Helping STEM Students with Disabilities
PERSIST PERSIST
PERSISTKathleen M. Deery, PhD, CRCMichael Lawler, MSLaura McCullough, PhDGracia Larson, MS, CRC, PVE
Support provided through The National Science Foundation grant # 1129682
Why Are We Here?Part I
Here are the facts….
• National need for more STEM professionalso Need to draw from underrepresented groups (women,
minorities & PWD)
• Low rates of success among students with disabilities in STEM workforce (7%) o 14% of the entire US labor force (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2009)
• The problem is widespread…therefore the solution needs to be widespread
Evolving Needs
We are teaching a
more challenging
student
Students with more severe disabilities in college
Better Accommodation
s
However…They aren’t necessarily going into STEM programs
Disabilities in STEM programs……
• Learning Disabilities (LD)• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)• Mental Health Disability
o depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
What does that look like?
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Your Turn!
Student PerceptionsHere’s What They’re Saying About
Instructors….
• Lack of Awareness• Indifferent Attitude• Unrealistic Expectations• Poor Response to Feedback• Unwillingness to Share Responsibility
(fear of favoritism)
Millennials and Generation Y
How are they different?• Product of ‘power-
parenting’• Feel special • Highly social – need to
connect• Seek partnership &
consensus• Expect social promotion
Generational Challenges• High expectations - can feel like entitlement
• Multi-tasking is a way of life
• Zero tolerance for delays
• Crave immediate feedback, reinforcement & structure
• Not used to speaking for themselves
• Fear of failure
Digital Learning (OMG)And the Impact on
CommunicationIK,R?
Bridging the Gap… A Study of Perceptual
Differences
Pilot StudyPerception of ‘Readiness’ for Employment
Student Perception(N= 40)
Employer Perception(N= 680)
Difference
Technical Knowledge 98% 53% 45%
Job Seeking Skills 75% 46% 29%
Cover Letter & Resume 94% 53% 41%
Oral Communication 86% 50% 36%
Reading & Writing 87% 52% 35%
Next Steps….• NSF Grant: Soft Skills – Hard Science• Value of mentoring• Use of modern technology
Program MethodElement 1 Soft Skills Learning Modules
(Critical thinking, Interpersonal effectiveness, Problem solving)
Element II Work-Based Learning (Co-op or Internship)
Element III Mentor-Protégé Experience
Break time….(sort of)
Blindness Simulation
Accommodation: Level the Playing Field,
Don’t Lower the BarPart III
Gracia Larson, MS, CRC, PVEMinnesota State Services for the Blind
Accommodation: The Letter(s) of the Law
504
ADA
508
UDL
Educational Accommodation
Strategies
Two Levels of Accommodating Students
1. UDL: Universal Design for Learning• Accessible Design of Facilities and Environment • Digital Formatting of Material/Content• Preparing students and teachers to apply UDL concepts
2. Individualized Accommodations for Students• Needs identified through specialized assessment• Non-device approaches/strategies• Commercially available devices• Commercially available with modifications• Custom designed products
Lawler, 2008
The UDL ModelKey Ideas:
• Student diversity, high standards, and accountability challenge teachers to help all students achieve.
• New insights into the learning brain shed light on learner differences and effective uses of technology.
• UDL seizes opportunity of evolving technologies to create flexible methods and materials that can reach diverse learners.
• Instilling flexibility into methods and materials maximizes learning opportunities
• UDL is not "just one more thing;" it is an integral component of improving student learning, compatible with other approaches to education reform.
Flexible Instructional Media
Key Ideas:
•Learners’ capacities are defined by abilities and tools.
•Traditional materials and media, come in “one size” for all. Inflexible media actually create barriers to learning.
•New classroom media, like digital text, sound, images, and the World Wide Web, can be adjusted for different individuals and can open doors to learning.
Universal Design for Learning
Key Ideas: The key to helping students achieve is identifying and removing barriers from our teaching methods and curriculum materials. The UDL framework proposes three kinds of flexibility:
• To represent information in multiple formats and media.
• To provide multiple pathways for students’ action and expression.
• To provide multiple ways to engage students’ interest and motivation.
The three UDL principles, implemented with new media, can help us improve how we set goals, individualize instruction, and assess students progress.
Human Performance Model
ContextPsychoSocial - Physical
HumanSensory – Cognitive - Motor
ActivitySelf Care – Work – School
Leisure/Play Assistive TechHuman/Technology Interface
Processor – Environmental InterfaceActivity Output
Context
Human
Activity Assist
Tech
(Bailey, 1983)
Who’s responsible for accommodation?
• Entitlement versus Eligibility
• High School and College Differences
Under- & Over-Accommodation• Who decides what’s reasonable?• Pressure for Social promotion
Middle Ground Solutions• Cost, time, access• Negotiation
Dexterity & LearningInstructions:1. Place two pair of gloves on (one over the other)2. Duct tape together three middle fingers on each
hand3. Form a small group and select one person to be
the ‘instructor’
PersistencePart IV
Cumulative Issues
It’s not just one thing – disability, perception, generational differences, soft skills, or accommodation…
….it’s EVERYTHING in combination.
Reaching Out• If they don’t know there is a problem, they can’t
change it.• Don’t overlook the elephant in the room• Stepping lightly around sensitive issues• Tough love vs. setting up for failure
Nobody Said Life Was Fair
• Provide authentic feedbackoNOBODY like constructive criticism…so
don’t do ito Find a way to examine the issue and
brainstorm together without judgment
• Relationship mattersoHow you say it as important as What
you say.
Be human. Be forgiving. Be honest.
Additional Resources• Searchable Online Accommodation Resources https://
askjan.org/soar/disabilities.html• National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
Online Accommodations Bibliography http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/AccommBibliography/AccomStudies.htm
• Reasonable Accommodations for People with Psychiatric Disabilities (Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation)
http://www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/• Academic Supports for Individuals with ASD
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=3417• Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to
Practice (Burgstahler & Cory, 2010) http://www.hepg.org/hep/Book/83