"Virtual learning environments: Enhancing the learning experience for students with disabilities "

Assignment 1.3
(Blog-Post):
(Gordon Powell)



Study Title:
"Virtual learning environments: Enhancing the learning experience for
students with disabilities "

Author/Date: Catherine Gerrard (2007)

Research Design:
This study is essentially a case study, based on interviews with a focus group of students with disabilities.

Type of Research: Qualitative

Problem:
Some of the features of typical “face-to-face” teaching environments do not meet the needs of some students living with a disability.

Purpose:
This study’s purpose is to investigate the impact of virtual learning environments (specifically, “Blackboard”, the environment being used by the University of Paisley, Scotland), on the learning experience of a specific group of students, with the goal of identifying “good e-learning practice to enhance the quality of the learning experience for students with disabilities”.

Questions:
The study looked at three areas of possible benefits or enhancements:
a) pedagogical, b) practical and c) strategic.

• A) Pedagogical: Does the use of a VLE enhance the quality of the students’ face-to-face learning experiences?
• B) Practical: Does uniformity and simplicity of presentation in the VLE context provide ease of navigation and access for students with disabilities?
• C) Strategic: How important is the concept of an “extended community” for these students? (i.e. one that would provide “recreational, academic and pastoral services and groups” in one central interface or umbrella?)

Hypothesis:
When the university adopted the use of Blackboard in 2002, there was an assumption that this VLE would address many of the issues students with disabilities were having as they accessed the curriculum. This study proceeds from the point of view that the VLE will be a benefit to these students and therefore all students with disabilities.


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References:
Gerrard, C. (2007). Virtual learning environments: Enhancing the learning experience for students with disabilities. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 24(3), 199-206.