online learning for students with disabilities: what we know, and what we need to know

Project Co-Sponsors:KU Center for Research on Learning • CAST • NASDSE www.centerononlinelearning.org

Online Learning for Students with Disabilities:

What we know, and what we need to knowDiana Greer; Sean Smith, University of Kansas

Paula Burdette, NASDSE Rachel Currie-Rubin; Skip Stahl, CAST

www.centerononlinelearning.org

Today’s Presentation

• Center Overview

• Status Update

• What we know

• What we don’t know


Our Charge

To research how online learning can be made more accessible, engaging, and effective for K-12 learners with disabilities:• Identify– trends & issues– positive & negative consequences– promising approaches

• Test – feasibility, usability & effectiveness


Demographics

David Glick, 2011


The Reality


The Types


The Challenges

1. Providing student support for engagement

2. Coordination with students’ local school district/getting students’ records

3. Deficiency in curriculum

4. Lack of or inability to provide adult support/involvement

5. Lack of qualified staff and staff time

6. Difficulty in identifying students

2012 iNACOL


Challenges Related to Special Education

• Inconsistent policies across states and

districts

• Accessibility and Universal Design gaps

• Teacher preparedness varies

• Monitoring and accountability difficult

due to lack of data

• Rationale for placements not clear


Special Education Challenges cont.

• Social and Emotional Supports may or may not be available

• Lack of guidance to assist teams in determining appropriateness of online education

• Digital divide: schools, homes that have digital access and those who do not


Question #1: Sean

What aspects of the design of learning management/content management systems and their content increase or decrease the involvement of students with disabilities?


What We Know


Does your state have data on which students with disabilities are receiving their instruction through an online environment?

– Online program• 24% Yes• 76% No

– Supplemental online course• 11% Yes• 89% No

– Blended program• 7% Yes• 93% No

– Related Services• 9% Yes• 91% No

State Director of Special Education Survey


State Directors Survey (N=46)

Autism 43% Deaf-Blindness 15% Deafness 30% Emotional Disturbance

46% Hearing Impairment 33% Intellectual Disabilities 39% Multiple Disabilities 29%

Orthopedic Impairment 35% Other Health Impairment

43% Specific Learning Disability

48% Speech or Language Impairment

39% Traumatic Brain Injury 30% Visual Impairment Including

Blindness 28% Developmental Delay 20%

Students from what disability areas participate in any online environment?


Question #2: Rachel

How does the context of online learning affect student engagement, persistence and achievement?


What about Engagement and Learning?

• Teacher “quality”: What knowledge, skills, and beliefs do highly skilled and experienced online educators and novice online educators have?

• Peer-to-peer relationships and the impact on student learning

• Case studies to understand peer to peer relationships, relationships with “learning coaches” and teachers


District Administrator Survey

• District offers online instruction (N=78)• Yes (76%)

– 56% have offered online instruction for 1-5 years – 41% have offered online instruction for 6-15 years

• Offer online instruction for SWDs (N=78)

• Yes (78%)– 56% have offered online instruction for SWDs for 1-5

years – 43% have offered online instruction for SWDs for 6-

15 years


District Administrator Survey (N=103)

• Challenges teachers face in teaching SWDs online – 61% Knowing how to accommodate for

students' disabilities – 48% Knowing how to use instructional

strategies in online settings – 41% Knowing how to use specific technologies– 25% Limitations in technology infrastructure

within the district – 20% Other



• 36% reported that their teachers are well prepared to teach SWDs online – 39% reported their teachers are not well

prepared – 25% reported they don’t know or did not

answer

• 57% reported being prepared to make decisions affecting the online instruction of SWDs


Question #3: Diana

What we are learning about teachers who teach students with disabilities in an online environment?


