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The POSITIVES Scale: A Method for Assessing Technology Accessibility in Postsecondary Education

The POSITIVES Scale: A Method for Assessing Technology Accessibility in Postsecondary Education. Catherine Fichten, Ph.D., J ennison Asuncion, M.A. Mai Nguyen, B.Sc. Jillian Budd, D.E.C. Maria Barile, M.S.W. Anthony Tibbs, B.Comm.

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The POSITIVES Scale: A Method for Assessing 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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