scholarly journals Access [dis]Abled: Interrogating Standard Design Practices of Higher Education Writing Center Websites

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Quinn ◽  
Anna Belmonte ◽  
Emily Davis ◽  
Andrew Gardewine ◽  
Gabrielle Madewell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Writing Center ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Writing Centers ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Regional Institutions ◽  
Standard Design ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Student Researchers

In the 11 years since the 2006 publication of the International Writing Center Association's (IWCA) Position Statements on Disability and Diversity, writing center scholars have continued to explore how disability issues intersect with writing center work including the development of accessible web content and interfaces (Hawkes, 2010). Recent studies have found that university websites were ineffectively designed, difficult to navigate, and omitting any representation or acknowledgment of students with disabilities (Gabel et al., 2016; Gabel & Miskovic, 2014; Meyer, 2008; Miskovic & Gabel, 2012). In this study, the primary author and four undergraduate student-researchers study where and how disability support is explicitly articulated on writing center websites from regional Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and how digital resources have been designed for students with disabilities. Results show that two out of the 35 writing center offices that exist at the 55 universities analyzed have a mission statement that explicitly articulates a support for students with disabilities. Writing center websites also ineffectively incorporate pictures, simple text, simple navigation, and other accessible features (71% of the 35 writing centers analyzed had websites where 21 – 70% of the content is inaccessible). Recommendations to address these problems are provided.

College disability support offices as advertisements: A multimodal discourse analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 146144562096692
Author(s):  
So Yoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Genre Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
College Community ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Semiotic Resources

This study examined the disability support offices (DSOs) websites of twelve US higher education institutions (HEIs) anchored in multimodal discourse analysis and genre analysis to examine how semiotic resources are deployed to describe DSO services on their websites and to determine the discursive functions of advertisement they perform. The DSO websites were within four clicks from HEI homepages but had inconsistent navigation paths, making it difficult to reach DSO websites. DSO websites were foregrounding promoting and branding the institutions rather than presenting the information about the services offered. This is achieved by using multimodal promotional rhetoric such as: (a) situating accessibility as central commodifiable attribute, (b) promoting the value of accessibility, (c) establishing the superiority of the institution, (d) constructing images of students with disabilities as empowered but dependent upon the DSO, and (e) situating students within a college community. Implications for DSO websites functioning as advertisements are also discussed.

scholarly journals Mining writing center data for information literacy practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Graves ◽  
Kathy Christie Anders ◽  
Valerie M. Balester
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Writing Center ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Writing Centers ◽  
Literacy Intervention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Institutional Boundaries

Purpose The study aims to explore collaborations between writing centers and libraries which create opportunities for providing information literacy intervention for students doing researched writing. This case study gathered data from writing center logs to uncover if and how information literacy activity was occurring during consultations. Design/methodology/approach A representative sample of writing center logs recorded between September of 2013 and May 2014 was mined for frequencies of library and information literacy terms. Transaction logs were coded and analyzed according to the frames in the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Findings Information literacy is discussed in only 13 per cent of consultations. Referrals to librarians accounted for less than 1 per cent of all transactions. Students most commonly asked for assistance in formatting citations, but deeper information literacy conversations did occur that provide opportunities for engagement with the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Research limitations/implications Transactions were examined from one university. Although findings cannot be generalized, the results were applicable to local services, and this study provides a model useful for libraries and writing centers. Practical implications This study provides ample direction for future collaborations that will take advantage of the intersections of information literacy and writing instruction to improve student research skills. Originality/value Although much has been written about partnerships between libraries and writing centers, this study uniquely demonstrates a model for data sharing across institutional boundaries and how one library mined existing data from a writing center.

Disability Support Services in Higher Education: An Extension of the Rehabilitation Process

1996 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemarie Carroll ◽  
Claudia E. Johnson Bown
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Rehabilitation Counseling ◽  
Academic Support ◽  
Academic Support Services ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Disability Support Services ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Comprehensive Services

In recent years, the number of students in higher education who are requesting services, from university offices of Disability Support Services (DSS) has increased dramatically, While surveys suggest that the majority of DSS offices are providing academic support services to their students with disabilities, these services, while necessary, are not sufficient to address the needs of these students in a holistic fashion. This article will discuss ways in which the philosophy of rehabilitation counseling can be utilized to assist the DSS office in providing more comprehensive services, with the goal of increasing the students' functioning to the highest level possible in all areas of their lives. Through adherence to this philosophy, the DSS office can become an effective extension of the rehabilitation process to students with disabilities.

scholarly journals Disability inclusion in higher education in Uganda: Status and strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Emong ◽  
Lawrence Eron
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Disability Support Services ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
The Status ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Background: Uganda has embraced inclusive education and evidently committed itself to bringing about disability inclusion at every level of education. Both legal and non-legal frameworks have been adopted and arguably are in line with the intent of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on education. The CRPD, in Article 24, requires states to attain a right to education for persons with disabilities without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities at all levels of education. Objectives: Despite Uganda’s robust disability legal and policy framework on education, there is evidence of exclusion and discrimination of students with disabilities in the higher education institutions. The main objective of this article is to explore the status of disability inclusion in higher education and strategies for its realisation, using evidence from Emong’s study, workshop proceedings where the authors facilitated and additional individual interviews with four students with disabilities by the authors. Results: The results show that there are discrimination and exclusion tendencies in matters related to admissions, access to lectures, assessment and examinations, access to library services, halls of residence and other disability support services. Conclusion: The article recommends that institutional policies and guidelines on support services for students with disabilities and special needs in higher education be developed, data on students with disabilities collected to help planning, collaboration between Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPO’s) strengthened to ensure disability inclusion and the establishment of disability support centres.

