Dimension of Dyslexia in HE QNR

Dimensions of dyslexia in HE

My PhD research project is exploring the impact that dyslexia, as a learning difference, has on academic agency in Higher Education contexts...

This questionnaire works best in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

It should also work in Internet Explorer 10+ but sometimes the 'output' window gets stuck at 50%. The value you choose should appear in the 'tool-tip' as you drag and will come to me when you submit the QNR. I apologize for these glitches on behalf of Internet Explorer :-/

In addition to research, my professional role as a learning development tutor at a UK university has seen me regularly trying to provide helpful guidance to students with dyslexic learning differences who are studying at university, but my research is also interested in how my experiences compare with those of my colleagues working in similar professional roles.
So if you can spare 10 minutes or so, I am inviting you to please complete the brief questionnaire below which asks about the prevalence and frequency of characteristics and attributes of dyslexia that you have noticed based on your student interactions. I will use the information from the questionnaire to aid my development of the main, data-collecting processes for my research project.
The questionnaire presents a list of characteristics or attributes relating to how students with dyslexia tackle their studies - I am calling these 'dimensions' - and you will no doubt have come across many of them to one degree or another in your interactions with students. This list is drawn up from my own work with such not only frequently challenged, but also often creative and talented learners at university.
Please consider each of the stem statements that describe these dimensions and adjust the slider along a range from 0 - 100% to indicate how frequently you have encountered something similar in your own work with students with dyslexia. 0% would indicate that you have never come across that dimension (or you have no information upon which to make a judgment) whereas 100% would indicate that you encounter that dimension all the time when working with students with dyslexia.
My list isn't exhaustive and no doubt there are other dimensions that I have never encountered but which you have, so there is a space near the bottom for you to tell me about these and if possible, to provide an indication of how frequently you have come across them using the same, 0-100% rating (for example: 'your additional dimension; 70%').

I am very grateful for your time and trouble - I will receive your reply completely anonymously although when I have collected the data and analysed it I will be happy to share my findings so there is a space at the bottom for you to leave me your e-mail address if you would like to receive a link to the results. After you have submitted your answers you can change your mind and withdraw your data if you wish and details about how to do this are on the questionnaire acknowledgement page that will replace this one.

Thank you.
Andrew Dykes, PhD Researcher, Middlesex University - more about my project is available here:

The questionnaire starts here:

In your interactions with students with dyslexia, to what extent do you encounter each of these dimensions?

0% = never

50% = in about half

100% = all the time

Dimension 01:

students' spelling is generally very poor

50 %

Dimension 02:

students say that they find it very challenging to manage their time effectively

50 %

Dimension 03:

students say that they can explain things more easily verbally than in their writing

50 %

Dimension 04:

students show evidence of being very disorganized most of the time

50 %

Dimension 05:

in their writing, students say that they often use the wrong word for their intended meaning

50 %

Dimension 06:

students seldom remember appointments and/or rarely arrive on time for them

50 %

Dimension 07:

students say that when reading, they sometimes re-read the same line or miss out a line altogether

50 %

Dimension 08:

students show evidence of having difficulty putting their writing ideas into a sensible order

50 %

Dimension 09:

students show evidence of a preference for mindmaps or diagrams rather than making lists or bullet points when planning their work

50 %

Dimension 10:

students show evidence of poor short-term (and/or working) memory - for example: remembering telephone numbers

50 %

Dimension 11:

students say that they find following directions to get to places challenging or confusing

50 %

Dimension 12:

when scoping out projects or planning their work, students express a preference for looking at the 'big picture' rather than focusing on details

50 %

Dimension 13:

students show evidence of creative or innovative problem-solving capabilities

50 %

Dimension 14:

students report difficulties making sense of lists of instructions

50 %

Dimension 15:

students report regularly getting their 'lefts' and 'rights' mixed up

50 %

Dimension 16:

students report their tutors telling them that their essays or assignments are confusing to read

50 %

Dimension 17:

students show evidence of difficulties in being systematic when searching for information or learning resources

50 %

Dimension 18:

students are very unwilling or show anxiety when asked to read 'out loud'

50 %

In your work with students with dyslexia, if you have come across other characteristics or attributes that aren't listed above please note them here, if possible also indicating their frequency using the same, 0-100% scale as above:

This is the end of my questionnaire. Your time taken to complete it is much appreciated and your answers will make a valuable contribution to my PhD project.
If you would like to receive a summary of the analysis of responses to this questionnaire please leave me your e-mail address here and as soon as I've worked through all the data I will send you the link to the enquiry summary that will be published on my project webpages:

If you want to review your answers before sending them you can do so, otherwise click the button to finish the questionnaire:

phd research project: exploring the impact of dyslexia on academic agency in a higher education context: middlesex university london - www.ad1281.uk - ad1281@live.mdx.ac.uk - +44(0)79 26 17 20 26 | this page last edited: May 2015