Challenging courses, loads of homework and the responsibility of time management can make the transition from high school to university overwhelming for anyone. But for the 9.5 per cent of Alberta post-secondary students who reported being treated or diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), it can sometimes feel impossible, says Dr. Samantha Spady.

With support from the university’s Teaching Innovation Fund, Dr. Spady, an educational developer with MacEwan’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, spent the 2023/24 academic year working on a study that tested the effectiveness of an intervention to make the transition to university smoother for MacEwan students diagnosed with ADHD. 

Working with students already enrolled and receiving support from MacEwan’s Access and Disability Resources (ADR), Dr. Spady matched 10 students with an academic strategy instruction coach for a series of 10 one-on-one sessions. 

Participants completed assessments before, during and after their 10 sessions, which looked at their perceptions of four common barriers for students with ADHD: organization, avoiding procrastination, task initiation and task completion.

“Every student who participated in the study reported having an exceptional experience working with an academic strategy coach,” says Dr. Spady. 

While students benefited from the intervention in different ways, three key themes emerged from the interviews: an increase in confidence, more accountability and growth in metacognitive skills (study approaches and skills).

“Validation was a big part of how students reported gaining confidence – in themselves and their abilities,” says Dr. Spady. “Students said they realized that university was hard for them, but not because they are morally bad or incapable – but rather that their impairment makes it difficult for them to do things in a particular way.” 

Students also reported that regularly scheduled meetings with their coaches naturally created “mini-deadlines,” increasing their accountability and helping break assignments into manageable tasks. Focusing on metacognitive skills created opportunities for students to reflect on their learning.

“Explaining how they normally studied to their coach and having that person suggest different approaches helped them to see themselves as learners, begin assessing what worked for them and build their own strategies,” says Dr. Spady.

Dr. Spady presented this research at the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education conference in June 2024, emphasizing that while academic strategy instruction isn’t the only accommodation available to students with ADHD, it’s an integral part of the toolkit. “We hope these findings will help leverage best practices that can help students be successful.”