We live in a technology centered world. It has opened many doors in all aspects of culture, especially for the rising generation. One aspect most prevalent to them is higher education and its progress in the online realm. Students often make this decision on whether online or traditional schooling will bring them the most success. This decision proves to be more difficult for some than others, including students with learning disabilities. These students will have to adjust to life as college students while dealing with their cognitive or neurological disorder that hinders their academic skills and learning abilities. While this may seem discouraging, society has deemed higher education as necessity for success, and this success should not be limited in its availability to people. This is especially important to me and my family as my brother has a learning disability and we want him to have an equal opportunity for success in the future; however, I am afraid that due to his disability and difficult aspects of higher education, it will be limited. Senator Jim Jeffords believed, “We have a responsibility to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, from prekindergarten to elementary and secondary, to special education, to technical and higher education and beyond,” and I feel in order to do so, all aspects and varieties of higher education will need to be considered for those with disabilities.
(Samantha.)
Over the last twenty years, the percentage of disabled college freshmen has more than tripled (Freiden), making the situation of disabled students seeking higher education more common. Frieden, a chairperson of the National Council on Disability, continues his study, claiming, “students with disabilities are less likely than their peers without disabilities to complete a full secondary school academic curriculum.” These students will face more difficulties and several more factors need to be assessed, including learning accommodations, social life and comfort. With these challenges, students need to greatly weight the benefits and disadvantages of both virtual and traditional learning. Jennifer Williamson, a Distance Education.org columnist, believes online schooling is better than traditional education at providing easy accessibility, a flexible schedule, a wider array of tools, and the ability to conceal ones disability from their peers. However, she says virtual education lacks in-person support and structure and it does not lessen the workload or difficulty of obtaining a degree, creating uncertainty for both views on education (Williamson.) With these concerns and valuable assets on both sides of the argument, the question “will online or traditional college benefit and provide me with the most success,” becomes a complicated and crucial one for students with learning disabilities.
I. Traditional Education
In a 2014 study, college students weighed the benefits and disadvantages on attending classes in person against those of participating in an online course. Results showed that students benefited more from traditional classes when it came to difficult classes because of a “stronger student-instructor connection,” (Jaggars.) In a classic education setting, challenged students will receive greater help through disability centers and through meeting with a teacher or peer tutor, especially since a personal relationship is established. Individual time can be set aside so both teacher and student can focus on what can be done for the students and having such accommodations will increase the chances of the student fully understanding the material and receiving a manageable workload that will not hinder their success. This time and relationship can also provide comfort to the student because they know that their teacher is aware of their difficulties and that the student is trying their best. This can potentially eliminate any fear or shame of their disability or academic performance because a mutual understanding has been established. While seeking assistance will result in a more ideal outcome, some students are still hesitant to do so in a social setting, and will lead them searching for alternative methods of help and learning.
When deciding on higher education, impaired students may seriously consider online learning because they fear they will feel inadequate among their peers. This could be from previous social isolation, self-concept or academic competitiveness (Shupe), but this kind of thinking doesn’t account for possible friendships in the future, as well as further developing ones interests. Helen Okobokekeimei retells her experience as a college student with a Nonverbal Learning Disorder; how she feared other students and faculty would “ridicule, judge, and discriminate,” against her because of her impairment. This was not the case; after joining school clubs and participating in extracurricular activities, Helen found friends who “interacted with [her] on the level of common interest as opposed to treating [her] differently.” Unlike an isolated learning experience online, the social setting provided at a university gives students a chance for a sense of belonging, as well as another support system, as they begin to establish relationships.
Being able to establish relationships is not the only advantage students will walk away with. Strong personal qualities such as self advocacy and perseverance are developed and promote the students success at the university and in the future (“Rutgers…university.”) Attending a university gives the skills of speaking up for one self so they can receive the help they need. It also provides them with a stronger work ethic as they push themselves through their difficulties to be successful in their academic pursuit. These qualities continue to bring disabled students accomplishment in their future work, social and home lives, where the can continue to advocate for themselves, others or issues they believe in, and they can motivate themselves through any trying time. College is a time where young adults discover who they are and prepare themselves for adult life. A traditional university provides a stronger sense of this by providing opportunities to develop successful qualities and relationships in both a work and social setting.
In order to experience these benefits though, a student must first be accepted to the university. Colleges today are extremely competitive, making it difficult for any student, let alone one with disabilities, to get in. While laws such as The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 protect a student’s right to equal admission judgement, these students still have to meet the requirements for getting into the desired school, which already proves challenging for the average student. School work and test taking are more difficult for students with disabilities as seen in The Blind Side.
