Accessibility of Work-Integrated Learning in Engineering, IT, and Computer Science for Students with Disabilities

Boye, T

Accessibility of Work-Integrated Learning in Engineering, IT, and Computer Science for Students with Disabilities

Boye, T

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Publisher:: IEEE
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: 2022
Issue Date:: 2022-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Boye, T https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8880-6073
dc.date	2022-05-23
dc.date.accessioned	2022-08-18T01:20:28Z
dc.date.available	2022-08-18T01:20:28Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	2022
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160446
dc.description.abstract	Universities put significant resources into supporting students with disabilities on campus. However, this support from universities can be limited off-campus. With universities and governments strongly advocating for the inclusion of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placements in all programs, particularly in technical areas such as engineering, IT, and computer science, students with disabilities are increasingly expected to leave campus to attain their degree. In these arrangements the expectations are unclear and greatly vary, with most employers taking full responsibility for students on a day-to-day basis. Although engineering, IT, and computer science industries have become more open to and inclusive of diverse workforces in recent years, student WIL experiences can vary dramatically between employers and this can leave students vulnerable to the culture and accessibility of the workplace they undertake WIL activities in. Additionally, many programs require students to find their own placements, which is challenging given the reportedly low employment opportunities available to people with disabilities. In this paper, we recommend that students with disabilities need to be considered more than they currently are in the design of WIL placement programs and that programs could provide greater support to these students to ensure the positive outcomes associated with WIL are equitable for all students. It is also suggested that work needs to be done to bring students with disabilities into the conversation through co-design and participatory research in order to understand what their experiences are like in WIL and how universities and employers can better support them to reach their goals.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	IEEE
dc.relation	Australian Collaborative Education Network Work Integrated Learning Grant
dc.relation	Australasian Association for Engineering Education
dc.relation.ispartof	The Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT) Conference Proceedings
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.title	Accessibility of Work-Integrated Learning in Engineering, IT, and Computer Science for Students with Disabilities
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.location.activity	Philadelphia, USA
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Professional Practice and Leadership
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
utslib.copyright.embargo	2024-05-24T00:00:00+1000Z
dc.date.updated	2022-08-18T01:20:27Z
pubs.finish-date	2022-05-24
pubs.publication-status	Accepted
pubs.start-date	2022-05-23

Abstract:

Universities put significant resources into supporting students with disabilities on campus. However, this support from universities can be limited off-campus. With universities and governments strongly advocating for the inclusion of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placements in all programs, particularly in technical areas such as engineering, IT, and computer science, students with disabilities are increasingly expected to leave campus to attain their degree. In these arrangements the expectations are unclear and greatly vary, with most employers taking full responsibility for students on a day-to-day basis. Although engineering, IT, and computer science industries have become more open to and inclusive of diverse workforces in recent years, student WIL experiences can vary dramatically between employers and this can leave students vulnerable to the culture and accessibility of the workplace they undertake WIL activities in. Additionally, many programs require students to find their own placements, which is challenging given the reportedly low employment opportunities available to people with disabilities. In this paper, we recommend that students with disabilities need to be considered more than they currently are in the design of WIL placement programs and that programs could provide greater support to these students to ensure the positive outcomes associated with WIL are equitable for all students. It is also suggested that work needs to be done to bring students with disabilities into the conversation through co-design and participatory research in order to understand what their experiences are like in WIL and how universities and employers can better support them to reach their goals.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160446