Cheryl came into her freshman writing class with a learning disorder and many fears. Fears of writing in general, and fears about working in a computer lab. But it wasn’t until the 3rd week of class that she came to see me, in tears of frustration. There was too much to read, she couldn't keep up in class, and it was too hard. First I had to reassure her that her frustrations were not because she was stupid. I also asked her to discuss what she did feel good about in class. Although the meeting was teary, we planned a constructive series of support strategies that included tutorial support for online reading, extra time in the lab outside of class, regular conferencing sessions with me, and extra time on essay tests if needed. The extra support helped Cheryl feel secure as she developed her own coping skills. Cheryl became increasingly confident with the class. By finals, she had earned a B, but perhaps more importantly had participated confidently in online discussions and even in classroom discussions.
Tutorial Support
The reading tutor not only helped Cheryl with her reading, but modeled strategies
for reading online text. For example, now whenever possible, Cheryl put digital
text into columns, or she at least minimized the window that the text is in. Her
tutor explained that a person actually "sees" or "reads"
words when their eyes stop moving. These pauses, called fixations, are brief
almost imperceivable, or at least they should be. The eye should move back and
forth over the text pausing several times per line in the average text page.
The line length and the glare can create a problem with text on the computer
screen making these fixations less comfortable. Text in columns or shorter rows
is easier to break into segments to "see" or "read."
Minimizing windows can also be a useful tool for hiding visual "noise." Animations and other visuals can interrupt a reader's concentration. Reducing the screen size to the width of the text reduces this noise.
Extra Time
Part of Cheryl's frustration was that there was never enough time. Online
tests rushed her, and she misinterpreted questions. Her panic at in-class
writing assignments inhibited her ability to formulate ideas. By extending
time deadlines, or even removing them, Cheryl could focus more on concepts.
Conferencing
Initially, Cheryl was put off from conferencing with me. Her experience
with English and composition in the past was humiliating. However, by
focusing each conferences on only one specific strength and one specific weakness,
Cheryl did not feel overwhelmed, or that I thought she was a terrible writer.
She felt confident that she could work on "one thing" that week.
Additionally, these tightly focused conferences limited the amount of time they
required of me.