The Experiences and Preparedness of Collegiate Professors in Providing Academic Accommodations to Students who Have Suffered a Concussion

The Experiences and Preparedness of Collegiate Professors in Providing Academic Accommodations to Students who Have Suffered a Concussion PDF Author: Nicholas David Wright
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury that harms millions of athletes each year. The physiological effects of a concussion can render the student athlete with many symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and cognitive symptoms such as memory deficiencies, decreased concentration, slower processing speeds, and decreased attentional capacity. The combination of physical and cognitive symptoms makes students eligible for academic accommodations to assist in their return to the classroom. Return to Learn is a popular policy that institutions have adopted to help students re-integrate back into the classroom after suffering a concussion. Although a popular policy, and required by some universities, students still do not obtain accommodations for their concussions. While several factors could prevent students from receiving accommodation, one barrier may be collegiate professors. This qualitative study analyzed the experiences and preparedness of 11 collegiate professors in providing academic accommodations to their students who had suffered a concussion via individual interviews and a focus group. Findings showed that professors, traditionally, have struggled when asked to provide accommodations to students. Professors are not made aware of the policies and procedures regarding concussion at their universities nor do they receive any professional development or training regarding the concussion policy. Furthermore, there is a lack of communication, support, and resources provided to the professors, which makes them feel very frustrated and ill-prepared to manage these cases when they arise. Professors wish to have a greater level of support, communication, and training when it comes to providing accommodations to their students who have suffered a concussion.

The Experiences and Preparedness of Collegiate Professors in Providing Academic Accommodations to Students who Have Suffered a Concussion

The Experiences and Preparedness of Collegiate Professors in Providing Academic Accommodations to Students who Have Suffered a Concussion PDF Author: Nicholas David Wright
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury that harms millions of athletes each year. The physiological effects of a concussion can render the student athlete with many symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and cognitive symptoms such as memory deficiencies, decreased concentration, slower processing speeds, and decreased attentional capacity. The combination of physical and cognitive symptoms makes students eligible for academic accommodations to assist in their return to the classroom. Return to Learn is a popular policy that institutions have adopted to help students re-integrate back into the classroom after suffering a concussion. Although a popular policy, and required by some universities, students still do not obtain accommodations for their concussions. While several factors could prevent students from receiving accommodation, one barrier may be collegiate professors. This qualitative study analyzed the experiences and preparedness of 11 collegiate professors in providing academic accommodations to their students who had suffered a concussion via individual interviews and a focus group. Findings showed that professors, traditionally, have struggled when asked to provide accommodations to students. Professors are not made aware of the policies and procedures regarding concussion at their universities nor do they receive any professional development or training regarding the concussion policy. Furthermore, there is a lack of communication, support, and resources provided to the professors, which makes them feel very frustrated and ill-prepared to manage these cases when they arise. Professors wish to have a greater level of support, communication, and training when it comes to providing accommodations to their students who have suffered a concussion.

Knowledge and Willingness of Academic Advisors and College Professors Regarding Concussion and Academic Accomodations

