BUILDING AN ONLINE COMMUNITY AT ARTS AND SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED (BOCASD)
by Lulu Yu, Drama Instructor/Administrator- ART Centre/ASD
EMERGENCE OF ONLINE CLASSES FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS
In September 2006, I approached the CEO of our company with an idea to expand program services for our developmentally disabled clients, or, students, as we prefer to call them. I walked into the CEO’s office and in my hand held the mini flash drive that contained the CTR (Conception to Realization) proposal that could be and may be the gateway key to opening more opportunities and possibilities for our students.
The CTR proposal, in the format of a presentation slideshow, was essentially a plan to develop and deliver online courses for our on-campus and ‘at a distance’ students. The proposal discussed the important factors that would contribute to a successful online theatre history course offered through ASD’s ART Centre, one of the company’s four facility campuses that service this population. It included considerations for planning and development of the online courses, creating an implementation committee, and essential best practices for online teaching and learning for this type of environment (Yu, 2006).
The time it took to pitch my idea was literally minutes. I walked into the office of the founder and CEO of ASD and was greeted by a warm smile. The open door policy as stipulated in the company handbook was in effect. As a person who doesn’t waste time often, I quickly directed my purpose for being there. As I finished the delivery of my proposal up popped the USB key between my fingers, as I handed it to the CEO. The proposal was in receipt. All I could do now was to wait for a reply.
It didn’t take hours, or days. In fact, it took about two weeks before the CEO summoned me to her office. (Silly me, as if she didn’t have better things to take care of first?) The meeting with the CEO was so short that I didn’t even have a chance to sit down. The answer came strong and fast. It was an emphatic YES! Thus, a plan for an online course appropriated for developmentally disabled adults was born. And at the helm of this OTL project was me: course developer, content designer, and online instructor.
ORGANIZATION’S IMPACT ON PLANNING FOR THE NEW ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Arts and Services for the Disabled (website: http://www.artsandservices.org) falls under the category of a non-vocational day center, which traditionally offers programs and classes in life skills, centre-based activities, and external activities (Wikipedia, 2007). Located in Long Beach, California, ASD is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to providing creative art therapies and vocational opportunities to developmentally disabled individuals (ASD, 2006). ART Centre is one of four subsidiary facilities of ASD and is located in the next space over. ART Centre’s programs consist of therapeutic art, music, drama, crafts, and other vocational opportunities.
Prior to the planning, development, and even design stages of the course, many precautionary measures had to be considered. The foremost paramount measure is adherence to the company’s mission statement, which is revered as the foundation of this organization:
We believe…
…in the right of all individuals, regardless of their mental or physical capacity, to be surrounded by a loving, positively encouraging support system;
…that all individuals, regardless of their functional abilities, should be encouraged to explore all avenues to cultivate their personal goals and increase their self esteem;
…in the right of all individuals to practice their cultural and artistic heritage through education and training;
…all individuals should have the opportunity to be employed in a vocation of their choice with dignity and respect;
…that an informed and involved community must play a vital role in achieving a better quality of life for individuals everywhere;
…in love before learning.
(ASD, 2006)
When the classes are delivered on-ground, the above statement is reflected in each of the courses’ descriptions, goals, and objectives as well as the daily lessons, communication, and interaction amongst the staff and students that make up this close knit environment. These necessary ideals must also be implemented when planning the new online learning environment. In addition, factors that cater to this type of population must especially be considered:
- Love before learning
- Life-long learning
- Career opportunities
- Community integration
- Quality of Life
As demonstrated by the mission statement and the special concerns pertaining to this population, the most obvious concern for the course designer would be to construct an online community that, at the very least, parallels the supportive community in which the developmentally disabled adults are already engaged. In the educational and curriculum setting, the online community should create feelings of cohesion within the group (Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2003). Flexibility also plays a huge factor in the online community. Maloney-Krichmar and Preece (2003) found this in their study about an online community for individuals with knee injuries and treatment issues: “Convenience and flexibility of access to the communityÂ… is another feature that contributes to the success of the community” (p. 5).
