The experience of distance education of students with learning difficulties or disabilities in the COVID-19 period: A pilot study
Abstract
In 2020, the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was an unexpected situation affecting all areas of human life. The suspension of educational institutions was imposed almost simultaneously in 61 countries. Universities were forced in a short period of time (a few weeks) to move to online education, facing a great challenge. The purpose of this research is to record the degree of acceptance of distance teaching methods by students with special educational needs (disability/learning difficulties) attending public universities and to identify potential obstacles, difficulties or benefits of online education. The sample consisted of 73 students from twelve Greek universities (37 suffering of a chronic disease/disability and 36 with diagnosed learning disabilities). A closed-ended questionnaire was constructed and distributed electronically to undergraduate students of public universities. According to the results, the attitude of students with special educational needs toward online teaching is generally positive, with students with a chronic disease/disability expressing a slightly more positive attitude. Two thirds of the participants responded positively to the prospect of continuing online teaching after the end of the pandemic. Half of the participants did not get enough information and support before the start of online lessons, while only a small percentage (4.6) is familiar with the special assistive technology suitable for students with special educational needs. Moreover, the students who took part at the study reported several personal, technical, academic and communication obstacles and difficulties encountered in distance learning. They pointed out the advantages of personal contact and feedback from their professors. The present research is a pilot one and it can trigger further research in this area. Students’ perceptions and experiences (positive or negative) must be taken into account to improve online teaching practices and provide additional support mechanisms for future cases.
Article Details
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Σταμπολτζή Α. .-. Λ., Γιαννούλας Ά., & Καλαματιανός Α. (2020). The experience of distance education of students with learning difficulties or disabilities in the COVID-19 period: A pilot study. Hellenic Journal of Research in Education, 9(1), 140–157. https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.24497
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- Vol. 9 No. 1 (2020)
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