Guiding Empowerment Model: Liberating Neurodiversity in Online Higher Education

In this innovative practice full paper, we address the equity gap for neurodivergent and situationally limited engineering or computing learners by identifying the spectrum of factors that impact learning and acknowledging the fluctuations of learner function. Educators have shown a growing interest in identifying learners' cognitive abilities and learning preferences to measure their impact on academic achievement. These needs, however, are often addressed via one-size-fits-all approaches leaving the burden on disabled students to self-advocate or tolerate inadequately conducive conditions for their learning. Emerging frameworks guide the support of a neurodiverse learner population in curriculum and assessment activities through instructional approaches, such as online education. However, the application of these frameworks is disaggregated, and the technology interventions recommended for the online learning environment remain insubstantially supportive resulting in disparity, particularly for those with undisclosed learning or developmental disabilities and situational limitations. In this article, we integrate a neurodivergent perspective through secondary research of around 100 articles to introduce a comprehensive Guiding Empowerment Model involving key cognitive and situational factors that contextualize day-to-day experiences affecting learner ability. We illustrate the model by synthesizing common formations of these factors to facilitate three sample student profiles that highlight fluctuating user perceptions and explore initially evident actionable user problems in functioning. We use this model to evaluate sample learning platform features and other supportive technology solutions that potentially address the needs of the neurodiverse learner population represented in the learner profiles. The proposed approach augments frameworks such as Universal Design for Learning to consider factors including various sensory processing differences, social connection challenges, and environmental limitations. We suggest that by applying the model through technology-enabled features such as customizable task management, guided varied content access, and guided multi-modal collaboration, major learning barriers of neurodivergent and situationally limited learners will be removed to activate the successful pursuit of their academic goals.