Creating Instructional Design that Activates Help-Seeking in College Students with Learning Challenges

Running head: Help-Seeking in Instructional Design 1
Creating Instructional Design That Activates Help-Seeking
in College Students with Learning Challenges
Ericka K. Eppler
Oklahoma State University

Help-Seeking in Instructional Design 2
Creating Instructional Design that Activates Help-Seeking
in College Students with Learning Challenges
More than ever, college students with all levels of motivation and abilities enroll in and
participate in online courses, including students with learning disabilities and other learning
challenges. Students must know how to navigate and interact with their online courses to be
successful. A crucial part of this success includes using self-regulation, a process in which
students apply their metacognitive abilities to manipulate their educational environment to
improve their educational outcomes. Students use help-seeking skills either built upon their
cognitive abilities or learned from past educational experiences as a method to employ self-
regulation. Even the best of students, ones who are new to online education, may not know the
correct avenues to seek help from their instructors or gain assistance from their online peers.
Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), attention deficit disorder/attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), or visual and hearing deficits can miss essential cues that
could prompt them to realize they need help (Stahl & Bromme, 2009). Since online instruction is
made for the masses, designing courses to seamlessly include teaching help-seeking skills as a
core part of all curriculum may seem unreasonable to some. However, since so many students
could benefit from this kind of instruction, creating a curriculum that builds help-seeking
functionality into all coursework is something that the masses may soon demand. Additionally,
inserting help-seeking into online instructional design improves learning experiences for college
students with SLD or other learning challenges.
I found patterns in subtopics that I synthesized to formulate my research. For instance, I
found several articles related to help-seeking online. I learned that students' help-seeking
behavior increases when they connect with non-human helpers, a computer program that

provides help like a tutor and sometimes has human-like qualities (Puustinen & Rouet, 2009).
Some non-human helpers can increase use of human characteristics when students perceive the
program does not evaluate their performance (Kim, Zhang, & Park, 2017). Additionally, I found
that many students do not feel comfortable asking for help, even when working with non-
humans. What makes this worse is that the human helpers may not adequately encourage those
who need help to seek it. Consequently, many students feel lost in their studies (Bohns & Flynn,
2010).
Unfortunately, the complexities that accompany studying college-level coursework while
managing learning disabilities do not always prompt this population to realize when they need
help. Nelson-Le Gall (1981) explicitly identifies this phenomenon in her model of help-seeking
which indicates that students must first discern their attempts to complete tasks are inadequate
before they can know they need help. However, that does not imply these students are without
skill sets to help themselves, just that they may struggle more with their classes than others. For
example, Trainin and Swanson (2005) state that students with specific learning disorder (SLD)
have the same level of motivation and metacognitive reading strategies as those who have not
self-identified as students with SLD. They must spend more time studying and self-regulating
their study behavior to achieve results comparable to NLD students. Students with SLD may
spend a considerable chunk of their study time attempting to work out their math problems or
answer an essay question without recognizing that they should ask for help; a cognitive or
metacognitive impairment could prevent this from occurring. Students with SLD may also feel
embarrassed at times as in Kim et al.'s study (2017) but have even more pressing concerns.
Many, students with SLD prefer not to be identified by others as individuals with impairments
and likely have privacy concerns. They might worry that the humans aiding them via instant

online chat and even non-humans record their conditions in a help session (Puustinen, Volckaert-
Legrier, Coquin, & Bernicot, 2009).
These four components when synthesized lay the groundwork to support the research
hypothesis: adult college students with SLD, online learning, help-seeking behaviors, and
instructional design. Educational institutions and their associated instructors must aim to create a
progressive, learner-centered environment that meets the expectations and requirements of all
learners, especially learners with learning challenges. Even though I primarily studied students
with learning disabilities and will specifically address their needs in this context, I will generally
prefer using the phrase "learning challenges" instead of "learning disabilities" when discussing
the possibly far-reaching implications of this research project for a few reasons. Firstly, students
with learning disabilities may have other co-morbidities namely ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum
Disorder, physical impairments or health issues, or other mental health concerns (Barkley &
Newcorn, 2009; Silver, 2013). Secondly, they may not wish to self-identify as students with
learning disabilities as Puustinen and Rouet (2009) and Roberts, Crittenden, and
Crittenden(2011) thoughtfully confirmed. Finally, students with comorbidities may either not be
cognizant of these factors that deleteriously impact their mental and physical health or have a
correct diagnosis which in turn could complicate their capabilities to self-regulate. With these
considerations in mind, I can now logically and responsibly address this populations'
contribution to the research question.
Methodology
My initial idea for a research question stemmed from research that I completed in a
previous semester where I studied online help-seeking behaviors of individuals with specific
learning disorders (SLD). I felt like I did not get enough time to explore this topic. Naturally, I

