Myths and Realities of Virtual Education for
Description: Myths and Realities of Virtual Education for Students with Disabilities Mary Rice, PhD Assistant Professor of Literacy University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Raymond Rose, MEd Independent Consultant, Corpus Christi, TX Mary Rices
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slide1. Myths and Realities of Virtual Education for Students with Disabilities Mary Rice, PhD
Assistant Professor of Literacy
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Raymond Rose, MEd
Independent Consultant,
Corpus Christi, TX<br>
slide2. Mary Rice’s Relevant Experiences University of New Mexico (Assistant Professor of Literacy)
University of Kansas (graduate student; post-doctoral Researcher)
Center for Assistive Technology (CAST) (research partner)
National Association of Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) (research partner)
Michigan Virtual Learning Institute (MVLRI)(research fellow)
Online Learning Consortium (OLC)(emerging scholar; journal editor)
Quality Matters (QM) (research evaluation consultant; standards consultant)
Virtual Learning Alliance (standards consultant)<br>
slide3. Mary Rice’s Major Projects 100+ publications
60+ research articles and book chapters
30+ industry papers and grant funding reports
4 books
150,000+ reads
1000s of citations 2013–2015 Online Instructional Materials Evaluation Project
Evaluated 3000 items of curriculum from 3 vendors and 1 teacher group 2016–2018 Online Educators of Students with Disabilities in Virtual Schools
Worked with online teachers and administrators in 22 states 2018–2021 Parents of Students with Disabilities’ Roles and Responsibilities
Worked with parents in 17 states (children had a variety of disabilities (ASD, MI, OHI, LD, ED/BD, ID) 2020-Present Digital Learning Communities (parents, teachers, students)
Working in 3 virtual school communities where students with disabilities are successful to identify and scale supports<br>
slide4. Raymond Rose’s Relevant Experience Civil Rights Specialist/Associate Director: Northeast Desegregation Assistance Center
Director: NSF online teacher development project
Assistant Project Director: Virtual High School
Director: Online Teacher Development Project
Assistant Professor: Instructional Technology (coordinator IT, distance ed.)
Advisor: Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
TxDLA Design and Delivery Team: Digital Accessibility Course<br>
slide5. Raymond Rose’s Relevant Publications Access and Equity in Online Classes and Virtual Schools 2007
Access and Equity for All Learners in Blended and Online Education 2014<br>
slide6. Myth #1 Parents of children with disabilities do not desire online learning opportunities for their children<br>
slide7. Reality Many parents of children with disabilities prefer online learning environments<br>
slide8. Evidence Parent choice is the number 1 impetus for students with disabilities coming into virtual charter schools
Families who leave a virtual charter school often switch for another virtual charter school rather than returning to in-person learning
Parents of all education/income levels who choose online education for their children with disabilities have reported positive outcomes including (1) greater satisfaction with educational quality (2) increased family time and quality of relationships and (3) greater ability to manage impacts of the disability
Families enjoy online learning environments when they have access to supports and when they have information about how to share roles and responsibilities for learning with the school.<br>
slide9. Myth #2 Teachers and students with disabilities are doomed to low-quality interactions with students with disabilities in online learning environments<br>
slide10. Reality Many teachers have reported that they know more about students and have stronger relationships with them<br>
slide11. Evidence Teachers have reported increased requirements for direct contact with students (e.g., contact logs, data collection)
Some schools have special teams of teachers where students with disabilities are included in classes and have been assigned to the same teachers for core subjects
Students with some types of disabilities find it easier to participate online and therefore, they provide more information about themselves and their learning
Teachers who understand the tools they have and how to use them can have beneficial educational interactions with students with disabilities.<br>
slide12. Myth #3 Online schooling is inherently socially isolating<br>
slide13. Reality Online learning environments can provide meaningful opportunities for formal and informal socialization<br>
slide14. Evidence New and emerging online learning tools allow for real time socialization through avatars (e.g., conversations, group work, virtual field trips)
Teachers have reported using such tools and programs to support students in viewing, commenting on, and supporting each others’ work (flip grid)
Teachers have also reported informal opportunities to socialize before and after class or using structured opportunities through the school (e.g., chess, minecraft)
Students have varying interest in extensive socialization; quality seems to be more important than quantity
Social opportunities in online learning are currently available and viable with some advance planning from teachers or school leaders.<br>
slide15. Myth #4 Accessibility is Difficult or Cumbersome to Achieve in Online Learning Environments<br>
slide16. Reality Accessible Online Learning is Becoming Easier and Cheaper Over Time<br>
slide17. Evidence Microsoft Office® and Google® Products now have built-in features for captioning. They also remind creators about ALT text and suggest text that creators can revise.
Drag/Drop is rapidly becoming the industry standard within Learning Management Systems and other products and applications (e.g., Canvas®).
Users can adjust image sizes, font sizes, font types, and colors in more products than ever before.
Accessibility features such as allowing multiple document types are relatively easy to program and are becoming more common.
