2. Presentation overview

3. What?
What are the structures of experience of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who study online?

4. Why? Significance
Giving a voice to online students with disabilities may influence:
How online educators perceive, theorize, teach and support students with disabilities
How access and services are regulated and implemented
What research questions are asked

5. Why now?
Increasing number of post- secondary students with disabilities
University participation rates still lag behind
New technologies
Anti-discrimination and accessibility laws
Less-researched area

6. Why? Background Disability studies Disability and online education
Medical model
Social model
Human rights model
Digital inclusion
Digital capital
Diverse, emerging
Accessibility, needs, support services, academic achievement
Mostly quantitative
Pedagogy and theories neglected
Policy
Theoretical and philosophical inspiration
Human rights based
Patchwork of sectoral/ jurisdictional policies
Policy paradoxes
Phenomenology
Learning interactions
Disability as an interaction

7. A gap in the literature

8. Why? Voices and silences
“The first great silence relates to the fact that the voices of stakeholders are still largely ignored. … assumptions are made about their perspective, but little is drawn directly from personal narratives and experiences of the stakeholders themselves. The dominant voices in the literature therefore, are those of accessibility researchers and campaigners.”
Seale, J. (2014). E-learning and disability in higher education.

9. Purpose of research
The purpose of this research is to describe experiences of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities enrolled in online university programs.

10. Philosophical and theoretical inspiration interaction

11. How?
Phenomenology is philosophy and a research methodology that focuses on understanding of phenomenon from the perspective of those who experience it.

12. How? Research method (Giorgi, 2009)
Descriptive phenomenology
Probing consciousness about the phenomenon
Gaining deeper understanding of experience by revealing its nature
Describing experience with its essential structures

13. Participants Purposeful, criterion based participants’ selection:
10-16 students who self-identify as having a disability
Who completed at least two online courses
Who are enrolled in one online course at the time of interview
Recruitment strategies:
Invitation via ASD Office
Faculty referral
Announcement in social media

14. Data collection
Semi-structured Skype or phone interviews (recorded and transcribed)
Interview notes
Artefacts (if voluntarily provided, secondary)

15. Semi-structured interview guide
What is it like for you to study online with a disability? Describe your experience in the online course you are currently taking commenting on your interactions with instructors, students, and materials.
Semi-structured interview guide
Describe how your disability affects your experience of studying online. Give me an example of disability related learning challenges your face.
Is there anything else you would like to share?

16. Data analysis (Giorgi, 2009) whole-part-whole
Assume phenomenological attitude
Read the entire transcript
Determine meaning units
Transform meaning units into sensitive statements of the lived experiences
Write the description of structure of experience

17. Limitations Delimitations
Causes and consequences of the experience may be overlooked
Self-selection of participants
Participants’ ability to express themselves
Sole researcher
Bracketing might be challenging
Description not interpretation
Participants selection – current experience

18. Ethical considerations
Informed consent
Anonymity and confidentiality
Voluntary participation
Risks and benefits
Storing data
Dissemination of results

19. Trustworthiness (Creswell, 1998; Depoy & Gitlin, 1998)
Reflexivity: journaling; phenomenological attitude
Triangulation: interviews, interview notes, and artefacts
Member checks
Peer review
Audit trail
Saturation

20. Outcomes Developing description of structures of experience
Giving a voice and breaking the silence
Sharing results at various events
Defending a dissertation, and submitting/publishing two manuscripts in peer reviewed publications

21. Acknowledgements This research was supported by Wayne Perry Ed. D
Acknowledgements This research was supported by Wayne Perry Ed.D. Student Research Award and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship Program All illustrations from Pixabay licensed under Creative Commons CC0.

22. Thank you
From pixabay by blickpixel

23. References
Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five designs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. DePoy, E. & Gitlin, L.N. (1998). Introduction to Research: Understanding and Applying Multiple Strategies. Toronto: Mosby, Inc. Giorgi, A. (2009). The descriptive phenomenological method in psychology: A modified Husserlian approach. Duquesne University Press. Seale, J. K. (2014). E-learning and disability in higher education: accessibility research and practice [Kobo version]. Retrieved from Kobo.com.

24. Research questions
What are the structures of experience of interaction for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who study online?
What are their experiences of interactions with content, instructors or tutors, other students, system, and support services?
What are the barriers and facilitators that shape online academic experiences of students with disabilities?