Dyslexia and online learning
Dear Blog
I have began in the last module I did to examine dyslexia and how - if at all- dyslexia affects someone who is trying to learn online?
Below are some extract of my thoughts on this so far:
_____________________________________
Synchronous online communication and dyslexia
'A new study by Sheffield University, discussed in today's Times Higher Educational Supplement , claims that dyslexic students are disadvantaged by the increase of web-based discussion forums which are replacing the more traditional face to face lectures and tutorials in universities. According to the Times, the study involved 32 dyslexic and non-dyslexic students over two years who participated in online tutorials. One of the researchers is quoted in the paper as saying, 'Our research confirms that in a synchronous learning environment - such as chat rooms and text conferences - it is certainly true that students with dyslexia will be at a severe disadvantage'.
I commend the researchers for what appears to be a thorough study and I hope it encourages HE tutors and students alike to consider their dyslexic colleagues. At the same time, I hope it does not deter those with dyslexia from attempting online study'
This is very interesting to me and an area that I hope to research further as if indeed my difficulties with synchronous online communication using text as in a chat is due to my dyslexia this would explain much about not only why I feel uncomfortable, why I do not feel I can join in with chats in the community unless I know the person quite well and trust them.
_____________________________________
I am experiencing some unexpected difficulties due to my dyslexia and not in the areas I would expect. My difficulties are with synchronous online communication - chats and to a lesser asynchronous online communication. I managed to find the one piece of research above to back this up which was interestingly done by a PHD student!
I assume that this student sufferers Dyslexia too otherwise I doubt they would have had the motivation to do the research! As no one has as much interest in a disability than those that suffer it or their loved ones.
I would like to do some work on this myself if I can fit it into the course.
_____________________________________
My Dyslexia
I have begun to feel that some of the reasons that doing the modules and trying to communicate on the boards takes up more time for me than others is because of my dyslexia.
This is a disproportionate amount of time because I feel have to explain and expand my argument or anything I say to be certain that what I am saying is not presented in a disorganised way and I then have to then spend as much time or more than it took to write the post correcting grammar and then spell checking - sometimes in one post I have had up to a 100 spelling mistakes!!
This is the same on the PNI forum but on there no one seems to mind that I can not be brief!!
According to the literature on this I have read so far it is only synchronous online communication - chats - that Dyslexia is a factor and Gina Revill and learning Facilitator at Ultraversity states in her blog http://www.ginarevill.net/ /that it is not necessary to use synchronous online communication on the course unless you want to!
I have not found this to be the case.
I have felt pressurised by Key members of my Cohort community to use - Chats - and have felt that if I do not I will never be fully accepted!
I realised that this is probably based on a misunderstanding of the requirements a researcher on the course has to meet and perhaps a lack of understanding or allowance for my dyslexia and the extent of it? But this does not make me feel any less pressured to use synchronous communication!
As a sufferer of dyslexia my assumption before I started this course was that this may be a barrier to my research in terms of recording my work. However I realised that I have long overcome these problems and the use of computers to record work has assisted this. I am still dyslexic and suffer dyscalculia but I have for many years found effective 'workarounds' for these learning difficulties. I was able therefore to qualify as a teacher about 1980 and the advent of computer technology has further made my dyslexia less problematic.
However while I am not aware I have any problems due to my dyslexia at the level of writing and presenting my material that the use of a computer and a spell checker does not remedy at least most of the time I have began to feel uncomfortable due to my dyslexia in unexpected ways on this course.
For example in chat situations is when I really feel my dyslexia and even in forum postings I have found it to be a significant disadvantage.
This is because I can not write short text posts. And while it may be thought that a dyslectic would have the opposite problem this is not true for me. Dyslexia for me is not only about spelling but also involves disorganized thought processes that are very frustrating and leads to an inability to express yourself via text ( and sometimes even in speech) in an organised and systematic way.
I learned to get around my dyslexia by making sure whenever I wrote anything I would write it in full, with all explanations and all clauses and then re-write and re-write until my thoughts fit together in the right sequence and I am sure that what I want to say will be understood. I used to do this on paper using up copious reams of paper and now I do it on the computer. In a forum or Internet board situation this puts me at a disadvantage for two reasons
Because it will take me a very long time just to write what for others would be a short reply as I have to re-write and re-write it several times until I am sure it says what I want it to say. This takes some time and the time it takes is added to by my having then to spell check as many words will be unreadable if I do not
My postings are never brief as I have to be sure that what I write explains what I want to say thoroughly and in the right order. I am not sure if this is totally due to my dyslexia or lack of confidence caused by suffering dyslexia, but either way it leads to the same result, my posts are too long for people to read comfortably! Something that the UV community Cohort 5 have already started to point out to me which leaves me feeling at a disadvantage, that I do not belong, self conscious about my responses or I am upsetting people when I need to write more than others would usually write in individual posts in such a forum.
In a chat situation I am not able to review and re-write my words and this leads me to feel very disadvantaged and lacking in confidence. In fact while I can just about cope with interacting on a forum or board as long as I spend time reviewing and re-writing my words until I am happy with them and am 'allowed' to expand and am not forced to be brief; but I find online chat very uncomfortable because in this media it is impossible to do this.
Therefore I was very interested when exploring the reading and information for this last module to come across this reference in Gina's Blog
I have began in the last module I did to examine dyslexia and how - if at all- dyslexia affects someone who is trying to learn online?