Professional organizations are offering free or inexpensive support for accessible instruction and design (e.g., DLAC)
Leveraging accessibility features is a matter of knowing that the features are there, understanding that learners will benefit, and then prompting their use (e.g., course tour).<br>
slide18. Evolution of Accessibility Rights 1973 Rehabilitation Act 1973
Section 504A 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act 1998 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Amended
Section 508 2008 WCAG 2.0 2010 OCR’s Dear Colleague Letter 2017 Section 508 Refresh<br>
slide19. “Those with a disability are able to acquire the same information and engage in the same interactions — and within the same time frame — as those without disabilities.”
OCR Compliance Review 11-11-2128, 06121583,
paraphrased from 11-13-5001, 10122118, 11-11-6002 Accessibility: OCR’s Operational Definition<br>
slide20. EIR Accessibility Coordinator Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education are required to provide access to electronic and information resources (EIR) for state employees and members of the public with or without disabilities. State agencies and higher education institutions are responsible for designating an EIR Accessibility Coordinator for the agency or institution
https://dir.texas.gov/electronic-information-resources-eir-accessibility/eir-accessibility-roles-responsibilities<br>
slide22. Dept. of Justice Guidance for Websites (March 2022) and Common OCR Findings Improper contrast between background and foreground colors
Using color for navigation directions
Lack of alternative text on all images
Documents not posted in accessible formats
Lack of captions on all videos
Inaccessible online forms 22<br>
slide23. What is Universal Design for Learning? Applies the general concept of Universal Design to learning environments. Sometimes organizations with use Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) rather than Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Definition of Universal Design for Learning
A framework of guidelines that integrates accessibility into the creation of learning materials (for digital or face-to-face environments), so that all students have equal opportunity to achieve the learning objectives and goals, thereby being able to demonstrate the desired learning outcomes.<br>
slide24. National Standard for Quality Online Courses STANDARD E: ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY The course design reflects a commitment to accessibility so that all learners can access all content and activities and to usability so that all learners can easily navigate and interact with all course components.
Online course materials, activities, and assessments are designed to ensure that all learners have access to the same information and are able to engage in the same interactions and within the same time frame.
The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, addresses Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by following (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
This does not guarantee or imply that particular country/federal/state/local accessibility regulations are met.<br>
slide25. Resources Connecting Accessibility, Third-party Curriculum And Student Success
School districts must carefully vet digital resources to ensure IDEA compliance, two learning accessibility advocates write.
By Mary Rice and Raymond Rose
How To Encourage Digital Accessibility
Access and Accessibility in Online Learning
Overview of legal issues and definitions. From OLC Outlook: An environmental scan of the digital learning landscape
By Katherine McAlvage and Mary Rice<br>
slide26. Contact Information Mary Rice
maryrice@unm.edu
https://unm.academia.edu/MaryRice
801.850.3065 Raymond Rose
ray@rose-smith.com
rrose@txdla.org
512.791.3100<br>
Assistant Professor of Literacy
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Raymond Rose, MEd
Independent Consultant,
Corpus Christi, TX<br>
slide2. Mary Rice’s Relevant Experiences University of New Mexico (Assistant Professor of Literacy)
University of Kansas (graduate student; post-doctoral Researcher)
Center for Assistive Technology (CAST) (research partner)
National Association of Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) (research partner)
Michigan Virtual Learning Institute (MVLRI)(research fellow)
Online Learning Consortium (OLC)(emerging scholar; journal editor)
Quality Matters (QM) (research evaluation consultant; standards consultant)
Virtual Learning Alliance (standards consultant)<br>
slide3. Mary Rice’s Major Projects 100+ publications
60+ research articles and book chapters
30+ industry papers and grant funding reports
4 books
150,000+ reads
1000s of citations 2013–2015 Online Instructional Materials Evaluation Project
Evaluated 3000 items of curriculum from 3 vendors and 1 teacher group 2016–2018 Online Educators of Students with Disabilities in Virtual Schools
Worked with online teachers and administrators in 22 states 2018–2021 Parents of Students with Disabilities’ Roles and Responsibilities
Worked with parents in 17 states (children had a variety of disabilities (ASD, MI, OHI, LD, ED/BD, ID) 2020-Present Digital Learning Communities (parents, teachers, students)
Working in 3 virtual school communities where students with disabilities are successful to identify and scale supports<br>
slide4. Raymond Rose’s Relevant Experience Civil Rights Specialist/Associate Director: Northeast Desegregation Assistance Center
Director: NSF online teacher development project
Assistant Project Director: Virtual High School
Director: Online Teacher Development Project
Assistant Professor: Instructional Technology (coordinator IT, distance ed.)
