ERIC Number: EJ966131
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using Student Learning Communities to Recruit STEM Students with Disabilities
Izzo, Margaretha Vreeburg; Murray, Alexa; Priest, Sarah; McArrell, Bianca
Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, v24 n4 p301-316 Win 2011
Student Learning Communities (SLCs) for high school and college students with disabilities interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees were piloted at a major Midwestern university from 2009 to 2011. Students participated in a series of weekly sessions and/or a residential campus experience as part of a multifaceted intervention that included instruction on transition, self-determination, and self-advocacy skills. These activities culminated in the development of customized Self-Advocacy Plans and Transition Portfolios that students presented as their final project for the SLCs. Survey results from a formative evaluation process reveal that students gave high ratings to the development of Self-Advocacy Plans and Transition Portfolios as well as networking with other students with disabilities who are interested in STEM. The majority of students who participated in the STEM-focused SLCs were admitted to STEM degree programs at the undergraduate or graduate levels. These findings suggest the value of providing SLCs to teach self-determination, self-advocacy, and career development skills to students with disabilities, especially for students interested in STEM careers. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Portfolios (Background Materials), Formative Evaluation, Disabilities, Self Advocacy, Career Development, STEM Education, Communities of Practice, College Students, High School Students, Transitional Programs, Self Determination, Skill Development, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Developmental Studies Programs, Student Recruitment, Likert Scales, Institutional Advancement
Association on Higher Education and Disability. 107 Commerce Center Drive Suite 204, Huntersville, NC 28078. Tel: 704-947-7779; Fax: 704-948-7779; e-mail: ahead@ahead.org; Web site: http://www.ahead.org/publications/jped
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

Peer reviewed
