RDE-DEI: Universal Design in College Algebra: Customizing Learning Resources for Two Year Students with Learning Disabilities

RDE-DEI项目：通用设计在大学代数：定制学习资源的两年制大学生与学习障碍是一个$99，924美元的奖项由残疾教育研究（RDE）计划的示范，丰富和信息传播（DEI）轨道资助。该项目的主要目标是积极影响有学习障碍的学生谁成功的STEM课程和职业的数量，使通用设计的教学和学习资源提供给大学代数教师和他们的学生在公立社区学院和两年制私立学院。 在这项研究中正在调查的主要假设是，学习障碍的学生谁使用通用设计的代数学习资源结合教学技术和学习策略将有更高的代数考试成绩，并会报告更大的信心，在他们的数学能力相比，学生谁不提供这些资源，技术和策略。 该项目建立在PI正在进行的成功工作的基础上，由美国教育部资助（P333 A050035），实施最佳实践专业发展计划，在社区大学环境中教授有学习障碍的学生。这个来自Landmark College的团队由一位研究心理学家领导，包括一名为有学习障碍的学生提供中学后数学教育的专家和一名具有中学后数学教育专业知识的团队成员，残疾学生的中学学习战略和利用辅助技术进行无障碍大学学习。 该提案包括一个准实验设计，比较分配到干预组和对照组的学生在单元前和单元后代数内容上的数学表现。 我们现正从四所两年制专上院校招募200名受试者参与这项研究：地标学院、伯克希尔社区学院、霍利奥克社区学院和萨福克社区学院。该项目通过使学习资源可访问和可用，通过丰富有学习障碍的学生在中学后代数课程中的学术经验，并通过对公立社区大学和私立两年制大学有学习障碍的学生进行数学干预来证明其有效性。有一个形成性和总结性的项目评估计划，由来自马萨诸塞州大学多纳休研究所的外部评估员进行。其他形成性项目的投入是由一个专家顾问团队提供的，他们包括数学教育或为两年制大学学生提供残疾服务的专家：斯普林菲尔德技术社区学院的Kris Kozuch;伦顿技术学院的Cathy詹纳和DeEtta Ryan;休斯顿社区学院的John里诺和Clen万斯;佛蒙特州社区学院的Marianne DiMascio、John Devino和Christopher Mason。 还有一个传播计划，其中包括通过与RDE资助的STEM教育残疾学生区域联盟中的两个（2）现有合作与RDE社区共享信息：华盛顿大学的STEM联盟和南缅因州大学的EAST联盟。 其他传播工作包括在同行评审的专业期刊上发表文章，并在东北部举行的年度可用性会议上展示信息。

The project RDE-DEI: Universal Design in College Algebra: Customizing Learning Resources for Two-Year College Students with Learning Disabilities is a $99,924 dollar award funded by the Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program's Demonstration, Enrichment and Information Dissemination (DEI) track. The primary goal of this project is to positively impact the number of students with learning disabilities who succeed in STEM courses and careers by making universally designed teaching and learning resources available to college algebra instructors and their students at public community colleges and two-year private colleges. The primary hypothesis being investigated in this study is that students with learning disabilities who use universally designed algebra learning resources combined with teaching techniques and learning strategies will have higher algebra test scores and will report greater confidence in their math ability when compared to students who are not provided these resources, techniques and strategies. This project builds on the successful work being conducted by the PI, funded by the US Education Department (P333A050035), to implement a best practices professional development program for teaching students with learning disabilities in a community college setting.This team from Landmark College, which is lead by a research psychologist, includes an expert in post-secondary mathematics education for students with learning disabilities and a team member with expertise in post-secondary learning strategies for students with disabilities and the use of assistive technologies for accessible college learning. The proposal includes a quasi-experimental design to compare the math performance of students assigned to the intervention and control groups on pre- and post-unit algebra content. 200 subjects are being recruited to participate in this study from four two-year post-secondary institutions: Landmark College, Berkshire Community College, Holyoke Community College and Suffolk Community College.The project directly addresses the DEI track goals by making the learning resources accessible and available, by enriching students with learning disabilities' academic experiences in post-secondary algebra courses, and by demonstrating the effectiveness of mathematics intervention with public community college and private two-year college students with learning disabilities. There is a formative and summative project evaluation plan which is conducted by an external evaluator from the University of Massachusetts' Donahue Institute. Additional formative project input is provided by a team of expert advisors who include experts in either mathematics education or in disability services for students at two-year colleges: Kris Kozuch from Springfield Technical Community College; Cathy Jenner and DeEtta Ryan from Renton Technical College; John Reno and Clen Vance from Houston Community College; and Marianne DiMascio, John Devino and Christopher Mason from the Community College of Vermont. There is also a dissemination plan which includes sharing information with the RDE community via existing collaborations with two (2) of the RDE-funded Regional Alliances for Students with Disabilities in STEM Education: the University of Washington's AccessSTEM Alliance and The University of Southern Maine's EAST Alliance. Additional dissemination efforts include publishing in peer-reviewed professional journals and presenting information at annual usability conferences held in the northeast.