Advisor: Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
TxDLA Design and Delivery Team: Digital Accessibility Course<br>
slide5. Raymond Rose’s Relevant Publications Access and Equity in Online Classes and Virtual Schools 2007
Access and Equity for All Learners in Blended and Online Education 2014<br>
slide6. Myth #1 Parents of children with disabilities do not desire online learning opportunities for their children<br>
slide7. Reality Many parents of children with disabilities prefer online learning environments<br>
slide8. Evidence Parent choice is the number 1 impetus for students with disabilities coming into virtual charter schools
Families who leave a virtual charter school often switch for another virtual charter school rather than returning to in-person learning
Parents of all education/income levels who choose online education for their children with disabilities have reported positive outcomes including (1) greater satisfaction with educational quality (2) increased family time and quality of relationships and (3) greater ability to manage impacts of the disability
Families enjoy online learning environments when they have access to supports and when they have information about how to share roles and responsibilities for learning with the school.<br>
slide9. Myth #2 Teachers and students with disabilities are doomed to low-quality interactions with students with disabilities in online learning environments<br>
slide10. Reality Many teachers have reported that they know more about students and have stronger relationships with them<br>
slide11. Evidence Teachers have reported increased requirements for direct contact with students (e.g., contact logs, data collection)
Some schools have special teams of teachers where students with disabilities are included in classes and have been assigned to the same teachers for core subjects
Students with some types of disabilities find it easier to participate online and therefore, they provide more information about themselves and their learning
Teachers who understand the tools they have and how to use them can have beneficial educational interactions with students with disabilities.<br>
slide12. Myth #3 Online schooling is inherently socially isolating<br>
slide13. Reality Online learning environments can provide meaningful opportunities for formal and informal socialization<br>
slide14. Evidence New and emerging online learning tools allow for real time socialization through avatars (e.g., conversations, group work, virtual field trips)
Teachers have reported using such tools and programs to support students in viewing, commenting on, and supporting each others’ work (flip grid)
Teachers have also reported informal opportunities to socialize before and after class or using structured opportunities through the school (e.g., chess, minecraft)
Students have varying interest in extensive socialization; quality seems to be more important than quantity
Social opportunities in online learning are currently available and viable with some advance planning from teachers or school leaders.<br>
slide15. Myth #4 Accessibility is Difficult or Cumbersome to Achieve in Online Learning Environments<br>
slide16. Reality Accessible Online Learning is Becoming Easier and Cheaper Over Time<br>
slide17. Evidence Microsoft Office® and Google® Products now have built-in features for captioning. They also remind creators about ALT text and suggest text that creators can revise.
Drag/Drop is rapidly becoming the industry standard within Learning Management Systems and other products and applications (e.g., Canvas®).
Users can adjust image sizes, font sizes, font types, and colors in more products than ever before.
Accessibility features such as allowing multiple document types are relatively easy to program and are becoming more common.
Professional organizations are offering free or inexpensive support for accessible instruction and design (e.g., DLAC)
Leveraging accessibility features is a matter of knowing that the features are there, understanding that learners will benefit, and then prompting their use (e.g., course tour).<br>
slide18. Evolution of Accessibility Rights 1973 Rehabilitation Act 1973
Section 504A 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act 1998 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Amended
Section 508 2008 WCAG 2.0 2010 OCR’s Dear Colleague Letter 2017 Section 508 Refresh<br>
slide19. “Those with a disability are able to acquire the same information and engage in the same interactions — and within the same time frame — as those without disabilities.”
OCR Compliance Review 11-11-2128, 06121583,
paraphrased from 11-13-5001, 10122118, 11-11-6002 Accessibility: OCR’s Operational Definition<br>
slide20. EIR Accessibility Coordinator Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education are required to provide access to electronic and information resources (EIR) for state employees and members of the public with or without disabilities. State agencies and higher education institutions are responsible for designating an EIR Accessibility Coordinator for the agency or institution
https://dir.texas.gov/electronic-information-resources-eir-accessibility/eir-accessibility-roles-responsibilities<br>
slide22. Dept. of Justice Guidance for Websites (March 2022) and Common OCR Findings Improper contrast between background and foreground colors
Using color for navigation directions
Lack of alternative text on all images
Documents not posted in accessible formats
Lack of captions on all videos
Inaccessible online forms 22<br>
slide23. What is Universal Design for Learning? Applies the general concept of Universal Design to learning environments. Sometimes organizations with use Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) rather than Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Definition of Universal Design for Learning
A framework of guidelines that integrates accessibility into the creation of learning materials (for digital or face-to-face environments), so that all students have equal opportunity to achieve the learning objectives and goals, thereby being able to demonstrate the desired learning outcomes.<br>
slide24. National Standard for Quality Online Courses STANDARD E: ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY The course design reflects a commitment to accessibility so that all learners can access all content and activities and to usability so that all learners can easily navigate and interact with all course components.
Online course materials, activities, and assessments are designed to ensure that all learners have access to the same information and are able to engage in the same interactions and within the same time frame.
The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, addresses Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by following (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
This does not guarantee or imply that particular country/federal/state/local accessibility regulations are met.<br>
slide25. Resources Connecting Accessibility, Third-party Curriculum And Student Success
School districts must carefully vet digital resources to ensure IDEA compliance, two learning accessibility advocates write.
By Mary Rice and Raymond Rose
How To Encourage Digital Accessibility
Access and Accessibility in Online Learning
Overview of legal issues and definitions. From OLC Outlook: An environmental scan of the digital learning landscape
By Katherine McAlvage and Mary Rice<br>
slide26. Contact Information Mary Rice
maryrice@unm.edu
https://unm.academia.edu/MaryRice
801.850.3065 Raymond Rose
ray@rose-smith.com
rrose@txdla.org
512.791.3100<br>