Below are some extract of my thoughts on this so far:
_____________________________________
Synchronous online communication and dyslexia
'A new study by Sheffield University, discussed in today's Times Higher Educational Supplement , claims that dyslexic students are disadvantaged by the increase of web-based discussion forums which are replacing the more traditional face to face lectures and tutorials in universities. According to the Times, the study involved 32 dyslexic and non-dyslexic students over two years who participated in online tutorials. One of the researchers is quoted in the paper as saying, 'Our research confirms that in a synchronous learning environment - such as chat rooms and text conferences - it is certainly true that students with dyslexia will be at a severe disadvantage'.
I commend the researchers for what appears to be a thorough study and I hope it encourages HE tutors and students alike to consider their dyslexic colleagues. At the same time, I hope it does not deter those with dyslexia from attempting online study'
This is very interesting to me and an area that I hope to research further as if indeed my difficulties with synchronous online communication using text as in a chat is due to my dyslexia this would explain much about not only why I feel uncomfortable, why I do not feel I can join in with chats in the community unless I know the person quite well and trust them.
_____________________________________
I am experiencing some unexpected difficulties due to my dyslexia and not in the areas I would expect. My difficulties are with synchronous online communication - chats and to a lesser asynchronous online communication. I managed to find the one piece of research above to back this up which was interestingly done by a PHD student!
I assume that this student sufferers Dyslexia too otherwise I doubt they would have had the motivation to do the research! As no one has as much interest in a disability than those that suffer it or their loved ones.
I would like to do some work on this myself if I can fit it into the course.
_____________________________________
My Dyslexia
I have begun to feel that some of the reasons that doing the modules and trying to communicate on the boards takes up more time for me than others is because of my dyslexia.
This is a disproportionate amount of time because I feel have to explain and expand my argument or anything I say to be certain that what I am saying is not presented in a disorganised way and I then have to then spend as much time or more than it took to write the post correcting grammar and then spell checking - sometimes in one post I have had up to a 100 spelling mistakes!!
This is the same on the PNI forum but on there no one seems to mind that I can not be brief!!
According to the literature on this I have read so far it is only synchronous online communication - chats - that Dyslexia is a factor and Gina Revill and learning Facilitator at Ultraversity states in her blog http://www.ginarevill.net/ /that it is not necessary to use synchronous online communication on the course unless you want to!
I have not found this to be the case.
I have felt pressurised by Key members of my Cohort community to use - Chats - and have felt that if I do not I will never be fully accepted!
I realised that this is probably based on a misunderstanding of the requirements a researcher on the course has to meet and perhaps a lack of understanding or allowance for my dyslexia and the extent of it? But this does not make me feel any less pressured to use synchronous communication!
As a sufferer of dyslexia my assumption before I started this course was that this may be a barrier to my research in terms of recording my work. However I realised that I have long overcome these problems and the use of computers to record work has assisted this. I am still dyslexic and suffer dyscalculia but I have for many years found effective 'workarounds' for these learning difficulties. I was able therefore to qualify as a teacher about 1980 and the advent of computer technology has further made my dyslexia less problematic.
However while I am not aware I have any problems due to my dyslexia at the level of writing and presenting my material that the use of a computer and a spell checker does not remedy at least most of the time I have began to feel uncomfortable due to my dyslexia in unexpected ways on this course.
For example in chat situations is when I really feel my dyslexia and even in forum postings I have found it to be a significant disadvantage.
This is because I can not write short text posts. And while it may be thought that a dyslectic would have the opposite problem this is not true for me. Dyslexia for me is not only about spelling but also involves disorganized thought processes that are very frustrating and leads to an inability to express yourself via text ( and sometimes even in speech) in an organised and systematic way.
I learned to get around my dyslexia by making sure whenever I wrote anything I would write it in full, with all explanations and all clauses and then re-write and re-write until my thoughts fit together in the right sequence and I am sure that what I want to say will be understood. I used to do this on paper using up copious reams of paper and now I do it on the computer. In a forum or Internet board situation this puts me at a disadvantage for two reasons
Because it will take me a very long time just to write what for others would be a short reply as I have to re-write and re-write it several times until I am sure it says what I want it to say. This takes some time and the time it takes is added to by my having then to spell check as many words will be unreadable if I do not
My postings are never brief as I have to be sure that what I write explains what I want to say thoroughly and in the right order. I am not sure if this is totally due to my dyslexia or lack of confidence caused by suffering dyslexia, but either way it leads to the same result, my posts are too long for people to read comfortably! Something that the UV community Cohort 5 have already started to point out to me which leaves me feeling at a disadvantage, that I do not belong, self conscious about my responses or I am upsetting people when I need to write more than others would usually write in individual posts in such a forum.
In a chat situation I am not able to review and re-write my words and this leads me to feel very disadvantaged and lacking in confidence. In fact while I can just about cope with interacting on a forum or board as long as I spend time reviewing and re-writing my words until I am happy with them and am 'allowed' to expand and am not forced to be brief; but I find online chat very uncomfortable because in this media it is impossible to do this.
Therefore I was very interested when exploring the reading and information for this last module to come across this reference in Gina's Blog
posted by HIV and Us @ 7/17/2006 10:48:00 AM
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