decided to research this topic from a different angle to learn more about it. I want to learn more
about ways that instructional designers and teachers can add online help-seeking seamlessly into
the curriculum, as to benefit not just persons with learning disorders but everyone. Inclusive
instruction is paramount to a thriving online learning environment; creating exclusive
instructional designs single specific learners out away from their peers, creating a situation where
students who need the most help do not seek it.
However, when I started searching for precisely what I would write about, I was not sure
about how to formulate my research question. I used the PICO process to begin the literature
search. My population consists of adult college students who take classes online. They identify
themselves as learners who struggle with SLD and at times co-morbid mental and physical health
issues common for persons with SLD. The study intervention consists of designing an online
curriculum that intuitively provides help and prompts learners to seek it when they may not
immediately perceive that they need it. What I learned while researching this topic is that
instructional designers and teachers require a proper theoretical framework from which to build
upon or improve their online curriculum. I did not find an appropriate framework in the literature
that correctly advises educators about how to implement such standards.
If I were to complete a research study on this topic, I would create a control group that
enrolled in a course without the additional help. I would then form a second group of students
who took the same class with online help-seeking functions built into the instructional design.
Both groups would include students who identify themselves as students with SLD. I would
compare the study results to form conclusions and critical takeaway points for future study. I
predict that creating a theoretical framework that guides instructional designers to build
educational material that offers online help-seeking will improve the overall learning experience

for students with SLD.
I used the following keywords and search strings as a starting point and then employed
multiple research tools while searching my topic (See Table 1 on Page 26 for more information.)
I search the OSU Library's website using the BOSS tool to find peer-reviewed journal articles. I
then searched Web of Science to see if I could find any cutting-edge research articles that might
change how I formulate my research question. I found some influential statistics about students
with disabilities on the National Center for Educational Statistics' website (Raue et al, 2011). I
also searched ProQuest for dissertations related to my question.
I downloaded and organized all my articles with ReadCube, which allowed me to
categorize them into subtopics and then also delete the items that were least relevant. I then
carefully evaluated each piece as I read them to see if the authors wrote professionally and used a
correct academic format and processes to assess their work. I sometimes had questions about
definitions or other unfamiliar words. I often searched the Internet to learn more about article
keywords; understanding these terms helped me further evaluate journal articles' validity. I also
referenced Kathy Shrock's Guide to Everything (http://www.schrockguide.net/, 2011) at times
help me rigorously assess reading materials.
After sufficiently evaluating the literature review documents, I created an annotated
bibliography that analyzed the solid points and weaknesses for several journal articles that I read.
I then synthesized them by again grouping pieces in the following categories: online learning,
students with SLD, instructional design, and help-seeking behaviors.
Adult College Students with Learning Challenges
Since the target group consists of adult learners enrolled in either graduate or
undergraduate college courses who have a diagnosis of SLD either with or without comorbidity,

we must address the unique nature of adult learners as part of the review. Statistics gathered by
the US Department of Education in 2008 illustrates the ever-growing need for universities to
consider and accommodate students with learning challenges. 707,000 students attended private
and public post-secondary schools in that year, and the number has grown. Thirty-one percent of
those students identified themselves as students with learning disabilities, and up to 18% of this
group also reported comorbidities that impact their educational experience (U.S. Department of
Education). Bunch (2016) noted that despite these numbers, her disappointment in the void of
qualitative research documenting the stories of students with learning challenges enrolled in
online education. Rutledge (2005) and Trainin and Swanson (2005) both touch upon the critical
characteristics of adult learners. Trainin and Swanson expand upon these concepts by also
factoring how learning disabilities impact their academic experiences, providing a more realistic
picture of students with SLD.
Rutledge (2005) applies Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory by examining how
online courses creators accommodate adult learners' educational needs and demands of adult life.
According to study results, adults prefer multiple modalities of learning embedded into online
courses, and they also want to know precisely how to complete a task to minimize risk and time
wasted. Additionally, adult learners often feel isolated from their online peers and instructor and
at times do not understand how to ask for help in an online course. Finally, adult learners
surveyed believed that online course design rarely used andragogy, a theory that addresses adult
learning characteristics. They instead thought that instructors might have unwittingly used adult
learning concepts when creating their classes; the instructors seldomly implemented these
practices intentionally. In consideration of the preceding, adult learners with specific learning
disorders (SLD) would also benefit from multiple modalities of learning embedded into

