Disabilities and e-Learning Problems and Solutions: An Exploratory Study
Catherine S. Fichten
Psychology Department and Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // catherine.fichten@mcgill.ca
Vittoria Ferraro
Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // vferraro@dawsoncollege.qc.ca
Jennison V. Asuncion
Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // asuncion@alcor.concordia.ca
Caroline Chwojka
Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // caroline_chwojka@hotmail.com
Maria Barile
Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // mbarile@dawsoncollege.qc.ca
Mai N. Nguyen
Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College, Montreal, Canada // blitzball_game@hotmail.com
Ryan Klomp
299 Somerset St. W. # 308 Ottawa, Canada // ryanklomp@rogers.com
Joan Wolforth
Office for Students with Disabilities, McGill University, Montreal, Canada // joan.wolforth@staff.mcgill.ca
ABSTRACT: This study explored e-learning problems and solutions reported by 223 students with disabilities, 58 campus disability service providers, 28 professors, and 33 e-learning professionals from Canadian colleges and universities. All four groups indicated, via online questionnaires, problems with: accessibility of websites and course/learning management systems (CMS); accessibility of digital audio and video; inflexible time limits built into online exams; PowerPoint/data projection during lectures; course materials in PDF, and lack of needed adaptive technologies. Students also mentioned technical difficulties using e-learning and connecting to websites and CMS, problems downloading and opening files, web pages that would not load, video clips taking too long to download, poor use of e-learning by professors and their own lack of knowledge working with e-learning. Disability service providers, too, mentioned the poor use of e-learning by professors as well as poor accessibility of course notes and materials in many formats. E-learning professionals noted difficulties with inaccessible course notes and materials. Professors identified mainly problems raised by the other groups. Sixty-seven percent of students, 53% of service providers, 36% of e-learning professionals and 35% of professors indicated that at least one of their three e-learning problems remained unresolved. We discuss how the different roles and perspectives of the four participant groups influence their views, and make recommendations addressing identified common e-learning problems.
Keywords: Disability, College students, Professors, E-learning, Accessibility, Problems and solutions
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