Knowledge and Willingness of Academic Advisors and College Professors Regarding Concussion and Academic Accomodations PDF Author: Loriann Tedder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
Author's abstract: Introduction: A significant increase in the number of concussions has guided research to look beyond physical return to play but rather examine cognitive return to learn as an all-inclusive approach to concussion management. Part of the return to learn protocol incorporates academic accommodations within the classroom, which can be implemented by academic advisors and professors. However, their knowledge and willingness of this role is unclear. Purpose: To determine academic advisors and college professor's knowledge of concussions and their willingness to provide academic accommodations to students recovering from a concussion. Hypothesis: H1: Academic advisors and professors have a low level of concussion knowledge. H2: There is a positive relationship between level of knowledge and willingness to provide academic accommodations. H3a: Participants in the health and education disciplines will be more willing to provide academic accommodations. Methods: Academic advisors and professors from Georgia Southern University were recruited for the study. Participants completed a survey to determine their knowledge of concussion and their willingness to provide academic accommodations to students with concussions. Data Analysis: A one-way ANOVA was calculated to determine the level of concussion knowledge academic advisors and professors have. Multiple Spearman correlations were examined to determine the relationship between knowledge and willingness. A MANOVA was calculated to examine interactions and main effects between discipline and academic rankings with regard to concussion knowledge and willingness. Results: A total of 240 participants completed valid surveys. No statistically significant difference existed between academic advisors and professor's concussion knowledge. Mean values for concussion knowledge in academic advisors was 76.8% correct and professors was 75.8% correct. Only one correlation showed a significant relationship between concussion knowledge and willingness to provide academic accommodations (r = .136, p = .035), while the rest did not. A MANOVA revealed a significant main effect for academic discipline and willingness [(F(16,224) = 2.38 , p = .002 ) e2 = .078], however, post hoc calculations determined it was due to a type 1 error (p > .05). Discussion:Academic advisors and college professors possess basic concussion knowledge and are willing to provide academic accommodations regardless of any external factors. While previous literature indicated factors such as job title, discipline and education would impact concussion management, the current study found this did not matter. This is crucial as it is imperative students receive appropriate care during the return to learn process. Further evaluation is necessary to determine if this population can appropriately implement academic accommodations on an individual basis.

Concussion Knowledge and Experiences of Local Secondary School Teachers Implementing Academic Accommodations

Concussion Knowledge and Experiences of Local Secondary School Teachers Implementing Academic Accommodations PDF Author: Julie-Ann E. Burton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Brain
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
The purpose of this case study was to understand the concussion knowledge and experiences of local secondary school educators as they implement return-to-learn academic accommodations for students recovering from a concussion. The theories guiding this study was Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and Bem’s theory of self-perception as it sought to understand what perceptions and behaviors educators had when implementing academic accommodations for the concussed student. The study design used an ontological philosophical assumption with a constructivist paradigm to guide the study. There were four research questions that focused on understanding the experiences: training, role, handling a concussed student in the classroom, and administrative assistance, teachers have when implementing academic accommodations for the concussed student. Ten teacher participants from a public school district in Central Florida were interviewed individually, completed journal responses, and participated in the focus group interview. Data collected was analyzed utilizing NVivo12, a qualitative data analysis software. Six themes emerged from the data found that the participants implemented academic accommodations for a concussed student from previous positive experiences dealing with academic accommodations and relationships with their students and teacher colleagues even though there were deficient implementation protocols, varying administrative support, barriers to implementing academic accommodations, and a need for best practices when implementing the academic accommodation. Results from this study may concurrently contribute to research of implementation of concussion academic accommodations in secondary schools and address the implementation gap for the concussed student’s academic recovery.

The Experiences and Sense-making of Students with Non-visible Disabilities on Their Transition to College and Utilization of Academic Accommodations

The Experiences and Sense-making of Students with Non-visible Disabilities on Their Transition to College and Utilization of Academic Accommodations PDF Author: Lori Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : College students with disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
The transition to college can be a difficult time for recent high school graduates. There are additional challenges for students with disabilities related to obtaining the academic accommodations to which they are legally entitled. The purpose of this study was to investigate how first-year college students with non-visible disabilities experience the transition to college, particularly in terms of requesting and utilizing academic accommodations. Five current traditional-age college students participated in this study. The researcher utilized an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to examine their experiences. The participants initially desired independence as a hallmark of leaving high school. This included a reluctance to utilize accommodations related to their disabilities. The participants perceived that their high schools did not provide them with information about the transition to college. While most of the participants would have preferred to conceal the fact that they had a disability, they understood the need to self-disclose this information to their university's disability services office in order to receive accommodations. Additionally, the participants' interactions with professors influenced their experiences with receiving accommodations. The findings are relevant for secondary and postsecondary professionals who provide transition and accommodation services to students with disabilities, as they are in a position to help remove barriers to accommodation use. Additional research is needed to explore the perspectives of students with disabilities who may experience the college transition differently based upon their own characteristics or the characteristics of their institutions.

Accommodations -- Or Just Good Teaching?