Another big factor in the building of an online community at ASD would be providing support to the students, also known as “on demand help” (Twigg, 2003). Twigg’s article (2003) states that, “Â…an expanded support system enabled students to receive assistance from a variety of different people” and that “Â…helping students feel that they are a part of a learning community is critical to persistence, learning, and satisfaction” (p. 30). Students taking the online course, whether at ASD or elsewhere, will likely require extra support in order to achieve online success. The types of support can come from small group activities, a class charter, interaction amongst online classmates (much like in on-ground classes), social equality, and social facilitation (Rovai, 2002).
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS: TOOLS AND STRATEGIES
In order to provide the type of online community described in the preceding section, certain accommodations must be provided for these developmentally disabled adults. Experience working in this field has demonstrated that not all students are suited for online education. Students who are legally blind would be a rather poor match to this type of learning, and are better suited for a more tactile inclined environment where they are able to touch and feel the objects they are learning about. Certainly, individuals with vision impairment (blindness excluded), hearing impairment, and mobility impairment can be accommodated. Some of the available tools offered on the market are:
- WhatColor An assistant to Colorblinds (color identifier)
- Desktop Magnifier 3.28 (screen magnifier)
- IBM Homepage Reader version 3.04 (screen reader)
- Various audio programs such as Windows Media Player, Realplayer, etc.
Along with the use of tools, there are numerous instructional strategies, which can be appropriately utilized for students of the developmentally disabled population. Please note: there are some variances required for this type of instruction, i.e. supported assistance in typing or transcribing responses, assignments, and/or feedback. Some are mentioned below:
Student/student interaction:
o Icebreakers
o Discussion forums
o Collaborative projects
Student/instructor interaction:
o Social facilitation (Rovai, 2002)
o Presence
o Communication
Student/content interaction:
o Clear goals and objectives
o Accessibility
o Materials offered for various learning styles (VARK)
Other methods of promoting online community:
o Flexibility
o Hand over hand assistance
o Support
o Translating/Transcribing Content Material
o Patience and Time
MAINTAINING QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROGRESSION INTO THE FUTURE
The world revolves quickly. Anytime there is the trendiest technology application or latest technological device, the general public is sure to fall steps behind. With online education, it is no different. Much of the general population has caught on to and joined the insurgent wave of the online teaching and learning environment. The usual suspects are ahead of the pack, leaving the unnoticed and often forgotten members of the community behind. They are typically the disabled and/or elderly community. In this case, specifically, it is the developmentally disabled population. Disability rights laws came slowly, as did places of services and programs for these individuals. Technology for the people of this population is slated to come, eventually. It’s inevitable that, as the rest of the world moves ahead, this population will also move forward. Change is abounding, having provided many opportunities and improved qualities of life for much of the general public through the convenience of technology and especially the internet. The next insurgent wave will affect not only the disabled and the elderly, but also the developmentally disabled individuals whose quality of life can only be stifled by their own limitations.
REFERENCES
Arts and Services for the Disabled (2006). What is arts and services for the disabled?. Retrieved February 11, 2007, Web site: http://artsandservices.org/index.htm
Desktop Magnifier 3.28. Retrieved November 3, 2006, from Free Download Manager: Software Downloads Site Web site: http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/Desktop_Magnifier_37678_p/
Maloney-Krichmar, D., Preece, J. (2003) An ethnographic study of an online health support community. Duquense Ethnography Conference, Philadelphia, 10-12.
Nakahara, Hikaru WhatColor: An Assistant to Colorblinds. Retrieved November 3, 2006, Web site: http://www.hikarun.com/e/
Rovai, A. (2002). Building Sense of Community at a Distance. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. Website: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl
Try IBM Homepage Reader version 3.04. Retrieved November 3, 2006, from IBM Web site: http://www306.ibm.com/able/dwnlds/hpr4trial.html
Twigg, Carol A. (2003). Improving learning and reducing costs: New models for online learning. EDUCAUSE review. September/October 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
Wikipedia (2007). Developmental disabilities. Retrieved February 10, 2007, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_disability#Causes_of_developmental_disabilities
Yu, Lulu (2006). Conceptualization to Realization (CTR): Important factors for a successful online theatre history course at the ART Centre. Powerpoint presentation slideshow.
Copyright © 2007 Lulu Yu