Using Student Learning Communities to Recruit STEM Students with Disabilities.

Abstract

Student Learning Communities (SLCs) for high school and college students with disabilities interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees were piloted at a major Midwestern university from 2009 to 2011. Students participated in a series of weekly sessions and/or a residential campus experience as part of a multifaceted intervention that included instruction on transition, self-determination, and self-advocacy skills. These activities culminated in the development of customized Self-Advocacy Plans and Transition Portfolios that students presented as their final project for the SLCs. Survey results from a formative evaluation process reveal that students gave high ratings to the development of Self-Advocacy Plans and Transition Portfolios as well as networking with other students with disabilities who are interested in STEM. The majority of students who participated in the STEM-focused SLCs were admitted to STEM degree programs at the undergraduate or graduate levels. These findings suggest the value of providing SLCs to teach self-determination, self-advocacy, and career development skills to students with disabilities, especially for students interested in STEM careers.

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