A UDL-Based Large-Scale Study on the Needs of Students with Disabilities in Engineering Courses

Among all college students, students with disabilities are particularly at risk due to a high percentage of underreporting. We conducted a survey across many undergraduate courses in engineering and computing at the University of Illinois to identify course components that engage students with and without disabilities. We were motivated to find not only opportunities for future course improvements for all students but also greater equity for students with disabilities. Therefore in the survey, we asked for both students' disability and demographics info and their usability and satisfaction with more than ten types of course modalities including live Zoom lectures, recordings of lectures, small group discussions, instructor notes, transcripts of lecture videos, discussion boards, etc. The study spanned 13 different departments with a total enrollment of 1800 students during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Preliminary results from 303 responses from 49 different courses showed that students with disabilities preferred recorded lectures videos with transcripts, course textbook and instructor notes/slides that they could engage with offline, while students without disabilities were more satisfied with office hours and lecture videos in addition to lecture notes. In addition, female students appeared to be less satisfied with instructor Powerpoint slides, live Zoom lectures and discussion/lab sessions than male students. These results demonstrated the importance of multiple resources, supporting Universal Design Principles.