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What were the salient points discussed?

- This study focuses on the quality of the learning experiences and learner satisfaction of stude
with disabilities in distance education courses. This study examines how students with vari
disabilities assess the quality of distance education coursework in terms of three constru
course interaction, structure, and support.

Summarize the delimitation and limitations in the study

- The study was limited to postsecondary students with disabilities at one southeastern univer
who had registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities Services. One limitation of
research is the sample size, there were only 12 interview participants/ students with disabiliti
The sampling of students with disabilities to participate in the study was purposive. The sam
was necessarily drawn from students with disabilities who volunteered for the study.

Who were the study participants?

- The participants are 12 students with disabilities in higher education enrolled in one or m
online courses at a large southeastern who had registered with the Office of Students w
Disabilities Services.

How were they chosen? What were the sampling technique used?

- The researcher worked with the Director of the Office of Student Disability Services to so
students with disabilities who would volunteer to be study participants. Due to federal priv
laws, permission for the inclusion of students with disabilities in this research study w
contingent upon direct e-mail responses from students with disabilities. The necessary appro
was granted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- The sampling of students with disabilities to participate in the study was purposive. The sam
was necessarily drawn from students with disabilities who volunteered for the study.

How were the data analyzed? Discuss the process of data analysis

- Data analysis for this phenomenological study was conducted using the descrip
phenomenological method as defined by Giorgi (1989).
- The researcher used the five basic steps that comprise the descriptive phenomenolog
method. First, prior to the analyzing of data, the researcher bracketed his previously acqu
knowledge about students with disabilities and/ or online coursework to be remain open to
data revealed by the study participant. Second, the participant interviews were transcribed
some notable quotes was highlighted. Horizontalization process was employed wherein
researcher read, make notes and codes to identify potentially relevant indicators of
experience. The said step was based on the Gestalt- Phenomenological perspective. Then,
researcher read through the description slowly, breaking it into smaller meaning un
Furthermore, he translated each meaning unit into psychologically worded “transform
 s how students with various disabilities assess the quality of distance education coursework in
terms of three constructs: course interaction, structure, and support.

Summarize the delimitation and limitations in the study

- The study was limited to postsecondary students with disabilities at one southeastern university
who had registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities Services. One limitation of the
research is the sample size, there were only 12 interview participants/ students with disabilities.
The sampling of students with disabilities to participate in the study was purposive. The sample
was necessarily drawn from students with disabilities who volunteered for the study.

Who were the study participants?

- The participants are 12 students with disabilities in higher education enrolled in one or more
online courses at a large southeastern who had registered with the Office of Students with
Disabilities Services.

How were they chosen? What were the sampling technique used?

- The researcher worked with the Director of the Office of Student Disability Services to solicit
students with disabilities who would volunteer to be study participants. Due to federal privacy
laws, permission for the inclusion of students with disabilities in this research study was
contingent upon direct e-mail responses from students with disabilities. The necessary approval
was granted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- The sampling of students with disabilities to participate in the study was purposive. The sample
was necessarily drawn from students with disabilities who volunteered for the study.

How were the data analyzed? Discuss the process of data analysis

- Data analysis for this phenomenological study was conducted using the descriptive
phenomenological method as defined by Giorgi (1989).
- The researcher used the five basic steps that comprise the descriptive phenomenological
method. First, prior to the analyzing of data, the researcher bracketed his previously acquired
knowledge about students with disabilities and/ or online coursework to be remain open to the
data revealed by the study participant. Second, the participant interviews were transcribed and
some notable quotes was highlighted. Horizontalization process was employed wherein the
researcher read, make notes and codes to identify potentially relevant indicators of the
experience. The said step was based on the Gestalt- Phenomenological perspective. Then, the
researcher read through the description slowly, breaking it into smaller meaning units.
Furthermore, he translated each meaning unit into psychologically worded “transformed
meaning units “which are more concise, directly highlighting the psychological aspects of the
description what the study participant said implicitly in his/her own words. Lastly, the
researcher reviewed the transformed meaning units, looking for patterns and essential elements
that were then synthesized into a written structure of the experience. In the fourth and fifth
steps of this process, imaginative variation was used to determine what was and what wasn’t
truly critically important to the meaning unit or structure of the experience. The researcher used
thematic coding, wherein he made list of all the codes and labelled them the same way. The
interview transcript was analyzed, and then themes emerged.
Provide the synthesis of the participant’s responses to their experience of online learning

The students with disabilities requires avenue specifically assistive technology in their online
classes. They also desire for flexibility regarding the dissemination of information and the use of
open-source software in completing course assignments. The availability of online courses had
no influence on their willingness to continue their education, and they never had occasion to
drop an online course. Some of them prefer to a hybrid or blended learning in online classes.

Describe participant’s quality of interaction, structure and support

- (structure)she liked the flexibility of schedule. an appreciation of the flexibility of schedule and
self-pacing (and reduction of travel) afforded by online classes. / a blended course structure
seems preferable to a fully online course structure/ to enable discussion board collaboration.
- “very little,” “group work,” and “discussion board postings.”
- (Support) intimated that she preferred F2F classes to online.
- (Interaction) interaction that she doesn’t feel she is getting from online classes. / / lack of
empathy from their instructor/ Online interaction, facilitated by the use of discussion boards
and emails, and synchronous meeting software like Elluminate and Skype, affords students with
disabilities an opportunity to engage with the instructor, classmates, and the subject matter
without necessarily being identified with their disabling condition.
- “Students with disabilities perceive a lack of interaction in online classes.
- most interview participants told of the strategy of requiring twice weekly discussion board
postings, a common requirement in online classes, and clarifying each other’s queries via email
responses.

What were the facilitating and hindering factors experienced by the participants in an online
environment?

- the facilitating and hindering factors experienced by the participants in an online environment
are the following. First, their disabilities, hearing loss, low vision, physical and medical disability
(epilepsy and etc.). Then, accommodation of extra time on tests, more flexibility regarding the
dissemination of information and the use of open-source software in completing course
assignments, specifically they wish for all videos to be captioned. The way the instructors
treated them, it seems that the instructors are not compassionate and considerate enough in
their condition in dealing with their online learning/ class.

How do they perceive what instructors do to better facilitate their online learning?

- To better facilitate their online learning, they want their instructor to choose films that are
captioned, or a DVD that has actual captioning for English segments of the films., all coursework
for the entire semester be posted during the first week of class. They also want accommodation
of receiving written information. The instructors should take up the challenge of creating more
engaging discussion board assignments that elicit more than a single response from each
student like visual learning approach to reading chapters and taking tests and may use of
multiple sensory modalities. They also mentioned about the accommodation of more time on
assessment. Students with disabilities need to feel secure, which helps boosts their self-
confidence, empowering them to have a fruitful camaraderie with the instructor and other
 students. Instructors should make it a point to interact with students with disabilities regarding
their individual situations and learning processes so they can provide individualized support by
providing alternative assignments for students with disabilities based on their learning needs.

What were the implications derived from the study?

- The implications derived from this study was, Students with disabilities at the post-
secondary level needs academic adjustment, program modifications, and other auxiliary
services. As the online classes is concerned, students with disabilities likes the flexibility of
schedule afforded by online classes. As to the instructors, there is need for them to develop a
better awareness of available resources and their available accommodations for students with
disabilities. Concern agencies, School specifically the Offices of Students with Disabilities
Services and instructors must work, partner together and could be more proactive in raising the
awareness of not only the students with disabilities who register with the Office to better serve
the needs of students with disabilities. This study suggests that more training for instructors is
needed on how to work with students with disabilities.