INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

PEOPLE

Update literature
A large body of research exists for the post-secondary online student population,
but the same does not exist for K-12 online students. When this population is

Student

Identify evidence-based practices for K12 online students with learning disabilities
Determine areas for further inquiry

narrowed even further to online students with disabilities (SWD), there is a void of
information available. Only 12 empirical studies that intersect K-12, online, and SWD
have been identified in the last seven years. One possible explanation is the

LITERATURE

generalization of research from the post-secondary level to K-12. If so, then further
research is needed to determine the validity of such generalizations.

Teacher

The people involved in the online learning process are the teacher, the student and
the learning coach. The amount of training general education teachers receive to
become online teachers may be insufficient. When coupled with working with online
students who have a variety of individual needs, lack of teacher training may lead to
resources and strategies not being implemented for SWD.

Table 1

The available research for undergraduate and graduate students does not recognize the

Characteristics of included empirical studies.

Author

Year

Sample Size

necessary third member of the learning team unique to K-12 students: the learning coach.

Grades

Communication

Policy change is needed in two areas: certification and attendance. State

Analysis
Instruments

licensures can become limiting factors when student enrollments in online courses

Allday

2012

25926

9-12

Unspecified

Assessments

cross state lines. Further research is needed to determine how to best mitigate this

Beck

2014

232

7-12

Unspecified

Survey

barrier. Possible solutions are a national level online teaching certification or wider

Fitzgerald

2012

5-7

Asynchronous

Assessments
& survey

Thompson

2012

1971

K-12

Unspecified

Survey

reciprocity teaching licensure rules between states.

For students in traditional brick and mortar schools, the number of hours and days
a student is physically at the building determines attendance. Attendance policy based

Vasquez &
Slocum

2012

Synchronous

Assessments
& survey

on participation hours for online students limits the individualization of online learning.
If amount of learning becomes the measure for participation, competency based
assessments could be used. More research is needed to determine the role of

Learning
coach

Wilson

2012

2750

6-8

Asynchronous

Assessments

Note. Primary authors are listed except in the case where an additional author is needed
to delineate from other works published in the same year.

assessments, attendance, and certifications.

Coaches are particularly useful for younger students or students who require additional
support to be successful in an online learning environment. The coach acts as a mediator
between the student, the teacher, and the online learning environment. The learning coach
role is typically fulfilled by a parent.

Licensed teachers may elect

specialized training in teaching
online and/or teaching students with
disabilities. Teacher preparation

Onlineteaching
Certifications

Special
Education
Teacher
Preparation

programs should evaluate the

feasibility and need for specialized
training in teaching online students

REFERENCES

Body of Knowledge

Students

K12

Students with
Disabilities

Students with
Learning
Disabilities

Void: Preparing teachers for online

students with disabilities

with disabilities.

Allday, C.M, & Allday, R.A (2012). Effects of pacing options on final grades of students with disabilities in virtual
school. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 12, 223-243. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/quarterlyreview-of-distance-education.html
Beck, D., Egalite, A., & Maranto, R. (2014). Why they choose and how it goes: Comparing special education and
general education cyber student perceptions. Computers & Education, 76, 70-79. Retrieved from
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-and-education
Fitzgerald, N.S., Miller, S.P., Higgins, K., Pierce, T., & Tandy, D. (2012). Exploring the efficacy of online strategy
instruction for improving the reading abilities of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education
Technology, 27(1), 33-47. Retrieved from http://www.tamcec.org/jset/
Florida Center for Instructional Technology (2015). Technology Integration Matrix. Retrieved from
http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php
Greer, D., Rowland, A. L., & Smith, S. J. (2014). Critical considerations for teaching students with disabilities in online
environments. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(5), 79-91. doi: 10.1177/0040059914528105
Patrick, S., Kennedy, K., & Powell, A. (2013). Mean what you say: Defining and integrating personalized, blended and
competency education. Retrieved from International Association for K-12 Online Learning website:
http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/mean-what-you-say.pdf
Vasquez, E., III, & Slocum, T.A. (2012). Evaluation of synchronous online tutoring for students at risk of reading
failure. Exceptional Children, 78, 221-235. Retrieved from http:// journals.cec.sped.org/ec/
Wilson, J.L., Berkowitz, S., Bullock, C., Cockrell, C., Rodriguez, L.M., & Onwuegbuzie, A.J. (2012). Online
instructional materials for students with disabilities: Does it work? International Journal of Education, 4(3), 12-30.
Retrieved from http://www. macrothink. org/journal/index.php/ije

PROCESSES
Technology
Integration

Attendance

Individualization

Competency
Based
Learning

Attendance calculated on participation hours limits the individualization of online

learning. Competency based learning may resolve this issue and increase technology
integration levels.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN 2012

www.PosterPresentations.com