Exploring Accessibility and digital system support for neurodivergent students
Blended learning has become a mainstream learning experience for many universities, including UCL, during the COVID-19 pandemic. While blended learning has received much attention over the years, particularly in the area of education, we still know little about how people with disabilities engage in blended learning from their homes and what access means in this context.
To understand and rethink accessibility in blended learning, we proposed a programme of study of blended learning practices of neurodivergent students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) and psychosocial disabilities (e.g., anxiety, depression). To understand the impact of university digital systems on neurodivergent students, we conducted an interview study. Led by a neurodivergent researcher, this study involved semi-structured interviews with 11 neurodivergent students at UCL. These students, diagnosed with ADHD, autism, or both, shared their experiences and challenges in navigating university digital platforms.
The interviews were designed to be open-ended, allowing students to discuss not just their difficulties, but also their coping strategies and suggestions for improvement.
We used a thematic analysis approach to dive deep into their narratives, identifying common themes and unique insights. By centering the voices of neurodivergent students, our goal was to uncover the real-world impacts of these systems and to highlight practical changes that could make a significant difference in their academic lives. The analysis revealed three key themes:
- Neurodivergence in academia is not experienced as advantageous, but as an invisible disability}: Participants reported various symptoms of their neurodivergence that impacted academic work, relationships, self-esteem, and more. While there is a common perception of neurodivergent “superpowers,” neurodivergent traits were described as leading to negative feelings, mental health challenges, and worse symptoms.
- Complex digital workflows trigger symptoms, provide negative user experiences, and impact learning}: Excess user workload emerged as a major concern, encompassing both physical and mental workload. Participants highlighted challenges related to limited integration of systems, number of steps in sequences of interaction, and interaction issues related to lack of simplicity, low intuitiveness, low consistency, and automation. Visual features, customization, and video-related elements also influenced user experiences. The digital systems were reported as triggering symptoms, such as procrastination and emotional dysregulation, negatively affecting academic progress. Login and password systems were a particular source of frustration, demanding urgent attention for improvement.
- Students implement coping strategies to help them manage their personal and academic experiences: Participants shared their systems for managing their experiences better, including digital tools, physical items, creating a sense of urgency, and accountability buddies. Acknowledging and integrating these strategies into system design has potential for fostering a more supportive environment.
Funding
This project was funded by the UCL Centre for Equality Research in Brain Sciences
People
This project was led by Prof Anna Cox and Dr Anna Dowthwaite with assistance from Alex Tcherdakoff and in collaboration with Dr Paul Marshall and Dr Jon Bird.