(Brianna.)
Michael Oher struggled with written tests and assignments but when asked to give his answers verbally, his success greatly increased. The School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts has created a “new admissions policy based on testing students for their creative and practical skills as well as their analytical skills,” which has lead to a greater diversity of the student body (DiMaria.) Unfortunately, most universities base admissions on GPA, essays, and SAT/ACT scores. Such requirements and measures do not give students like Michael Oher, who’s written grades idled his acceptance to a Division I school, NCAA program, and a greater chance for success, an equal chance of showing their academic potential. Universities need to allow their admissions department to consider or broaden their admission search with other forms of testing so that a student with learning disabilities can best demonstrate their capabilities since traditional testing might not always do so.
Another factor of traditional schooling that may prove to be detrimental to a student’s success is the expectation for in class participation. Student’s may feel their disability will lead their comments to be embarrassing, irrelevant or inept in a discussion compared to their peers. With these feelings students might just observe the conversation, avoiding important learning opportunities and negatively impacting their grades if participation is a class requirement. Some may argue that there are students who have no problem with participating, and although this can be true, classes can have students with dominating personalities that do not give other students the opportunity to speak. Students with disabilities need to take advantage of every helpful experience, and discussions will allow them to ask questions or further develop their thought on the material at hand, but if their chances are limited due to a social setting, it may be better for them to seek out a more private environment; one provided by the discussion boards of online classes, which would eliminate the face-to-face or verbal contact that would make these student uncomfortable.
II. Online Learning
Continuing education online is also a viable option for students with learning disabilities, as it eliminates potentially intimidating factors such as being in a more social setting or publicly advocating for their impairment. Online learning takes away personal confrontation about their disability and provides students with a more comfortable option. Lucy Barnard-Brak and Tracey Sulak from Baylor University asked disabled students whether they felt asking for accommodations in an online or personal setting, and results showed that students had a more positive attitude when it came to requesting online. Figures 1 and 2 show a variety of the students responses and attitudes towards accommodations in a particular learning setting, leaving Barnard-Brak and Sulak to conclude that when the visible component of this interaction was eliminated, the students’ comfort level was increased. Another alleviation that online schooling provides is its flexibility. Assignments can be completed at varying times of the day, reducing the stress inflicted on students due to exact completion times. Students can work on tasks at their own rate and around their person schedule without worrying about getting it done by the time class is in session. In order to be successful, students need to be at ease, and online learning allows students to be the most comfortable through its remote and flexible qualities.
Figure 1. This image shows the responses when students were asked about seeking accommodations in an online setting (Barnard-Brak and Sulak.)
Figure 2. This shows the responses of students when asked about seeking accommodations for traditional courses (Barnard-Brak and Sulak.)
However, online courses have proved to have their own issues, including that students may “perceive their disability to have a negative impact on their ability to succeed,” specifically in this learning setting (“Exploring the Pros….”) Student’s struggles could be from multiple problems that a more isolated learning experience provides. Social or professor-student relationships are eliminated, meaning less support or congratulations during their times of success. This could lead to self-esteem or a sense of accomplishment is not being as strong. It is common for students to have different learning techniques and abilities as well. “Online courses may be more effective for self-directed learners. They appear to work best for students who are mature, well organized, and have good time-management skills” (Roberts.) Online education may not be the best option for students who have disabilities similar to ADHD or ADD, where attention span is short and their focus is hard to manage. Most students will only be successful if they feel their work and effort is reflects as such, and online learning is not always effective.
Online learning alone is not good enough. In a study done by Jane Seale and others, technology was evaluated in they way it helped disabled students become “valued and function members of society.” They stated that technological accommodations are most successful when they are diverse, constructive and empowering to the students. Creating a purely online program that contains all of these crucial elements is nearly impossible, especially for disabled students, who are all at different states and situations. While accommodations for the student may be fulfilled, online courses are not detailed to each student and are made for a general consensus. For the best chance of success, these students need their own personal experience, whether it is socially or academically, that provide them with these aspects. Another option needs to be available for these students.
III. A Solution
(Milliron.)
