Re-assessing “readiness” in OWI: Toward a trauma-informed approach to supporting students in online writing courses

Abstract

This article examines the construct of student success that is forwarded by readiness assessments designed to evaluate students’ preparation for online learning. These readiness assessments emphasize factors such as time management, motivation, and access to and fluency with technology, suggesting to students that if they possess strengths in these areas, they will likely do well in a course. For students who struggle in OWCs–often disproportionately representing minoritized and historically disenfranchised populations in higher education–these readiness assessments fall short of providing the resources that students need to understand the cognitive demands of OWCs. I propose recasting student performance through a trauma-informed lens to focus attention on what students can learn in order to be successful in their online courses.