Social media as online mentoring tools for STEM students with and without disabilities

Abstract

Considerable attention has been given to the need for educating a diverse workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Public and regulatory institutions have stressed the importance of efforts to recruit and retain students chronically underrepresented in STEM fields. Individuals with disabilities are among the most marginalized of these groups and face significant barriers to accessing higher education STEM programs. This paper will discuss affordances for e-mentoring of students in STEM education, with a focus on universal design for online learning and inclusion of all students, especially those with functional limitations due to disability. Preliminary data from ongoing research will be reviewed and discussed. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.