I believe that traditional universities should integrate online resources, while maintaining face-to-face teaching and aid, in order to provide students with learning disabilities the best possible outcome. Universities could so in a variety of ways such as allowing students to access lectures online for review, having discussion boards for higher participation and as a source of help, or by posting other aids, useful websites, or application exercises. This solution focuses on the positive aspects of both types of learning, such as stronger student-instructor connection, a sense of social support, and an environment that develops strong personal qualities. These qualities would also help eliminate a majority of each settings’ negative aspects by providing alternatives for testing and participation and by minimizing the student’s perception of their disability through the help of peers and disability centers, which can provide support and a more tailored situation for the student. Brigham Young University and most other universities strive to “provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued,” for all of their students. In order to fulfill similar aspects of their mission statements for students of all capabilities, universities need to merge their traditional classes with online learning.
Mark Milliron, co-founder and chief learning officer of Civitas Learning, agrees that the two learning situations should be combined, and argues in his article that it would not only benefit students, but the universities as well. Since resources would be optimally utilized and learning experiences would be of greater value, students will be kept on track for graduation, academic momentum would be increased, and costs would be reduced (Milliron.) This would create a greater percentage of graduated students, allow a higher admission rate and increase the distinguished opinion of the university, not only for the disabled community, but for all of the potential student population. As higher education has become extremely competitive, universities should take advantage of every opportunity to positively impact their public image and prestige, and implementing this policy would certainly be a smart move as their institution becomes known as a safe haven for those with disabilities and further flourishes.
If universities combine their traditional schooling with online teachings, aids, and programs, they will be accommodating disabled students with the help they need and will be providing them with greater opportunities for success. As higher education has become essential for success in society today, we cannot leave only two options, online or traditional, for students with disorders that hinder their academic progress. Doing so would over look the best alternative and not provide them with the fair and equal opportunity for the education they deserve. Our nation constantly pushes for equality in all situations whether it is race, gender, or income related, so it should not stop at mental capability. If this option is made available to students like Michael Oher, Helen Okobokokemei, and my brother, success rates and happiness of the learning disabled population will go up and society as a whole may benefit because no one in the population will be limited in their education or chances of greater discoveries.
Works Cited
Barnard-Brak, Lucy, and Sulak, Tracey. “Online versus Face-to-Face Accommodations Among College Students with Disabilities.” American Journal of Distance Education, 24.2. Taylor and Francis, 13 May 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.
Brianna. Image. By the Way. Blogpspot, n.d.. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
DiMaria, Frank. “Rethinking the Admission Process.” Education Digest, 80.4. n.p., Dec. 2014. 55-58. Web. 20 March 2015.
Freiden, Lex. “People with Disabilities and Postsecondary Education –Position Paper.”ncd.gov. National Council on Disability, 15 Sept. 2003. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Jaggars, Shanna. “Choosing Between Online and Face-to-Face Courses: Community College Student Voices.” American Journal of Distance Education, 28.1. Taylor and Francis, 6 Mar. 2014. 27-38. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Milliron, Mark David. “Online Education vs. Traditional Learning: Time to End the Family Feud.” Academic Search Premier. Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.
N.a. “Exploring the Pros and Cons of Online, Hybrid, and Face-to-Face Class Formats.” Leading Change in Public Higher Education: A Provost Report Series on Trends and Issues Facing Higher Education (2013.) Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
N.a. “Jim Jeffords.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
N.a. “Rutgers Study: For College Students with Disabilities, Success Linked to Mentoring, Self-Advocacy, and Perserverance.” Rutgers.edu. Rutgers University, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Okobokekeimei, Helen. “The College Lifestyle Challenges for Students With Disabilities.” Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2015
Roberts, Jodi, et al. “Students with disabilities and online learning: a cross-institutional study of perceived satisfaction with accessibility compliance and services.” The Internet and Higher Education, 14.4. Elsevier Ltd, Sept. 2011. 242-250.Web. 4 Mar. 2015
Samantha. Image. “Journal Entries of a TIC (teacher in training).” Samantha’s World. Blogspot, 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Seale, Jane, et al. “Not the right kind of ‘digital capital’? An examination of the complex relationship between disabled students, their technologies and higher education institutions.” Computers and Education. Vol. 82. Elsevier Ltd., Mar. 2015. 118-128. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.
Shupe, Margery J., and Yager, Geof. “Self-Concept, Social Isolation, and Academic Achievement in College Students with and without Learning Disabilities.” Sam Houston State University.edu. n.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
Williamson, Jennifer. “Is Online Education Better for Students With Disabilities Than a Traditional Degree?” Distance Education. Distance Education, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 31 March 2015.
Rhetorical Prowess 