Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Accessibility in Online Courses: Understanding the Deaf Learner

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
TechTrends Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Online education is more popular and widespread than ever before, serving millions of students each year. These online course offerings have great potential to reach new and diverse populations of students who might otherwise not have access to those learning opportunities. At the same time, inherent barriers exist in an online delivery format that can disadvantage some groups of students, in particular deaf students. Typical accessibility efforts often fail to consider different layers of access that a student must navigate in order to fully access course content. This article proposes a model which describes the three barriers deaf students might encounter in an online learning situation: learning management system (LMS) barriers, course content and materials barriers and communication barriers. Recommendations and considerations are provided to better serve this unique population of students across all layers and points of access.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  • Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the United States. Babson survey research group. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-report-card-tracking-online-education-united-states-2015/. Retrieved March 28, 2018.

  • Biser, E. (2003). Theories and models of human development: Their implications for the education of deaf adolescents. In D. S. Martin (Ed.), Cognition, education, and deafness: Directions for research and instruction (pp. 84–87). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradbard, D. A., Peters, C., & Caneva, Y. (2010). Web accessibility policies at land-grant universities [electronic version]. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 258–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brueggemann, B. J. (2004). Literacy and deaf people: Cultural and contextual perspectives. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyner, S. C., & McCann, P. L. (2004). Advantages and challenges of teaching in an electronic environment: The accommodate model [electronic version]. International Journal of Instructional Media, 31(3), 223–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmonds, C. D. (2004). Providing access to students with disabilities in online distance education: Legal and technical concerns for higher education [electronic version]. American Journal of Distance Education, 18(1), 51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fajardo, I., Cañas, J. J., Salmerón, L., & Abascal, J. (2006). Improving deaf users' accessibility in hypertext information retrieval: Are graphical interfaces useful for them? [electronic version]. Behaviour & Information Technology, 25(6), 455–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, V. L., & Richards, J. T. (2013). Progress on website accessibility? [electronic version]. ACM Transactions on the Web (TWEB), 7(1), 1–30.

  • Hertzog, M., Stinson, M. S., & Keiffer, R. (1989). Effects of caption modification and instructor intervention on comprehension of a technical film [electronic version]. Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(2), 59–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell, J. J., & Luckner, J. L. (2003). Helping one deaf student develop content literacy skills: An action research report [electronic version]. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 25(1), 23–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, A., Kumar, P., Palvia, S. C. J., & Verma, S. (2017). Online education worldwide: Current status and emerging trends [electronic version]. Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research, 19(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228053.2017.1294867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, H. G., & Steely, D. (2003). Web-based science instruction for deaf students: What research says to the teacher [electronic version]. Instructional Science, 31(4–5), 277–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaSasso, C. J. (2000). Critical literacy issues in deaf education in the United States [electronic version]. Proceedings from the 1998 Action Communication Formation Pour La Surdite (ACFOS) International Conference.

  • Li, C., & Irby, B. (2008). An overview of online education: Attractiveness, benefits, challenges, concerns and recommendations [electronic version]. College Student Journal, 42(2), 449–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, G., Vignare, K., Rappold, R. P., & Mallory, J. R. (2007). Access to communication for deaf, hard-of-hearing and ESL students in blended learning courses [electronic version]. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 8(3), 1–30.

  • Luckner, J. L., & Handley, C. M. (2008). A summary of the reading comprehension research undertaken with students who are deaf or hard of hearing [electronic version]. American Annals of the Deaf, 153(1), 6–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luckner, J. L., Sebald, A. M., Cooney, J., Young, J., & Muir, S. G. (2005). An examination of the evidence-based literacy research in deaf education [electronic version]. American Annals of the Deaf, 150(5), 443–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mike, D., & Harrington, M. (2013). Retrofitting an online graduate course for ADA compliance: The case for Universal Design for Learning [electronic version]. In R. McBride & M. Searson (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2013 (pp. 789–794). Chesapeake: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, L., Iglesias, A., Calvo, R., Delgado, S., & Zaragoza, L. (2012). Disability standards and guidelines for learning management systems: Evaluating accessibility. In R. Babo & A. Azevedo (Eds.), Higher education institutions and learning management systems: Adoption and standardization (pp. 199–218). Hershey: IGI Global.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Newport, E. L. (1990). Maturational constraints on language learning [electronic version]. Cognitive Science, 14(1), 11–28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1401_2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qi, S., & Mitchell, R. E. (2011). Large-scale academic achievement testing of deaf and hard-of-hearing students: Past, present, and future [electronic version]. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 17(1), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J. B., Crittenden, L. A., & Crittenden, J. C. (2011). Students with disabilities and online learning: A cross-institutional study of perceived satisfaction with accessibility compliance and services [electronic version]. The Internet and Higher Education, 14(4), 242–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seale, J. (2013). E-learning and disability in higher education: Accessibility research and practice. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sligar, S. R., & Zeng, X. (2008). Evaluation of website accessibility of state vocational rehabilitation agencies [electronic version]. Journal of Rehabilitation, 74(1), 12–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slike, S. B., Berman, P. D., Kline, T., Rebilas, K., & Bosch, E. (2008). Providing online course opportunities for learners who are deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing [electronic version]. American Annals of the Deaf, 153(3), 304–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wattenberg, T. (2004). Beyond legal compliance: Communities of advocacy that support accessible online learning [electronic version]. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 123–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon, J., & Kim, M. (2011). The effects of captions on deaf students' content comprehension, cognitive load, and motivation in online learning [electronic version]. American Annals of the Deaf, 156(3), 283–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Caitlin McKeown

  2. North Carolina State University, Poe Hall 402D, Box 7801, NCSU Campus, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Julia McKeown

Authors
  1. Caitlin McKeown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Julia McKeown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caitlin McKeown.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Caitlin McKeown declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Julia McKeown declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

McKeown, C., McKeown, J. Accessibility in Online Courses: Understanding the Deaf Learner. TechTrends 63, 506–513 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00385-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00385-3

Keywords