Preparing Visually-Preparing Visually-Disabled Instructors to Disabled Instructors to

Teach OnlineTeach Online

Thomas J. Tobin, Ph.D.Thomas J. Tobin, Ph.D.

Westmoreland County Community Westmoreland County Community CollegeCollege

Background to Background to the Narrativethe Narrative  

Before this case narrative began, I had already worked with Before this case narrative began, I had already worked with online students who had a online students who had a range of disabilitiesrange of disabilities from multiple from multiple sclerosis to deafness to visual disabilities; sclerosis to deafness to visual disabilities; recommending recommending adaptive technologiesadaptive technologies and partnering with local social-service and partnering with local social-service organizations were effective methods of giving disabled organizations were effective methods of giving disabled students maximum access to the materials in their online students maximum access to the materials in their online classes. It was found most helpful to classes. It was found most helpful to inform the instructorinform the instructor and and key college personnel (the counseling office, for example) of key college personnel (the counseling office, for example) of students’ disabilities students’ disabilities up frontup front, so that instructors had the , so that instructors had the opportunity to accommodate their disabled students.opportunity to accommodate their disabled students.

In preparing to offer support to a visually-disabled faculty In preparing to offer support to a visually-disabled faculty member, we predicted that the following member, we predicted that the following propositionspropositions would would hold true:hold true:

Many of the technologies used to support Many of the technologies used to support online visually-disabled online visually-disabled studentsstudents would be would be useful in serving useful in serving facultyfaculty, as well., as well.

The The most difficultmost difficult part of supporting visually- part of supporting visually-disabled online faculty would be the disabled online faculty would be the software software trainingtraining..

The visually-disabled faculty member would The visually-disabled faculty member would require require more timemore time and and more repetitionmore repetition of of instructional concepts in order to master the instructional concepts in order to master the skills needed to create online resources skills needed to create online resources than than able faculty membersable faculty members usually require. usually require.

The The course management softwarecourse management software our college our college adopted would be adopted would be cumbersomecumbersome for a visually- for a visually-impaired faculty member to learn and use.impaired faculty member to learn and use.

The online teaching The online teaching tips and techniquestips and techniques the the author advocated in training sessions would author advocated in training sessions would need to be modifiedneed to be modified to be useful for the to be useful for the visually-impaired instructor.visually-impaired instructor.

The most successful method for supporting The most successful method for supporting the visually-impaired faculty member during the visually-impaired faculty member during the term would be the term would be as “hands on” as possibleas “hands on” as possible..

SO, WHAT SO, WHAT REALLYREALLY HAPPENED? HAPPENED?

By the third week in the case-study course, students were By the third week in the case-study course, students were confused and frustratedconfused and frustrated. The author suggests the following . The author suggests the following measures for training and support:measures for training and support:

Require that the Require that the entire contententire content of the course of the course be posted online be posted online beforebefore the course may be the course may be offered to students. Ask support staff to offered to students. Ask support staff to role-role-playplay the student by sending the student by sending emailemail, posting , posting discussion discussion messagesmessages, and sending , and sending filesfiles to the to the instructor using the course-management instructor using the course-management software.software.

If possible, offer If possible, offer one-on-one timeone-on-one time with with support staff for the duration of the course support staff for the duration of the course development process, and for a significant development process, and for a significant percentage of the semester when the course percentage of the semester when the course is taught. This may help to head off issues of is taught. This may help to head off issues of mis- or non-communicationmis- or non-communication between the between the instructor and students.instructor and students.

If possible, rely on training methods and If possible, rely on training methods and resources that will leave the faculty member resources that will leave the faculty member independently ableindependently able to use the computer to to use the computer to gain access to and administer the online gain access to and administer the online course. At a minimum, the instructor should course. At a minimum, the instructor should be able to check and respond to be able to check and respond to emailemail, , post a post a messagemessage to an asynchronous discussion, and to an asynchronous discussion, and send and receive filessend and receive files with students with students electronically. electronically.