interactive online courses because it gives them opportunities to connect with their instructor and
peers. Instructors would be wise to provide course content to all students via verbal and written
instructions. Trainin & Swanson (2005) also found that those students clinically diagnosed with
SLD often depend on their listening skills instead of use phonological decoding to comprehend
reading material. When their instructions open avenues of communication in ways that all
students can understand, then students with learning challenges will feel less isolated. They
instead might feel more encouraged to self-regulate.
Online Learning
The second component, the online learning environment and how students activate self-
regulation processes, possesses prime real estate on the Internet; since I found a multitude of
journal articles related to the topic, I will only mention the ones most important to my discovery
procedures about online learning. Hoskins and Hooff (2005) consider which college students
intentionally use online learning and how this impacts their academic performance. Austin
(2009) and Kose (2009) also studied relationships between online education and student
accomplishments but with different frames of mind. Austin (2009) considered the outcomes of
differences in the online environment’s display correlated to variations in learners’ cognitive
domains. Kose (2009) studied students’ learning experiences with interactive, online computer-
aided presentations. Tsai (2009) agreed with Hoskins and Hooff (2005) when she stated that
students' internet research "strategies and skills positively correlate" to their results in an online
learning task. Tsai also differed from Hoskins because she focused more on students’
perceptions than academic performance. Lee, Goh, Chua, and Luyt (2009) share Tsai’s (2009)
view that students’ perceptions determine what kind of information and communication
technologies (ICT) that they use to complete a task but also believe individuals’ learning styles

contribute to their decision-making when learning online.
Online learning provides students anonymity for students who do not want their learning
challenges identified, offering students a chance to learn more than the curriculum provided by
their instructors (Hoskins & Hooff, 2005; Puustinen & Rouet, 2009; Roberts et al., 2011).
Hoskins and Hooff (2005) stated that students also gain a chance to exercise other skills they are
learning, such as self-regulation, information management, and digital literacy. Students also
benefit from a variety of learning scaffolds in an online interactional setting. Interacting with
online education provides more opportunities for learners to obtain 21st-century skills, such as
improved problem-solving skills, collaborative learning, and enhanced creativity.
A large part of the online learning experience involves interacting with Web 2.0
environments and their multimedia components. Austin (2009) and Kose (2009) point out some
critical, related factors. Austin (2009) researched how different multimedia displays influence
college students' learning transference. The author accounted for individual cognitive abilities
while analyzing the results and concluded that student aptitude along with the right combination
of multimedia displays provides a powerful learning environment. Even though she identified
that contemporaries in this field seem to always concentrate on how persons use technology,
instead of developing integrated, theoretically-sound procedures for using multimedia in
education with a foundation in cognitive psychology, she failed to mention how display design
attributes impact individuals' cognitive load and thus cause split attention effects (pp. 1339-
1352). Kose’s (2009) study reveals that even though interactive, multimedia presentations
increased student engagement, they did not enhance long-term memory. Although there was a
significant difference between groups right after the presentation given to one group and not the
other group, there was no significant difference between the groups five weeks later. Specific

