Yes, You Can

Research With Adult Trauma Survivors Who Learn Online

Abstract

Trauma-informed educational practices are rapidly gaining traction in higher education, with increasing interest from faculty and staff, administrators, and government policymakers. While the volume of scholarly publications in this area has increased over the past few years, literature on trauma-informed pedagogy and practice in higher education continues to consist primarily of practitioner reflections (Anderson et al., 2023). As far as I am aware, my own publications (Schmidt, 2023, 2024, 2025) comprise the first peer-reviewed research to examine trauma-informed practice for open/online higher education. Given survivors’ preference for hybrid and online learning (Werkmeister, 2024), the relative lack of research in this area represents a troubling gap. Particularly concerning is the dearth of scholarly literature that centres survivors, contradicting the fundamental principle of collaboration in a trauma-informed approach.

Educational researchers who wish to address this gap through projects that centre survivors may encounter a variety of myths and barriers, however. Using SAMHSA’s (2014) guidelines for trauma-informed practice, this article dispels myths, dismantles barriers, and provides practical guidance for implementing respectful, collaborative research relations with survivors, ensuring safety for researchers and participants, and attaining institutional research ethics board approval.