The purpose of this proposal is to seek funding and approval to engage in research at Arizona State University (ASU). This proposal was written to help ASU Online enhance the graduation and retention rates of its online students with vision disabilities.

Research has revealed that personality plays a part in predicting academic motivation and achievement of college students (Komarraju, Karau, & Schmeck, 2009). The main purpose of the study is to determine what “Big Five” personality factors are related to academic achievement among online university students who are visually impaired or blind.  According to the “Big Five” factors, the five well-known personality dimensions include neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Earlier research has been promising, but specific questions must be asked to better serve this student population.

In 2011, research found that “although online learning is expanding in availability and popularity, the high dropout rates remain a challenging problem” (Lee & Choi, p. 593). Despite safeguards from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provisions, The American Foundation for the Blind (2017) noted that those learners with severe visual impairments or blindness are even less likely to graduate from college compared to their sighted counterparts.

Given these findings, the following research question will guide us as we conduct this study:

• What is the relationship between the “Big Five” personality traits and academic achievement of online students who are visually impaired or blind?

Our plan will address this research problem through correlational methods. In our case, this approach is ideal for scholar-practitioners who need to predict behavior for real-world applications. Thus, this study may yield useful data on the topic and will fill a gap in the education, psychology, and disability literature.

At VERA, Inc., we understand the needs of the higher education industry. As experts in virtual education, research, and accessibility, we have a well-known reputation for advancing knowledge and getting results. Founded in 2008, we innovatively solve business and educational problems by providing customized service and by sharing best practices.

A few benefits of this plan may include increased online student success, greater market share, increased graduation, persistence, and retention rates, as well as gained competitive advantage through greater insight. Based on the high return on investment (ROI), the total costs for services are $11,405.00 during the months of May – June 2017.

This proposal outlines the introduction, current situation, project plan, VERA. Inc.’s qualifications, costs and benefits, conclusion, and supporting data.

To learn more, I encourage you to read my full proposal.

© R. Dean Colston, 2017