Ensure that the faculty member utilizes the Ensure that the faculty member utilizes the same skillssame skills that make him or her a that make him or her a good in-good in-class instructorclass instructor. Don’t water down the . Don’t water down the content or expectations for the faculty content or expectations for the faculty member in order to accommodate disability; member in order to accommodate disability; rather, rather, explore alternative methodsexplore alternative methods that still that still meet the requirements and demonstrate meet the requirements and demonstrate evidence of the core skillsevidence of the core skills needed by your needed by your online faculty. online faculty.

Executive SummaryExecutive Summary  

Six short Six short best practicesbest practices may be encapsulated from the data may be encapsulated from the data of this study in order best to prepare and support visually of this study in order best to prepare and support visually disabled faculty who will teach online. disabled faculty who will teach online.

While the conclusions of this study suggest that While the conclusions of this study suggest that one-on-one one-on-one trainingtraining and and consistent close supportconsistent close support are best, this seems to are best, this seems to state the obvious, and does not take into account the state the obvious, and does not take into account the problems and solutions specific to providing support to problems and solutions specific to providing support to visually-disabled faculty. visually-disabled faculty.

The following The following best practicesbest practices may serve as a condensed guide may serve as a condensed guide for distance-education administrators and their staff when for distance-education administrators and their staff when working with visually-impaired faculty on online courses, and working with visually-impaired faculty on online courses, and may be thought of using the acronym may be thought of using the acronym ASSUREASSURE::

AAnalyze the Situationnalyze the Situation: interview the faculty member to determine : interview the faculty member to determine obstacles and skills that he or she already has. Be honest about what obstacles and skills that he or she already has. Be honest about what you and your staff will be able to do with and for the faculty member. you and your staff will be able to do with and for the faculty member. Identify outside resources on which your staff and the faculty Identify outside resources on which your staff and the faculty member can reply.member can reply.

SState the Objectives up Fronttate the Objectives up Front: list specific goals and outcomes on a : list specific goals and outcomes on a timeline to which the faculty member and your staff can sign off. timeline to which the faculty member and your staff can sign off. Especially important are “stop-and-go-home” dates for major Especially important are “stop-and-go-home” dates for major resource development, which, if not met, signal that the project must resource development, which, if not met, signal that the project must be terminated. While this seems draconian, it saves much frustration be terminated. While this seems draconian, it saves much frustration and rushed work down the line.and rushed work down the line.

SSelect Methods, Media, and Materialselect Methods, Media, and Materials: the technology, people, and : the technology, people, and tools needed should be investigated and tested before the process of tools needed should be investigated and tested before the process of preparing course materials begins. This is especially applicable to preparing course materials begins. This is especially applicable to visually-disabled faculty, who may need to choose from among a visually-disabled faculty, who may need to choose from among a number of mediating technologies that may be new to them. Build number of mediating technologies that may be new to them. Build time into the schedule for testing of technology and different support time into the schedule for testing of technology and different support methods.methods.

UUtilize Agreed-on Methodstilize Agreed-on Methods: once the faculty member and your staff : once the faculty member and your staff agree on methods for working together, stick to them. If the faculty agree on methods for working together, stick to them. If the faculty member wishes to work as independently as possible, accommodate member wishes to work as independently as possible, accommodate him or her.him or her.

RRequire Faculty Skill Validationequire Faculty Skill Validation: while working in accordance with the : while working in accordance with the learning style of the faculty member, require him or her to prove learning style of the faculty member, require him or her to prove competence in the core skills your institution expects of other online competence in the core skills your institution expects of other online faculty. If exceptions must be given in order to accommodate a faculty. If exceptions must be given in order to accommodate a disability, document that the alternative methods actually do satisfy disability, document that the alternative methods actually do satisfy the requirements.the requirements.

EEvaluate and Revise Periodicallyvaluate and Revise Periodically: build evaluation into the schedule : build evaluation into the schedule of work. At set intervals, re-interview the faculty member to see if of work. At set intervals, re-interview the faculty member to see if his or her expectations are being met, and whether changes in the his or her expectations are being met, and whether changes in the methodology or schedule might be beneficial. Once the process of methodology or schedule might be beneficial. Once the process of developing materials and teaching the course is over, hold a major developing materials and teaching the course is over, hold a major reevaluation conference.reevaluation conference.

dr.tobin@att.netdr.tobin@att.net