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POSITIVES Scale: Evaluating Technology Accessibility in Postsecondary Education

Learn about the innovative POSITIVES Scale developed by the Adaptech Research Network to assess how technology meets the needs of students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Findings, research background, methods, and current research focus areas are discussed.

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POSITIVES Scale: Evaluating Technology Accessibility in Postsecondary Education

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  1. The POSITIVES Scale:A Method for Assessing Technology Accessibility in Postsecondary Education Catherine Fichten, Ph.D., Jennison Asuncion, M.A.Mai Nguyen, B.Sc.Jillian Budd, D.E.C.Maria Barile, M.S.W.Anthony Tibbs, B.Comm. Adaptech Research Network, Dawson College - Montreal, McGill University, SMBD Jewish General Presentation at CSUN, March, 2010, San Diego

  2. Outline • About the Adaptech Research Network • Research behind the POSITIVES Scale • Presenting the POSITIVES Scale • Findings using the POSITIVES Scale • For more information

  3. Adaptech Research Network • Based at Dawson College in Montreal since 1996 • Federally and provincially funded • Bilingual, empirical research • Accessibility, availability, utility of ICTs by Canadian postsecondary students with various disabilities • Factors related to academic success of postsecondary students with disabilities • Maintain library of free/inexpensive software

  4. Adaptech Research Network Current Research • Social media use and accessibility by college and university students with disabilities in Canada • Postsecondary education experience of persons with disabilities in Canada • ICTs useful to students with learning disabilities (in primarily French-speaking Quebec)

  5. POSITIVES Study Background • Goals • Develop a questionnaire to evaluate how well ICT related needs of students with disabilities are being met at colleges and universities • POSITIVES Scale • Postsecondary Information Technology Initiative Scale • Find out about specialized ICTs students use • Explore how well ICT related needs of students with different disabilities are being met • At school, at home, in e-learning contexts • Funding: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

  6. POSITIVES Study Method • Recruitment: spring 2007 • E-mail discussion lists, project partners, our database of previous participants • Convenience sample • n = 1354 university and junior/community college students with disabilities from all Canadian provinces • Online questionnaire, including POSITIVES Scale • Pilot-tested and test-retested

  7. POSITIVES Study: Sample Demographics • 456 males, 894 females, 4 did not specify • Mean age 28, 72% university, 27% college • Self-identification: 1/3 reported 2 or more disabilities • Learning disability / ADD / ADHD 45% • Psychological / psychiatric disability 32% • Medically related / health problem 19% • Mobility impairment 13% • Limitation in the use of hands / arms 13% • Low vision 9% • Neurological impairment 8% • Hard of hearing 7% • Speech / communication impairment 3% • Totally blind 2% • Deaf 1% • PDD 1%

  8. POSITIVES Study: Specialized Technology Used • Rank order • Software that improves writing quality 65% • Software that reads what is on the screen 23% • Scanning and optical character recognition 17% • Dictation software 16% • Software that enlarges what is on the screen 15% • Large screen monitor 11% • Alternative mouse 8% • Adapted keyboard 3% • Refreshable Braille display 2% • Breakdown of technologies used by students in the 11 disability categories available on request

  9. POSITIVES Scale: Postsecondary Information Technology Initiative Scale • Purpose • Give students with disabilities a voice • Give postsecondary personnel a tool • Give decision-makers data to guide policy & practice • Can be completed online, Word file, on paper • 6-point scale: 1=strongly disagree, 6=strongly agree, and not applicable • 3 Subscales

  10. POSITIVES Scale: Subscale 1 • Subscale 1- ICTs at school meet student's needs • 12 items including • There is at least one person on staff at my school who has expertise in adaptive hardware and software • The physical access to computer technologies at my school meets my needs • When I approach staff at my institution with problems related to the accessibility of computer technologies on campus they act quickly to resolve any issues

  11. POSITIVES Scale: Subscale 2 • Subscale 2 - ICTs at home meet student's needs • 5 items including • My personal computer technologies are sufficiently up-to-date to meet my needs • Training available off campus on how to use computer technologies meets my needs

  12. POSITIVES Scale: Subscale 3 • Subscale 3 - E-learning ICTs meet student's needs • 9 items including • The availability of electronic format course materials meets my needs • When professors use e-learning, it is accessible to me • Distance education courses offered by my institution are accessible to me

  13. POSITIVES Scale: Scoring & Properties • Developed to be easy to score • Subscales: average single item scores for each subscale • Total: average all single item scores • 4 week test-retest reliability • Subscales = .73 to .79, Total score = .81 • Internal consistency: Cronbach's alpha • Subscales = .79 to .91, Total score= .94 • Validity • Logically related to criterion items • Items and norms available in handout

  14. POSITIVES Study: Findings • Students say these work very well • School’s web pages are accessible • School’s interactive online services are accessible • How to use needed computer technologies • Availability of electronic format course materials • Accessibility of the library's computer systems • Staff at school with adaptive technology expertise

  15. POSITIVES Study: Findings • Students have concerns about • Availability of computers with adaptive software/hardware in specialized laboratories • Institutional ICT loan programs • Funding for ICTs for personal use • Training, both on and off campus • Technical support off campus

  16. More Information • Adaptech Research Network: www.adaptech.org • Email • Catherine Fichten: catherine.fichten@mcgill.ca • Jennison Asuncion: asuncion@alcor.concordia.ca

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