display designs can distract learners and thus increase cognitive load. Persons with specific
learning disorders (SLD) or attention disorders may already be struggling with these factors
internally. Poor course design may further distract students, which could lead students to miss
essential cues to seek additional help. Additionally, teachers need to remember that some forms
of multimedia may not help learners perceive or remember crucial details. Even though
instructors provide means to gain help with multimedia presentations, online forums, and other
forms of online multimedia, people often forget. Therefore, instructors would be wise to
periodically remind students of the proper help-seeking avenues.
Besides interacting with peers and non-human features of online learning environments,
students’ beliefs about themselves concerning online learning makes the difference in whether
they will succeed or fail their coursework. Tsai (2009) states that students’ beliefs about learning
impact their overall learning experience. Students with learning challenges may struggle with
self-esteem issues related to past negative learning experiences or may internalize their
frustrations if they perceive they cannot find the help they need to complete their homework
assignments. It is likely that since help-seeking is part of the learning experience, student’s
beliefs about learning would impact their help-seeking behaviors. Part of help-seeking skills
involves students’ communication styles. For instance, Lee, et al. (2009) found that the way
students prefer to communicate impacts their learning outcomes. Personal learning styles and
perceptions about learning affect help-seeking behaviors as students choose a preferred method
of communication that they believe best meets their needs. Unfortunately, persons with learning
disabilities may not be able to use all forms of interpersonal communication techniques (ICT) in
a complex communication portfolio, even when those multiple means of communicating are
available to help them (p. 1167). They may instead choose the option which is most comfortable,

but it may not be the best modality for them to complete their tasks.
Help-Seeking Behaviors
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the college student experience is discerning when to
seek help. Students often do not even recognize that they need it until they discover they failed
an assignment or unwittingly submitted late work. Imagine how much more problematic this
situation could be for students with learning challenges. These students diligently complete their
homework with what they perceive to be the correct instructions. Subsequently, they might feel
surprised to receive an email from their professor a few days later asking why they did not meet
the assignment criteria. The surprised students reflect on their experiences wondering how this
happened. Nelson-Le Gall (1981) created the Five Step Help-Seeking Model from which other
authors derived the answer to questions like this one and many more. O’Neill and Sai (2014)
question students' decisions to opt out of online courses, somewhat on the premise that students
may receive more personal attention if they instead choose to only enroll in face-to-face classes.
Wood (2009) divides help-seeking into four categories, and Babin, Tricot, and Mariné (2009)
investigate three factors of learners using an interactive educational space, not only for learning
but for the sake of finishing a task. Stahl and Bromme (2009) share similarities with Babin et al.
(2009) in their endeavor to perceive help functions in computer-based learning environments.
However, while Stahl & Bromme’s (2009) field of inquiry relates to help-seeking in an online
environment, Babin et al. (2009) circumscript their study to help-seeking activities connected to
completing specific tasks. Puustinen and Rouet (2009) are in consonant with several of the
authors as mentioned above as their study’s scope also focuses on the entire educational, online
environment. Be that as it may, Puustinen and Rouet’s (2009) focus examines "spontaneous"
help-seeking via a computer-facilitated online help in hopes of finding better ways to develop

better help-seeking services. Wrapping up this section, Puustinen and Rouet (2009) explain the
differences between help-seeking and information searching, by replacing both definitions with a
singular and more robust description.
Help-seeking is a learned skill that many people acquire as a part of their primary and
secondary schooling. Nelson-Le Gall (1981) describes this process in her Five Step Help-
Seeking Model. Before anyone can seek assistance, students must first recognize that they do not
have sufficient resources to complete a task, such as complete a homework assignment or know
how to follow online discussion board guidelines. Unfortunately for students with learning
challenges, at times, this might seem like an almost impossible task.
Online courses, by design, are often more rigorous than face-to-face classes and thus
require more self-regulation than students might need in a face-to-face (F2F) class.
Consequently, students with learning challenges choose to take F2F courses instead of online
courses because they perceive they will find more help readily available to them than in an
online course. Instructors must be aware of this factor; they must reassure online students that
they will receive adequate support. Students might need to obtain online assistance via
unconventional means and thus must be apprised of the correct communication.
When learners have the impression that they cannot obtain adequate help, they may
decide to make different educational choices. O’Neill et al.’s (2014) study revealed that
educators and their home institutions often confidently presume that even tech-savvy students
will be automatically drawn to or approve of all online classes. However, educators’ incorrect
assumptions lead to increased attrition rates in online courses when compared to traditional
classes. Since people learn and process information according to their current educational
skillset, it might be possible that they attempt the steps out of order or perhaps benefit from

