Transition To Tertiary Education And Visual Impairment: The Role Of Online Cops

This research-in-progress paper presents an outline of my research project. The purpose of the research project is to understand and explain how the process of transition to tertiary education among visually impaired students in New Zealand can be supported through the use of online communities of practice (online CoPs). A qualitative research has been chosen as the most suitable approach to examine the perspectives and needs of this group of students. Additionally to its empirical contribution, this research project will contribute theoretical knowledge to the scholarly community. I propose a model that is compounded by activity theory, the theory of student departure and factors affecting visually impaired students’ transition.