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Welcome to Boot Camp

Additional Information for Administrators

Students with Disabilities in Online Education - Traditional Institutions, Nontraditional Classrooms

"Toto - I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

While Dorothy was referring to her first glimpse at the magical world of Oz, the statement could be just as applicable to our initial forays into the virtual world of online education. We know that the broad availability of new technology opens up a wealth of opportunities, but with it come challenges. We cannot mount a course for online presentation by simply using the same lectures, the same assignments, and the same teaching techniques used in the traditional classroom. It's not that easy. And we cannot provide equal access and support to students with disabilities who take those online courses in the same way that we have traditionally responded. IT'S NOT THAT EASY!

Institutional personnel charged with serving students with disabilities in online classes have already figured that out. The problem is that many institutions offering online classes have NOT figured it out. Many traditional institutions of higher education who are making significant commitments to newly-constituted online programs do not understand why their existing disability services unit cannot absorb the need for serving students with disabilities using established policies and procedures. But the need is significant, the legal mandates are clear... and the information is scarce!

For those intrepid souls who have taken on the responsibility of meeting the needs of students with disabilities, and those administrators who are trying to figure out where to assign that responsibility! -- we have put together an intensive orientation to your responsibilities that we think you will find to be just what you need!

You are invited to join Jane Jarrow and her colleagues from Disability Compliance in Career and Online Learning for a rigorous three-week, online training seminar to help you identify your role, and organize the provision of accommodations to students with disabilities in online programs/classes. Whether focusing on newly emerging online-only degree offerings, or simply dealing with the increased availability of online classes as an option for students, personnel from traditional institutions of higher education can explore how best to continue the quality support they have been providing in the typical classroom to students with disabilities in the virtual classroom (see training agenda below).

Experience suggests that neither the disability service providers (who collect and review the documentation and determine the impact of the disability) nor the instructional design/technology staff (who understand both the content/curriculum and the delivery system for online courses) can fully address the needs of students with disabilities in online classes independently. Each side needs to understand both the concerns and the limitations of the other. Therefore, registration for this session MUST include a team of at least two individuals, one from the assigned disability services unit and one from your distance learning component. As many additional staff members from your institution as you choose may also participate. Over the course of three weeks, the emphasis will be on developing a philosophy and a plan of action that is appropriate to your own institution. Lessons will be posted on the first day of the week, with indications given as to which portion of the lesson will be followed by a discussion thread each day; the assignments are to be completed by the teams regarding their internal (institutional) circumstances and will be discussed with the instructor during a phone call on Wednesday of the week of the assignment.  On Friday of each week, a synchronous 1-hour open session will be available for all participants to join for a more face-to-face (screen-to-screen?) exchange.

Training Agenda

Lesson 1

(Posted February 16/17)

(1) Welcome to the Virtual World of Online Learning and Accommodations

(2) Legally speaking - What Are Our Responsibilities, and Why?

(3) Technology - Helping With the Solution or Part of the Problem?

(4) Risk Assessment/Defining Responsibilities – ASSIGNMENT 1

 

Lesson 2

(Posted February 23)

(1) Framing Your Service Delivery System: Policies/Procedures/Accommodations

 

 (2) What kind of accommodations might we need to arrange - and how do we do it?

(3) Putting the organizational chart into operation – ASSIGNMENT 2

 

Lesson 3

(Posted March 2)

(1) Forging New Alliances on Campus

(2) Group think - problem solving and discussion of case studies

(3) Developing an Action Plan – ASSIGNMENT #3