doing so. Since Nelson Le-Gall (1981) suggests in her studies that students may not grasp how to
properly seek help, then perhaps they must first understand what kinds of help is available to
them. Wood (2009) agrees with Nelson Le-Gall in principle but approaches help-seeking with a
greater emphasis on the types of assistance that students may seek. Wood also views help-
seeking as a form of problem solving, where human helpers or non-human helpers offer
improved help services.
Although Nelson Le-Gall (1981) offers a substantial model of help-seeking, it no longer
serves and represents all types of help seeking events, because it does not articulate help-seeking
in online learning. Although Puustinen and Rouet (2009) and Babin and Mariné (2009) build
upon Nelson Le-Galls’ (1981) Model and bring help-seeking into the 21st
century, they classify
modern help-seeking with different modalities. Puustinen and Rouet (2009) state that help-
seeking must be considered as a broader idea and instead defined and differentiated by
relationships to human or non-human, especially in circumstances where information systems
facilitate learner/teacher intercommunications. Instructors must act as intermediary aides who
direct and support learners completing tasks with both kinds of helpers, human and non-human
helpers created by humans. Babin and Mariné (2009) also consider non-human helpers but
instead centralize their study around task completion and classify help-seeking as either
“operative vs. function-oriented help.” In this instance, the learners must question the function of
the non-human assistance provided. Next, the students consider how their knowledge
background serves their purpose in this context. Last, they assess the function of help activation
when either the learner asks for help from the system or when the system asks learners if they
need it.
Teachers sometimes neglect to instruct their students to use "help-seeking as a learning

strategy," especially at younger grade levels. Since most adults use either adaptive or
maladaptive help-seeking strategies that they learned during their childhood, they may struggle
in online courses unless they learned theses skills later in life. This could impact how they ask
for help online since many adults did not grow up learning on the Internet.
For instance, Babin and Mariné (2009) found that most users in their study never sought
help from the online systems even when they felt they could not continue their task. Stahl and
Bromme (2009) also found that even though help functions are standard features in most
computer-based learning environments, most learners do not efficiently use these features. Wood
(2009) provides a possible reason behind maladaptive behaviors like these by suggesting that
students may not automatically know how to ask for help in every situation. Fortunately for
online users in Babin and Mariné’s study, online participants who received immediate operative
support supplied by the system efficiently completed their assigned tasks (1029-1038).
The driving force that allows students to successfully ask and receive help is directly tied
to their internal, self-regulation; it allows them to realize they should ask for help from
instructors and other "human sources." Persons who struggle with self-regulation may not be
able to perform this task. As was previously mentioned, students must successfully complete all
five help-seeking actions to gain adequate assistance (Puustinen and Rouet, 2009).
Unfortunately, students with learning challenges may have cognitive deficiencies that might lead
them to misconceive important cues and not complete all five steps and which may lead to
additional negative learning experiences and feelings about these events. Students with SLD may
experience anxiety when reflecting about a prior negative learning environment. They may carry
this anxiety forward on to future experiences because they feel the additional strain of having
SLD when compared to others without this condition. Furthermore, persons identified as

someone in need of educational support by the community may feel exposed. Unfortunately,
because of this exposure, these persons may quit their academic programs to save face. This
behavior further hinders this population from attaining their educational goals and finding better
employment. They need interventions that do not single them out from the general student
population. (Robson, Bailey, and Mendick, 2008).
Fortunately, operative assistance, an online, computer software help function, may prove
to be most useful for students with SLD that operate as novice learners within the online
environment. For example, the content of an online help message offered to users should activate
their knowledge background and self-regulation skills, thus enabling their understanding that
they need support, especially in the case of when students feel stuck (Babin and Mariné, 2009).
Instructional design
Instructors must act as intermediary aides who direct, and support learners completing
tasks with new technologies to activate and encourage self-regulation. These actions mitigate
help-seeking deficits among all students, especially for those with learning challenges.
Therefore, instructors should build help-seeking into the online environment by offering
deadlock detection, a help function that detects when students are stuck on a problem and thus
cannot continue their learning (Babin and Mariné , 2009), so that students can learn more about
help-seeking in this space. Stahl and Bromme state that learners' understanding, and proficiency
of appropriate classroom conversation often affects help-seeking; they understand that their
solicitation for help must correspond to the specific task they wish to complete. If they do not
receive adequate assistance, then they need to ask for additional help or designate a better helper;
educators should direct students to the correct helpers if they cannot meet student needs. This
becomes essential to student success in cases where students need additional tutoring,

