Dyslexia and learning computer programming

Abstract

This poster explores some of the issues associated with teaching computer science to students with dyslexia. Issues associated with both student learning generally and computer science specifically are considered. The accessibility of teaching materials made available through virtual learning environments (VLEs) is addressed. Twelve resulting guidelines particularly relevant to students with dyslexia are outlined. More specifically to computer science, the issues associated with programming are explored through the development of a mapping of the features of dyslexia to the tasks involved in writing a computer program. Preliminary evidence, from both the wider dyslexia community with computer programming experience and some early interview results, are presented to both support the mapping and draw out other important issues.This poster describes results generated from a LTSN-ICS Development Fund project, entitled 'Impact of Learning Disability on the Study of Computing'. This project seeks to investigate the impact of learning disabilities on students who are following a course of study in the computing curriculum. It looked at how best to deliver materials through the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and then focused on issues surrounding students with dyslexia and computer programming.The introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act [1] and the Disability Discrimination Act part IV [2] provides an opportunity and incentive to review teaching and learning methods and see how the needs of the students with special needs are addressed. In the case of a computing department, this should include general aspects, for example accessible provision of e-resources, and also domain specific aspects, for example programming. This poster looks at both of these aspects.Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Met.) is a large (37,000 students) university of applied learning, with a policy of widening access to higher education. The School of Computing has approximately 1,500 students enrolled on a variety of HND and degree programmes, of these on average 20 are registered as dyslexic at any given time. This is in line with the occurrence of dyslexia across the University as a whole and the general higher education student population, 1.2 per cent to 1.5 per cent [3]. There is, then, a substantial and persistent number of individuals that require support within the school.The poster begins by outlining the sources of standards and guidelines relating to the provision of accessible Web based and e-learning materials and then highlights those considered particularly pertinent to students with dyslexia. It then focuses in on specific issues associated with computer programming and dyslexia. In order to do this, first the features of dyslexia, both negative and positive, are outlined. A model of the processes involved in computer programming is then proposed. This allows an interaction matrix of the features of dyslexia and the process stages of computer programming to be developed. Preliminary evidence is then presented from correspondents of a Dyslexia e-mail forum, which supports the interaction matrix and raises additional issues. The results of an interview with a Computer Science student with dyslexia are also presented.This poster is based on earlier work [4,5].