Accommodations -- Or Just Good Teaching? PDF Author: Bonnie M. Hodge
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Thirty-five teaching practitioners in higher education collaborated to provide this resource about the accommodation process for students with disabilities in the college classroom. It provides the educator with concrete teaching strategies for addressing the individual needs of students and a model illustrating the components necessary for student success. Additionally, to provide pertinent information about disabilities to others in higher education, the subchapters are grouped into eight areas that disabilities can impact in the learning process: attention, concentration, and memory difficulties; chronic health problems; hearing impairments and deafness; integrative processing difficulties; mobility impairments or motor control difficulties; social behavior disorders or difficulties with consistent performance; speech and language difficulties; and visual impairments or blindness. Since the accommodation process is reinforced by federal law, the book also contains highlights of the law and how it relates directly to faculty responsibility. As a result of this, expectations of faculty are increased and teaching practices involving accommodation efforts result in more access to education by more students.

Faculty Perceptions of Accommodations for College and University Students with Learning Disabilities

Faculty Perceptions of Accommodations for College and University Students with Learning Disabilities PDF Author: Nancy Giagnacova O'Neil
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : College students with disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 89

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the perceptions of professors teaching students with learning disabilities and to discover what professional development opportunities university and college instructors viewed as potentially improving their ability to teach students with learning disabilities. The number of students with learning disabilities within postsecondary schools is rapidly increasing; however, the retention rates are significantly lower than their non-disabled peers. Two colleges and one university located within the northeastern region of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania served as the study sites for this research. Data were collected via a survey presenting both forced-response statements with a Likert-type response scale and open-ended questions. The study sample consisted of 15 professors, three of whom were also interviewed. The study provided insight into future professional-development activities professors would find valuable in teaching students with disabilities. The findings indicated both positive and negative professor perceptions of teaching students with disabilities; however, the majority of the participants had positive experiences. With regard to making accommodations for learning-disabled students, the survey responses indicated the equally variant willingness of the professors to accommodate these students. The participants believed students with disabilities can be academically successful within the postsecondary setting. However, it is clearly important that these students discuss their disability with the professors at the onset of the semester to maximize that success. Learning Centers should develop relationships with the professors that will keep these educators informed of the available services and collaborative support. Institutions of higher learning may have safeguards in place to ensure against this student population misusing accommodations. Such activity serves only to leave professors with negative perceptions of teaching learning-disabled students.

Return-to-learn

Return-to-learn PDF Author: Zachary William Bevilacqua
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Brain
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
Objective: To establish the foundational themes of collegiate Return to Learn (RTL) by gathering the perspectives of collegiate instructors regarding classroom management of students with concussion. Methods: A grounded theory approach was used to reveal the perspectives of college instructors. This was done by way of private, in-person, audio-recorded, one-on-one interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed using TemiTM online software, and then reviewed to ensure a 100% verbatim transcribed document. Two coders performed open- and axial-coding using an inductive approach, and all resulting themes met researcher defined criteria. Results: Three themes emerged from the coded data, each of which containing two subthemes: 1) Education- external knowledge of concussion & previous experiences, 2) Legitimacy- medical note provided & no note provided, and 3) Willingness to help- instructor's role & feasibility of the accommodation. Instructors also indicated that brevity, clarity, and straightforward messages are desired from medical notes. Conclusions: This data, being novel and inductive, provides ground level evidence that will support future college RTL investigations. Future collegiate investigations should seek to identify the efficacy of various medical notes, the prevalence of concussion and accessibility to care on campuses, the perspectives of instructors who have no exposure to concussion, as well as replicate this study at other universities.