connections to student disability services, or other support groups that underpin their
achievement.
“Special education” is getting to be an unpopular phrase these days and for a good
reason. Educational institutions separate “special” students from the general population during
primary and secondary schooling years but then expect these same students to perform with
equal skill and ability in post-secondary education. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
framework addresses the multifarious nature of students with diverse cultures, motivational
levels, and aptitudes and thus could operate as a scaffold from which to fabricate a help-seeking
structure (Shaw et al., 2018). Thurlow (2014) found in her study promising results indicating that
the educational field is now more inclusive of minority groups than was the case in previous
years due to legislative actions and overall minority support. The result of these actions could
foster expectations that accommodations made for these groups will be suitable and thus allow
the students to demonstrate their learning and actual abilities.
Collective learning, where students learn together in an online environment, proves to be
an excellent medium for students with learning challenges; other students can offer guidance to
others who might improve their help-seeking skills, because of its innately inquisitive nature.
Additionally, it offers the anonymity that some members of this population may prefer; self-
esteem issues could arise from comparing their performance to their “normal” peers’ academic
performance. However, designing an online, collective environment may eliminate some
students’ apprehension as everyone has equal opportunity to participate. Collective learning
groups often set expectations for online behavior and participation. Providing additional structure
with help-seeking instructions would allow more students with learning disabilities to flourish in
an environment where they are the exception and not the norm (Thurlow, 2014). Wang (2009)

agrees with Thurlow that instructors must provide sufficient requirements but also sharpens his
focus to study individuals and small groups in the collective. Members do best in group work
when all members feel they have the support they need to complete group tasks; students often
learn via a collaborative environment by asking for help from their peers. Furthermore, using
collaboration fosters self-regulation, and “development of meta-cognitive, motivational, and
emotional competencies” (pp. 1138-1143). Those responsible for instructional design should
carefully consider these dynamics as to increase inclusiveness in their curriculum.
Since useful and compelling course content is the cornerstone of first-rate classes, either
F2F or online, it must shine with an immense light when delivered online. Gibson and Trump-
Dunning (2012) underline the significance of academic institutions, as well as individual
instructors evaluating their online courses for their help-seeking functionality. Students should
easily see those beacons of light, prompting help-seeking activation and offering human and non-
human assistance, in logical and regular places throughout online courses. Additionally, even
though it is undoubtedly a good idea to explicitly specify how to complete assignments and how
to receive help from the instructor, educational organizations should consider creating a
framework and course evaluation rubric that determines explicitly how likely students will ask
for help via their online course. Taking these actions fosters a safe place for students to seek help
from their peers (Wang, 2009).
Conclusion.
This literature review builds upon the materialization of the patient and labor-intensive
researchers who have come before me. However, this paper's brevity limits the research that I
can complete at this time. Instead, it serves to encourage other researchers to continue working
on this focus of attention until such a day comes when online curriculum mitigates this

populations' disadvantages in an online production environment. Researchers may use my
research as a springboard and conversation starter that ends with improved online learning and
happier students. Bringing help-seeking into the 21st
century by redefining help-seeking by
helper type or function simplifies Nelson Le-Gall’s processes in a manner that improves helpers’
abilities to apply these concepts effectively for the sake of students needing assistance. Providing
multiple means to access help improves their success in online education and fosters self-
regulation. Finally, inserting help-seeking into online instructional design improves learning
experiences for college students with SLD or other learning challenges.
Considering all these factors, educators must evaluate how adding help-seeking to online
instructional design improves learning experiences for their students and do so in a way that does
not identify students with learning challenges. Educators may struggle to meet this goal because
there are no guidelines that specifically address this topic. A large part of instructional design
includes constantly evaluating and updating instructional content. Thurlow (2014) investigated
the continuing development of teaching for accommodation and variability in the learning
environment and provided insight into how educational trends impact minority groups, such as
learners with physical or learning impairment, those who speak English as a second language
(ESL), and learners with various cultural backgrounds. Wang (2009) believes that when
instructors help students learn more strategies to enhance their collaborative learning
environment, they foster positive interdependence by providing other kinds of educational
assistance related to supplies, functions, or the academic atmosphere.
Even though there is not are specific industry standards for this topic, there are many
which offer hope and lead educators in the right direction, Organizing and assessing educational
procedures is vital for personal responsibility; this is how educators establish positive

