Exploring the higher education experiences of students living with disabilities: an online MBA case study

ABSTRACT

Despite the significant growth of online education worldwide, the online educational experiences of students living with disabilites (SWDs) have been largely overlooked. This research presents an analysis of themes that emerged from in-depth interviews related to the authentic experiences of SWDs. Derived from the experience territory matrix three types of educational experiences that students encounter in their online journey (enchantment, re-enchantment, and disenchantment) were contextualised using the psycho-emotional model of disability. The study identified varying degrees of both enabling and disabling factors (i.e., perceived student-customer orientation, respect, experience quality, structural barriers, and internalised oppression). These factors contribute to the education experiences of SWDs that go beyond the curriculum with implications for institutional guidelines and the design of specific interventions targeting the needs of SWDs. Findings revealed how educational experiences can be improved for SWDs when addressing structural barriers, social interactions, internalised oppressions, and by enhancing student-customer orientation dimensions, and respect.

KEYWORDS:

• Educational experiences; students living with disabilities
• student-customer orientation
• respect
• internalised oppression
• marketplace accessibility
• structural and social barriers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Svetlana De Vos

Dr. Svetlana De Vos is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Australian Institute of Business. Svetlana has earned her Doctorate degree in Business (PhD) from the University of Adelaide, Business School, Australia. She is research active in the domains of business (consumer behaviour, customer experience), on-line teaching and learning, ethics and integrity (i.e., ethical mindedness and ethical imagination). Dr De Vos was also involved in research projects in the area of social marketing and advertising, including compulsive consumption, vulnerable consumers, help-seeking and emotional appeals. Her research publications appear in top academic journals such as European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Services Marketing, and Psychology & Marketing etc. with the recent contribution to Ethics and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning book.

Bora Qesja

Dr. Bora Qesja is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian Institute of Business. She holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Her research interests and experience include customer experience (especially in the higher education sector), product authenticity and innovation (particular focus on low and no alcohol wines-NOLO), Virtual reality and tourism (particular focus on wine tourism and VR experience authenticity), sustainable consumption, influencer marketing (including influencer authenticity), and big data and education. Her research appeared in peer-reviewed journals and top-tier conference proceedings including the Service Industries Journal, Academy of Marketing Science, ANZMAC and EMAC.

Ged Lipnickas

Dr. Ged Lipnickas is a Lecturer of Marketing at the University of South Australia. With a PhD in Marketing from the University of Adelaide, his doctoral research explored the evolution of markets and the pivotal role consumers play within them. Dr. Lipnickas’ research interests span market driving strategies, market innovation and transformation, consumer behaviour and its influence on markets, as well as use of big data in developing a competitive advantage. His research appeared in peer-reviewed journals and top-tier conference proceedings including Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Academy of Marketing, and Global Marketing Conference (GAMMA).

Joanne Harris

Dr. Joanne Harris has a PhD in Consumer Neuroscience (also known as Neuromarketing) from Swinburne University, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research investigates public health and social cause digital marketing communications using biometrics and neurophysiological technologies. Joanne has publications in peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Cogent Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences: Consumer Neuroscience Special Issue; is a Review Editor in Consumer Neuroergonomics for Frontiers; and currently teaches Marketing at the University of South Australia.