scholarly journals Agency in the Writing Center: Examining the Importance of Student Autonomy in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Writing Center ◽  
Writing Centers ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
College Level ◽  
Student Autonomy ◽  
Rutgers University ◽  
Embedded Model

In college-level English courses, students often struggle to achieve satisfactory results in their writing. To remedy this, they seek help at campus writing centers, where a tutor helps them improve their writing skills and their academic performance. Yet, students experience tension between the classroom and the writing center that universities should seek to minimize. In my research, I discovered how different learning methods may either foster or suppress student autonomy. Further, I found that current methods—such as the course-embedded model for mitigating the tension between the writing center and the classroom—fail to empower the student. Using Rutgers University and its style of minimalist tutoring as a benchmark, I discuss the topics of autonomy and agency, student-led negotiation with authority, lack of academic motivation, and how we can bridge the pedagogical gap between the writing center and the classroom.

College Bound?

2022 ◽  
pp. 458-473
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Hawkins ◽  
Kristi L. Santi ◽  
Elizabeth P. McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
High School ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Education Students ◽  
College Counselors ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Summary Of Performance

Increasing numbers of students with disabilities who have been included in high school have transitioned to college over the past several decades. While many of those students are eligible for accommodations in high school, fewer of those same students with disabilities request or receive accommodations in college. The purpose of this chapter is to present the need to begin the transition process early, present the self-knowledge and skills that students need to support their success, outline the language, laws, and culture of college that students must negotiate, and propose the use of the summary of performance as an initial solution to the challenge of transition. Inclusive education has done much to spur changes in higher education and disability support. The supports are available in higher education. Students need the knowledge and skills to access them, use them, and self-advocate with their college counselors and instructors to meet their goals.

College Bound?

2019 ◽  
pp. 243-264
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Hawkins ◽  
Kristi L. Santi ◽  
Elizabeth P. McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
High School ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Education Students ◽  
College Counselors ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Summary Of Performance

Increasing numbers of students with disabilities who have been included in high school have transitioned to college over the past several decades. While many of those students are eligible for accommodations in high school, fewer of those same students with disabilities request or receive accommodations in college. The purpose of this chapter is to present the need to begin the transition process early, present the self-knowledge and skills that students need to support their success, outline the language, laws, and culture of college that students must negotiate, and propose the use of the summary of performance as an initial solution to the challenge of transition. Inclusive education has done much to spur changes in higher education and disability support. The supports are available in higher education. Students need the knowledge and skills to access them, use them, and self-advocate with their college counselors and instructors to meet their goals.

scholarly journals Digital Teaching, Inclusion and Students’ Needs: Student Perspectives on Participation and Access in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leevke Wilkens ◽  
Anne Haage ◽  
Finnja Lüttmann ◽  
Christian R. Bühler
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Sensory Impairments ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
Content Accessibility

In this article we discuss the contribution of digitalisation for equal participation in higher education. Its potential is often postulated, but accessibility is seldom examined in this context. Despite the challenges and difficulties created in the summer term of 2020, this semester has provided a great opportunity to collect data on digital teaching, as face‐to‐face teaching needed to be transformed into digital teaching. Based on two surveys conducted in the summer of 2020, current practices and students’ needs regarding accessibility are outlined. Despite the circumstances, it can be derived from the surveys that digital teaching generally provides a variety of advantages for students with disabilities, although some tools and platforms remain not fully accessible to them. Additionally, the results indicate that not only students with sensory impairments benefit from the principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2018). In particular, the principles ‘operable’ and ‘understandable’ are beneficial for students with mental health difficulties. Regarding the assessment of accessibility features, the study shows that the perception of students with and without impairments is very similar.

Writing Centers

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
Lauren Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Writing Center ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Writing Centers ◽  
English Studies ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
Writing Center Studies ◽  
Resources Planning

Abstract Undergraduate-staffed writing centers, tutor-preparation courses, and writing center studies have been and continue to be ideally suited for undergraduate research in English studies. Though requiring resources, planning, and a reconsideration of humanities scholarship, the benefits of writing center undergraduate research are many, including enabling students to develop unique and authentic questions and answers while enhancing their research and tutoring skills, reframing students’ roles within higher education, and preparing humanities majors for a range of career paths.

UNDERSTANDING DISABILITIES & ONLINE STUDENT SUCCESS

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Betts ◽  
Bill Welsh ◽  
Kelly Hermann ◽  
Cheryl Pruitt ◽  
Gaeir Dietrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Disability Services ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
Academic Goals ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Support Resources ◽  
Legislative Changes

Approximately 11% of all postsecondary students reported having a disability in 2008. Although the percentage of students with disabilities in 2008 closely reflects the percentage reported in 2004, the U.S. Government Accountability Office states that recent legislative changes have the potential to increase the diversity and number of students with disabilities pursing higher education. To support students with disabilities enrolled in higher education and in online learning, it is important to understand disabilities and the resources students need to actively engage in their courses and to achieve their academic goals. This article includes collaborative responses from a diverse group of leaders at eight higher education institutions and organizations who work with disability services and have experience in online learning. Some of the contributors also have disabilities so the collective responses build upon research, professional experience, and personal experience. For this article, the ten contributors answered 20 questions regarding disabilities and online student success as well as provided recommended practices. This article is designed to be interactive. It includes screenshots, simulation links, video demonstrations, and resources to provide a more detailed understanding of disabilities, accessibility, and support resources. JALN readers are encouraged to interact with the simulations and to watch the demonstration videos as a way to learn more about disabilities and supporting online student success.

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