Accommodating Aboriginal students in online courses

Abstract

This research study examined the design elements required to create an online course for Aboriginal students with mild intellectual disability (MID). Action research was undertaken to design an intervention to address the problem of students with MID at Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS) not having their needs met in online courses, which included not receiving all of the accommodations in online courses as prescribed on their individual education plans (IEPs). The intervention was based on revising a grade nine math course currently offered at KiHS to incorporate design elements, including accommodations related to course design, in order to meet the academic needs of these students. The design elements were selected based on a review of literature and the responses to a questionnaire given to teachers asking what course design elements they felt would help meet the needs of students with MID. Once the revised course was delivered, it was evaluated using questionnaires and interviews asking teachers about the perceived success of the course. Overall, teachers felt that the intervention was a success in all five areas of course design: goals; content; context; methods; and assessment. The following specific design elements were seen as beneficial to students: use of interactive materials, continual review of content, simplified template, removal of external links, simplified language, and clearly stated goals (curriculum expectations) for each lesson. Although this research study focused on a specific group of students, the findings may be valuable for online instructors who work with students with similar needs to those with MID.