Paper Info
Title
Wrestling With Online Learning Technologies: Blind Students' Struggle to Achieve Academic Success
Abstract
This study examines the usability challenges and emotional reactions of blind college students in their attempts to access online educational materials and to communicate with colleagues through online technologies. A case study approach was adopted. Five students were interviewed regarding their online learning experiences using Blackboard, a popular Course Management System. Analysis of the interviews revealed that Blackboard was poorly accessible to the blind students, which affected achieving their academic goals. The study also showed that the blind students were motivated and optimistic of their successes despite their frustrations and feelings of marginalization. The study suggests that academic administrators and database designers work jointly with adaptive software developers in developing enhanced user interfaces to ensure universal access and usability of online technologies and to reduce educational inequities and frustrations encountered by blind students.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.4018/jdet.2010040104
IJDET
Keywords
Field
DocType
universal access,blind students,academic administrator,online educational material,online learning,case study approach,online learning technologies,online technology,blind student,educational inequity,academic goal,blind college student,achieve academic success,course management system,electronic learning,usability,database management systems,accessibility,educational technology,interviews
Online learning,Educational technology,Virtual learning environment,Computer science,Usability,Universal design,Knowledge management,Social exclusion,User interface,Multimedia,Feeling
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
8
2
1539-3100
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
7
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Samuel Muwanguzi1141.05
Lin Lin2111.66