NCAA Division-I Student Athletes' Lived Experiences of an In-season Concussion

NCAA Division-I Student Athletes' Lived Experiences of an In-season Concussion PDF Author: Matthew S. Moreau
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Football
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
Author's abstract: An estimated 1.6-3.8 million people suffer a concussion annually in the United States. Concussions are becoming an increasingly mainstream topic, especially with the amount coverage of concussions in different media outlets. Furthermore, peers such as athletic trainers, friends, coaches, and parents that may influence their experience of concussions. The purpose of this study was to examine NCAA Division I student-athletes' lived experiences of an in-season concussion. A phenomenological approach was used. The following open-ended question was asked: "Can you tell me about your experience of having your most recent concussion?" The research participants consisted of 4 in-season collegiate student-athletes, 18-21 years old. The participants were withheld from activity per the institution's concussion policy and interviewed within six months of their return to play. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Pseudonyms were used to ensure participant anonymity and confidentiality. The researcher used triangulation to maintain validity by using member checks, peer reviews, other members of the research team, a bracketing interview. 6 major themes developed from the research including: Focus on Symptoms, Emotional Response to Injury, Experiences of Concussion Testing, Fear of Failing to Meet Teammate Expectations, Support From Friends and Family, and Effect on School. Emotional Response to Injury and Symptoms were the most prevalent themes with their experiences following suit with previous research. Some participants seemed to struggle with schoolwork, which supports the cognitive rest theories that are currently being used to help treat concussions in some areas. Overall concussions are very individualized injuries and athletic trainers should be aware of athletes' personalities and use compassion to help them recover from their concussion.

Managing Concussions in Schools

Managing Concussions in Schools PDF Author: Susan Davies, EdD, NCSP
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826169236
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
The first book to focus on managing concussions from prevention to post-concussion return to school Concussions pose a serious and complex issue for schools – from determining if a student may have suffered a concussion during a school activity to ensuring that students diagnosed with this condition can safely and effectively resume study, recreation, and sports. This is the first comprehensive text for school staff, including psychologists, counselors, and nurses, on managing concussions in students, from prevention to post-concussion return to school. With a focus that addresses concussions on and beyond the sports field, the book describes how to create and lead a concussion management team in school and provides clear, non-technical information on how concussions can affect learning, mental health, and social-emotional functioning; tools for school-based concussion assessment; and guidelines for creating accommodation plans in collaboration with the family, community, and school team. The text guides key school professionals in navigating the barriers, system issues, knowledge gaps, and complexities in recognizing and responding to student concussions. Case studies integrated throughout each chapter feature the same four students from point of injury to recovery. Reproducible forms and handouts include signs and symptoms checklists, a post-concussion care plan, a checklist of academic adjustments, and progress monitoring tools. Key Features: Offers comprehensive, practical information on concussion for school psychologists, counselors, and nurses Provides skills in developing and leading a school-based concussion management team Explains how concussions can affect learning, mental health and social-emotional functioning Offers tools for school-based concussion assessment Includes guidelines for creating symptom-based adjustments to the learning environment in collaboration with family, community, and school team Includes in-depth case studies and handouts, forms, and checklists

Making the Connection

Making the Connection PDF Author: Eddie Comeaux
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1681230267
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Making the Connection: Data-Informed Practices in Academic Support Centers for College Athletes is practical and ideal for those who seek to use research to inform their individual and organizational practices. This volume is primarily intended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, though scholars, researchers, teachers, practitioners, coaches, athletics administrators, and advocates of intercollegiate athletics will also find it useful. It comprises a series of chapters that cover a wide range of evidence-based approaches designed to enhance the practices of those who work closely with college athletes. Given the breadth of the field overall, this single volume is not exhaustive, but the current concerns, challenges, and themes of relevance to higher education researchers, practitioners, and others are well addressed. The intent of the text is to spark conversation about how college and university constituents can reframe their thinking about the importance of innovative research to careful, informed practice. Likewise, the contributors hope that it will inspire greater awareness and action among practitioners, as well as advance scholarship in the area of athletics. Each chapter includes current research, and in some cases theoretical perspectives, which should assist practitioners enhance the well-being of college athletes. Each chapter also offers guided discussion questions that are ideal for use as the basis of further conversation in the classroom setting. Adopters of this text will benefit from leading voices in the field who delve into complex issues, shedding new light and presenting unique opportunities for understanding a diversity of perspectives on evidence-based practices in support centers for athletes. In all, this volume provides a rich portrait of data-driven practices designed to assist practitioners and others who work closely with college athletes, and lays the groundwork for an ambitious and long overdue agenda to further develop innovative research that informs the practices of athletics stakeholders and improves the quality of experiences for college athletes.