Concussion symptoms and temporary accommodations using a student-centered return to learn care plan

BACKGROUND: Many students return to school after concussion with symptoms but without formal support. OBJECTIVE: To examine concussion symptoms and temporary academic accommodations during school use of a four-week student-centered return to learn (RTL) care plan. METHODS: Five public high schools used the RTL care plan and contributed student-level data after student report of concussion. Data on concussion symptoms, temporary academic accommodations corresponding to reported symptoms, and accommodations provided during RTL care plan use were examined. RESULTS: Of 115 students, 55%used the RTL care plan for three (34%) or four (21%) weeks. Compared to students whose symptoms resolve within the first two weeks, students who used the RTL care plan for three or four weeks reported more unique symptoms (P = 0.038), higher total severity score (P = 0.005), and higher average severity per symptom (P = 0.007) at week one. Overall, 1,127 weekly accommodations were provided. While least reported, emotional symptoms received corresponding accommodations most often (127/155 reports: 82%of occurrences). CONCLUSIONS: Use of an RTL care plan can facilitate the RTL of students with a concussion and may aid in the identification of students who are in need of longer-term support.

Faculty Knowledge of Services for Students with Disabilities and Attitudes toward Academic Accommodation

The current study aimed to discover the extent of faculty members knowledge of the services provided to students with disabilities, in addition to identify their attitudes towards providing academic accommodations to students with disabilities. The study investigated the differences in participants' responds attributed to gender, college, academic rank, and years of experience. The researcher used the descriptive approach, using the questionnaire as a data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 213 faculty members at King Saud University. The results showed deficiency of knowledge in the faculty members of procedures and services provided to students with disabilities in university, however, they showed positive attitude towards providing accommodations for students. The results did not show any statistically significant differences in the mean of participants' responses related to current study variables. The study introduced some recommendations that would support university education for students with disabilities. Keywords: Higher education; students with disabilities; academic accommodations; King Saud University

Effects of a Self-Advocacy Intervention on Abilities of Black College Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Request Academic Accommodations

Several barriers exist that inhibit the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary education environments, one of which is the lack of self-advocacy skills to effectively request academic modifications and ask for other supports when needed. In this study, we used a single-subject multiple-probe across participants design to examine the effects of a self-advocacy intervention on the abilities of college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to request their academic accommodations. We primarily focused the intervention on Black youth with IDD attending an inclusive higher education program. Results indicate moderate to strong evidence of a functional relation between the intervention and the students' abilities to request academic accommodations. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Online readiness in universities from disabled students’ perspective

The aim of online universities is to increase learning accessibility for all students. After some years of existence, online higher education should be analysed in terms of its preparedness to meet the learning needs of people with disabilities. This paper presents a study that sheds light on the level of readiness of online higher education institutions by examining students’ views of a well-established online university, using a research-based questionnaire. The research involves all students with disabilities studying at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), with an effective participation of 421 students. The conclusion of the paper is generally highly positive concerning the extent to which the university has overcome barriers and provided satisfactory academic accommodations. However, the results do indicate a need for a more comprehensive and specific solutions for dealing with unmet needs, especially for those students with mental disabilities.

