2023 AERA Annual Meeting: Student-Centered Initiatives Showcased by Cawthon and UT Austin Team
Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon and her team of University of Texas at Austin graduate students will be showcasing student-centered initiatives at the 2023 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Chicago on April 13-16 and virtual on May 4-5 — the world's largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative research.
“I am thrilled that my students are taking a lead in helping to design, participate in, and now disseminate promising research-to-practice initiatives that highlight our contributions to the fields of quality teaching, active learning, first generation students, and faculty development,” said Dr. Cawthon.
Three of the sessions share findings from the Collaborative for Access and Equity, a successful pilot project funded by Microsoft and designed to improve accessibility, equity, and inclusion for disabled college students through vibrant cross-campus collaboration.
The schedule of presentations at the 2023 AERA Annual Meeting is:
Fostering Campus Accessibility from the Inside Out: Findings from a Pilot Collaborative (Roundtable)
Session: Quality Teaching, Active Learning and Classroom Climate
Authors: Stephanie W. Cawthon, Ana Guadalupe Vielma, Julie Sievers, Ryan A. Mata, and Yiqiu Yan
When: Friday, April 14, 2023
Abstract: The purpose of this project was to pilot an innovative faculty development and campus improvement model. Accessibility and inclusivity continue to be challenges across higher education, particularly for students with disabilities. Because many disabled students do not disclose to offices of student services, an accessible and inclusive campus must include proactive, embedded supports. This paper provides a robust summary of the project model, one that amplifies disabled student experiences and supports faculty with just-in-time strategies and perspectives. This paper includes findings from across the Collaborative dialog points with recommendations on how to approach and scale this model at the institutional level.
Disabled Student Coaching: A Student-Led, Collaborative Approach to Accessibility in Higher Education (Poster)
Session: Learning Environments for Formal and Informal Education
Authors: Ryan A. Mata, Ana Guadalupe Vielma, Desiree Lama, Eric Ge, Soren Aldaco, Stephanie W. Cawthon, Yiqiu Yan
When: Saturday, April 15
Abstract: The current pilot, The Collaborative for Access and Equity, leverages the lived experiences of disabled students along with faculty, staff, and campus resources to create an innovative community model built towards improving accessibility in higher education learning environments. The model is driven by collaboration between disabled student “coaches” and faculty partners, constituting a novel way of facilitating faculty development relying on recommendations of those with recent, current experiences–both positive and negative–with design features, pedagogy strategies, and academic accommodations both conducive and detrimental to accessibility. A combination of inductive and deductive interpretive approaches across several data sources shows the benefits of such a student coach/faculty partner model, including the exchange of experiences, perspectives, and strategies for promoting inclusive, accessible classes.
First-Generation CORE Project: Cultivating Opportunities, Resources & Equity (Roundtable)
Session: Unchartered: First Generation Experiences, Financial, Aid, and Navigating the Academy
Authors: Ana Guadalupe Vielma, Ryan A. Mata, Stephanie W. Cawthon
When: Sunday, April 16
Abstract: The First-Gen CORE Project was designed as a pilot study to better understand and support first-generation college students. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, first-gen students faced unique challenges in higher education. Changes that have come as a result of the pandemic have further exacerbated these hardships and have yet to be examined in-depth. Through a series of focus groups, a diverse cohort of 14 first-gen students shared experiences regarding academic, financial, and social challenges at their university. This pilot uses a qualitative, asset-based approach to address educational inequities by highlighting first-gen student voices. By leveraging lived experience, participants created a series of recommendations for administrators and educators to better understand and support the first-gen population.
Transforming Faculty Development for Accessibility with a Student Coach Model: Findings from a Pilot Initiative (Virtual Presentation)
Session: Pedagogues Improving Content and Diversity Knowledge
When: Friday, May 5
Authors: Julie Sievers, Stephanie W. Cawthon, Ana Guadalupe Vielma, Ryan A. Mata, Yiqiu Yan
Abstract: Faculty development is a critical component of diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, but the experiences of disabled students are rarely centered in inclusive teaching programs. To address these needs, a new initiative was developed at a large, public university. Using a student-faculty partnership model, disabled students served as course consultants to faculty, working closely together in a semester-long partnership. The initiative was designed to fundamentally shift faculty mindsets about and approaches to inclusion and accessibility, while also equipping faculty with practical tools for improving access in their courses. In this paper, we describe the faculty development model and share findings from the project’s qualitative research into how the program helped faculty learn about inclusive teaching.
Cawthon is also the discussant of the Inclusion and Accessibility in Educational Assessment SIG Roundtable on Saturday, April 15.