Disability must not be an obstacle to pursuing ones dreams
Authors
Kristensen, Jennifer Florez ; Sørensen, Fie Normann
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2022
Pages
22
Abstract
Many students in Danish higher education who have neurological conditions or cognitive difficulties are at higher risk of dropping out. This is often not due to academic ability, but to challenges with planning and structure and limited understanding from teachers. Free professional support is available in Denmark, but many students are unaware of it. This study explores how to design an app for students with cognitive disabilities to help prevent dropout. To inform the design, interviews were conducted with students with ADHD, and through participatory design a set of design guidelines and a prototype app were developed and then evaluated. The findings indicate that designing for this group is challenging because of substantial individual differences, but clear design guidelines are important. Students with cognitive difficulties recognized the app’s relevance and how it could benefit their academic life. The app’s interface and overall design strongly influenced whether they would use it. Further development and testing are still needed.
Mange studerende på videregående uddannelser i Danmark med neurologiske tilstande eller kognitive vanskeligheder har øget risiko for at falde fra. Ofte skyldes det ikke manglende faglige evner, men udfordringer med planlægning og struktur samt begrænset forståelse fra underviseres side. Der findes gratis professionel støtte i Danmark, men mange kender ikke til denne mulighed. Dette studie undersøger, hvordan man kan designe en app til studerende med kognitive vanskeligheder for at forebygge frafald. For at informere designet blev der gennemført interviews med studerende med ADHD, og gennem deltagende design blev der udviklet et sæt designregler samt en prototype, som efterfølgende blev evalueret. Resultaterne viser, at det er udfordrende at designe til målgruppen på grund af store individuelle forskelle, men at tydelige designregler er vigtige. De deltagende studerende kunne se, hvordan appen er relevant og kan støtte dem i deres studieliv. Appens udformning og brugervenlighed har stor betydning for, om de vil bruge den. Der er behov for yderligere udvikling og test.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]