Pedagogy in a Pandemic: Teaching without Exams

Due to the pandemic lockdown, York University’s Fall 2020 offerings of a pair of 1st and 2nd year undergraduate engineering and computer science courses were heavily modified to accommodate a completely online approach to teaching. The objective was to maximize interactivity and hands-on elements while also providing a supportive and authentic learning experience. Class presentations were made asynchronous by uploading them to YouTube and superimposing H5P elements via our Moodle-based LMS. Our traditional laboratory equipment was replaced with inexpensive lab kits that were obtained from commercial vendors and shipped to students via the university’s Bookstore. All tests, quizzes and exams were eliminated in both courses. Instead, a specifications-based assessment approach was taken, with all students given the opportunity to achieve a B+ if they completed all the work in the class. Students who wished to submit a final project could do so for an opportunity to boost their grade to A or A+. Most intra-semester deadlines were removed, with material associated with the synchronous lab sessions being the notable exception. The resulting grade distribution and averages were similar to previous years inwhich we relied to in-person testing. The rate of A/A+ was 21% and 8%, while the failure rate was 13% and 3% , respectively, for the first and second year classes. Informal feedback from students, including those with academic accommodations, was nearly universally positive, with most acknowledging that their stress levels were lower, making the learning more manageable. En raison de la crise sanitaire et le confinement COVID19, deux cours d’ingénierie de 1`ere et 2`eme année de l’université York ont été modifiés pour s’adapter à une approche d’enseignement entièrement numérique. L’objectif des adaptations était de permettre aux étudiants d’apprendre du matériel technique de manière pratique et interactive sur internet. Les présentations en classe ont été rendues interactives et asynchrones en les téléchargeant sur YouTube et en superposant des ressources H5P via notre environnement numérique d’apprentissage Moodle. Nos équipements de laboratoire traditionnel ont été remplacé par des kits de laboratoire abordables obtenus auprès de fournisseurs commerciaux et expédies aux étudiants via la librairie de l’université. Nous avons éliminé tous les tests, questionnaires et examens dans les deux cours. Une approche basée sur les spécifications a été adoptée, permettant les élèves d’obtenir un B+ s’ils terminent tous les travaux de la classe. Les étudiants qui souhaitaient un A ou A+ devaient soumettre un projet final. La plupart des délais intra-semestriels ont été supprimés, le matériel associé aux sessions de laboratoire synchrones étant l’exception notable. La distribution des notes et les moyennes étaient similaires aux années au cours desquelles nous nous sommes appuyés sur des tests en personne. Le taux de A / A + était de 21% et 8%, tandis que le taux d’échec était de 13% et 3%, respectivement, pour les classes de premières et deuxièmes années. La rétroaction informelle des étudiants, y compris ceux qui avaient des accommodements scolaires, était presque universellement positive, la plupart reconnaissant que leur niveau de stress était réduit et que l’apprentissage était gérable.

Accommodating Disability at University

Disabled students in Canadian universities obtain academic accommodations through an individualized service approach. The implementation of these learning supports is dependent on students' ability to navigate institutional policies and procedures that require engagement with faculty who are variably willing to respond. This study documents the experiences of disabled students and their professors as they worked to make these individual arrangements on three Nova Scotia university campuses. Findings centre the relational elements of accommodation procedures and expose their potential to reinforce and naturalize the marginal status of disabled learners while also elucidating the possibility for meaningful systemic change. Findings also situate the student/faculty relationship as an important site of inquiry and analysis for Canadian post-secondary institutions working to become more accessible for a diversity of disabled students.

Persistent reading difficulty despite improved focus on a stimulant medication

Specific learning disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties learning a specific academic skill (reading, written expression, or mathematics), leading to substantially reduced achievement compared to same-age peers. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a common comorbidity. Low academic performance must not be attributable to a more general condition such as intellectual disability, lack of educational opportunity, or low language proficiency. The learning difficulties are present from the early school years. The diagnostic assessment includes standardized academic achievement testing, review of academic records, and cognitive testing to rule out intellectual disability. Treatment includes specialized multimodal educational interventions in conjunction with academic accommodations. Pharmacologic treatment of comorbid psychiatric disorders may provide indirect benefit by helping the child better access educational interventions.

Pear Square: Design And Development Of Inclusive Digital Media Technology

This project investigates the development process of accessible digital media technologies using Pear Square, a web platform aimed at assisting post-secondary students with their academic accommodations, as the research basis. Current development processes are contextualized by identifying relating concepts and resources that demonstrate approaches in creating accessible systems. The research process consists of technical analysis of several accessibility tools and their influence on the development processes of websites, such as colour and contrast or screen reader functionality for people with low or no vision. The development of the Pear Square platform consists of identifying key user-case scenarios and ensuring the developed features accommodate current accessibility standards. Through the analysis of the development process of Pear Square, the objective of this research is to assess current development technologies and propose future solutions that enable efficient accessible development processes.

Pear Square: Design And Development Of Inclusive Digital Media Technology

This project investigates the development process of accessible digital media technologies using Pear Square, a web platform aimed at assisting post-secondary students with their academic accommodations, as the research basis. Current development processes are contextualized by identifying relating concepts and resources that demonstrate approaches in creating accessible systems. The research process consists of technical analysis of several accessibility tools and their influence on the development processes of websites, such as colour and contrast or screen reader functionality for people with low or no vision. The development of the Pear Square platform consists of identifying key user-case scenarios and ensuring the developed features accommodate current accessibility standards. Through the analysis of the development process of Pear Square, the objective of this research is to assess current development technologies and propose future solutions that enable efficient accessible development processes.