interdependence in a collective learning environment. Gibson and Trump-Dunning (2012)
examine specific online course structure content based on Quality Metrics (QM) Rubrics and
then determine how universities should implement peer-reviewed course evaluations. Gibson and
Trump-Dunning (2012) recommend a "gradual, phased approach" where universities train their
instructors to use rubric before beginning evaluation processes, then that leads me to believe this
process may or something like it may not be available everywhere. Legon (2015) echoes the
myriad of discussions about the QM Rubric where educators question if implementing the QM
Rubric to an online course improves outcomes- reduced online attrition rates, improved grades,
and greater student fulfillment. I primarily pointed out the QM Rubric as an example of how
universities could assess online coursework, including how students feel about integrating
universal design into their online curriculum. More so-called “special education” students would
benefit from activities and assessments that accommodate all levels of capability and motivation.
The authors concluded in their survey. Going forward educators must integrate appropriate and
satisfactory help-seeking accommodations into their online coursework.
Other models also partially satisfy student needs. The UDL framework addresses the
multifarious nature of students with diverse cultures, motivational levels, and aptitudes and thus
could operate as a scaffold from which to fabricate a help-seeking structure (Rogers-Shaw, Carr-
Chellman, & Choi, 2018). However, UDL's large magnitude incorrectly assesses the needs of the
specific population addressed in this review. Xu et al.'s (2010) Personal Virtual Learning
Environment Model (PVLE) expertly and systematically capitalizes upon Piaget and Mayer’s
Model of Understanding to personalize learning for all students but neglects the needs of
students with learning challenges. Nelson Le-Gall (1981) established the Model of Social Help-
Seeking, the research standard of help-seeking in the literature. This model firmly supports the

research hypothesis, but Nelson Le-Gall does not specify how the constructs of her model bolster
online learning. Elwood, McCaleb, Fernandez, and Keengwe’s (2012) Media-Rich Social
Presence Design Guide builds upon Dow's Grounded Theory Model (2008) and offers more
flexibility and multiple modalities of learning to students in an online educational atmosphere
but does not include help-seeking as one of its components. The Community of Inquiry
Framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) may provide more opportunities for learners
to obtain help from other learners in their online education community via self-regulation, an
essential aspect of the help-seeking process. However, it lacks the necessary direction and
structure that some students may require to succeed in online education. Therefore, going
forward, researchers must continue to work towards creating such a framework that supports
educators efforts to provide equal education to all, including an underrepresented population, by
incorporating help-seeking functionality into online instructional designs.

References
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Tables
Table 1
Methods: PICO Keyword Table
Population
Intervention/
phenomenon
of Interest
Comparison/Context Outcome Measures
Adult students
Asking for
help
Adult students asking for help
Adult students with learning disabilities have improved
attitudes towards help-seeking behaviors when they see
its benefits realized
Adult learners Questions Adult learners asking questions
Non-traditional students with learning impairments
benefit from online help when given accommodations
Retaining students
for adult
education
Homework
Online help retains students in
adult education
Non-traditional learners with learning disabilities
perceive need to ask for help when help-seeking
behaviors built into course design
Adult students
online learning
Online help
Adult students in online learning
use help-seeking behaviors
Adult learners with help seeking strategies experience
improved writing performance in online learning
environment
Non-traditional
students
Help seeking
behaviors
Non-traditional students’ attitudes
towards help-seeking behaviors
Learning
Disabilities
Nonverbal
Attitudes
towards help
seeking
behaviors
Students with nonverbal learning
disabilities understanding how to
ask for help in virtual classroom
Learning
Disabilities
Strategies
Students
seeking help
Perceiving need for assistance in
online environment as a learning
disabilities strategy
Learning
Disabilities
Support
Understanding
how to ask for
help in virtual
classroom
Integrate help-seeking strategies to
support learning disabilities
Learning
Impairments-
Writing
Perceiving
need for
assistance in
online
environment
Course instructional design support
adult students with writing
impairments
Online education
Integrate
help-seeking
strategies
Online education uses academic
lesson plans

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