Teacher Survey

• 110 Participants

–89% taught for 6+ years

–31% taught online for 6+ years

–47% are certified to teach SWDs


Teacher Survey: Teacher Satisfaction

• Satisfied with teaching online (in general)– Satisfied: 72% Neutral: 11% Dissatisfied:

2%

• Satisfied with teaching SWD online– Satisfied: 60% Neutral: 16% Dissatisfied:

8%

• Adequate support to teach SWD online– Yes: 55% No: 11%

Sometimes: 19%

• 76% plan to continue teaching SWD for

at least 2 years


Where they teach?

100

80

60

40

20

0 80% 95% 47% 86% 2% 71% 85% 96% 33% 49% 7% 27%

Teach:– Online Schools:

HS - 80%; MS – 47%; ES- 2% – Individual Courses:

HS – 85%; MS – 33%; ES – 7% Students with Disabilities :

– SLD, ED, Autism, OHI, Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities

Where they teach?


Online Schools Individual Courses

HS MS ES HS MS ES


100

80

60

40

20

0 67% 72% 46% 51% 25% 26% 24% 16% 21% 26%

The following percentage of teachers reported that their students receive these:

67% Content Instruction 46% Skill-based instruction 25% Assistive Technology Support 24% Social-Emotional/Behavioral Instruction 21% Speech Language Service

Teacher Survey: Supports provided to SWD


Content Instruction

Skill-based Instruction

Assistive Technology

Support

Speech Language

Service

Social-Emotional/Behavioral Instruction

Teacher Survey: Supports provided to SWD


Teacher Survey: Instructional

100

80

60

40

20

0 47% 39% 45% 46% 44% 26% 40% 30% 34% 36% 19% 26%

Teachers chose top 3 instructional methods to support SWDs: 47% Video 45% Activities or labs 44% Text 40% Discussion 34% Audio 19% Games

Teacher Survey: Instructional Methods

District Administrator Survey: Instructional Methods

Video Activities or labs

Text Discussion Audio Games


Teacher Survey: Challenges faced

• 40% Knowing how to accommodate for

SWDs

• 30% Knowing how to use instructional

strategies online

• 37% Limitations to the district

technology infrastructure

• 23% Knowing how to use specific

technologies



100

80

60

40

20

0 40% 61% 30% 48% 37% 41% 23% 25% 20%

The following percentages of teachers reported that their students receive these supports: 40% Knowing how to accommodate for SWDs 30% Knowing how to use instructional strategies online 44% Limitations to the district technology infrastructure 23% Knowing how to use specific technologies


District Administrator Survey: Challenges

Knowing how to accommodate for

SWDs

Knowing how to use instructional

strategies online

Limitations to the district technology

infrastructure

OtherKnowing how to use specific technologies


Question #4: Paula

What steps can the education system take to increase the success of students with disabilities in online learning?


What to do?

• Partner with others to learn what works, for what types of learners, under what circumstances.

• Based on the best knowledge now, develop guidance for providers to use.

• Collect and use data to improve knowledge, implementation, and future guidance.


National Education Policy Center

• Recommendations:– Approval and Oversight of Providers

(fully online and supplemental courses): “provide accommodations and services as required by [IDEA] …”

– Promulgation of Rules (quality standards): “provisions for students with special needs…”

http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/online-k-12-schooling


iNACOL Principles of Model Legislation

1. Shift to competency-based education 2. Increase access for each student and

permit entire continuum - from blended to fully online

3. Design outcomes-based accountability and funding incentives

4. Increase access to excellent teachers5. Provide room for innovation

www.inacol.org


COLSD Policy Review Themes

–Placement and enrollment–Allowable providers–Funding–Administrative duties–Accommodations–Assessment–Graduation/exit–Accessibility


North Washington

States we are working with:

Carolina

Florida

Kansas

Virginia

Michigan

Ohio


Visit us at: centerononlinelearning.com

Contact us at: [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter at: @OnlineCenter1

For More on the Center

mailto:[email protected]




online learning for students with disabilities: what we know, and what we need to know

Documents

fulltime online students

online program24

online environment

involvement of students

supplemental online

learning cast

intellectual disabilities

multiple disabilities