Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education
Successfully engaging with university study can be challenging for autistic students and has been highlighted in the research literature as an area of concern. This study sought to address support for autistic students at one Australian university through the development of a bespoke programme calle...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/5/521 |
| _version_ | 1827597021114007552 |
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| author | Charlotte Brownlow Neil Martin Donna-Marie Thompson Amelia Dowe Ding Abawi Jessica Harrison Sonja March |
| author_facet | Charlotte Brownlow Neil Martin Donna-Marie Thompson Amelia Dowe Ding Abawi Jessica Harrison Sonja March |
| author_sort | Charlotte Brownlow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Successfully engaging with university study can be challenging for autistic students and has been highlighted in the research literature as an area of concern. This study sought to address support for autistic students at one Australian university through the development of a bespoke programme called A-Skills. The programme was co-designed with autistic students drawing on principles of self-determination theory and it aimed to develop study and student life skills. This paper presents a longitudinal evaluation of the programme using semi-structured interviews and user engagement metrics from the online platform. Our findings indicated that engagement with the programme varied between individuals but adopting a principle of co-design ensured that the topics of focus were important to the needs of the students it sought to support. Further, interview data suggested both positive sentiment and value towards the initiative amongst participants. Although online delivery enabled choice, there were potential challenges in fostering relatedness, which was addressed to some degree through synchronous online weekly sessions facilitated by an autistic student. Core to the success of A-Skills is the co-design approach as a central principle in the design, development and evaluation of the programme. With continued research and iterative design, the programme could be adopted more widely. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:22:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5311d93f168345799a93a46fc3aa2557 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:22:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-5311d93f168345799a93a46fc3aa25572023-12-03T15:06:14ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-05-0113552110.3390/educsci13050521Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher EducationCharlotte Brownlow0Neil Martin1Donna-Marie Thompson2Amelia Dowe3Ding Abawi4Jessica Harrison5Sonja March6Graduate Research School, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, AustraliaTechnology Enhanced Learning Collaborative, Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, AustraliaLuna Clinical Psychology Services, Maclean 2463, AustraliaStudent Academic Success, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7005, AustraliaSchool of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, AustraliaSchool of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, AustraliaCentre for Health Research, Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield 4871, AustraliaSuccessfully engaging with university study can be challenging for autistic students and has been highlighted in the research literature as an area of concern. This study sought to address support for autistic students at one Australian university through the development of a bespoke programme called A-Skills. The programme was co-designed with autistic students drawing on principles of self-determination theory and it aimed to develop study and student life skills. This paper presents a longitudinal evaluation of the programme using semi-structured interviews and user engagement metrics from the online platform. Our findings indicated that engagement with the programme varied between individuals but adopting a principle of co-design ensured that the topics of focus were important to the needs of the students it sought to support. Further, interview data suggested both positive sentiment and value towards the initiative amongst participants. Although online delivery enabled choice, there were potential challenges in fostering relatedness, which was addressed to some degree through synchronous online weekly sessions facilitated by an autistic student. Core to the success of A-Skills is the co-design approach as a central principle in the design, development and evaluation of the programme. With continued research and iterative design, the programme could be adopted more widely.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/5/521autismhigher educationpeer supportself-determination theoryonline learningco-design |
| spellingShingle | Charlotte Brownlow Neil Martin Donna-Marie Thompson Amelia Dowe Ding Abawi Jessica Harrison Sonja March Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education Education Sciences autism higher education peer support self-determination theory online learning co-design |
| title | Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education |
| title_full | Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education |
| title_fullStr | Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education |
| title_short | Navigating University: The Design and Evaluation of a Holistic Support Programme for Autistic Students in Higher Education |
| title_sort | navigating university the design and evaluation of a holistic support programme for autistic students in higher education |
| topic | autism higher education peer support self-determination theory online learning co-design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/5/521 |
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