Remote Education Trajectories for Learners with Special Needs During the Covid-19 Outbreak

Abstract

In order to stop the COVID-19 virus spreading, most universities replaced traditional in-class education with remote teaching and learning. The whole situation was stressful for all, particularly for the students with special needs. It seems that these students were literally abandoned, and many differently abled students completely missed out on their education. Learning results of those who were enabled remote learning significantly decreased, which additionally undermined their already present low self-esteem. To resolve the dilemma whether the essential groundwork for inclusiveness exists, this paper examines the accessibility of learning management systems, audio and video teleconferencing applications, and massive open online courses. Four impairments: motor, vision, hearing and cognitive were carefully explored in line with WCAG 2.1 recommendations. The current state of the synergy between the components was assessed carefully and thoroughly. Based on the research findings, recommendations towards making online learning more accessible to students with special needs are proposed, aiming to enable broad education to everyone, with no discrimination on the basis of disability.

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“…Looking forward, studies like [16] discuss the future of web accessibility standards beyond WCAG 2.1. They emphasize the importance of continuous adaptation and the potential integration of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning in enhancing web accessibility.…”

“…The strategic incorporation of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 into Design Systems presents a significant advantage. WCAG 2.1 extends beyond the provisions of WCAG 2.0 by addressing a wider range of disabilities, including those related to vision, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities [16]. Integrating WCAG 2.1 directly into a Design System, as opposed to retrofitting accessibility into individual web applications, ensures that accessibility is not an afterthought but a foundational aspect of the design process.…”

Cutting-edge communication and learning assistive technologies for disabled children: An artificial intelligence perspective

“…Urgent need to transform traditional in-class education to remote education was an inspiration for many AI researchers to start creating cutting-edge assistive technologies and support massive inclusiveness at all levels of education. AI-based assistive technologies played a significant role in supporting them to learn and study remotely (Zdravkova and Krasniqi, 2021 ; Zdravkova et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The most widely used operating systems: Windows, MacOS, Android, Linux and Ubuntu provide some or all accessibility features, among which: screen readers, personal assistants, switch controls and voice access and control (Zdravkova et al, 2022 ).…”

Utilization of Universities’ Massive Online Open Courses in Learning Management System: Research Trends and Bibliometric Analysis

“…Research by (Ikhwani & Kep, 2021;Saputro et al, 2022) also shows that using MOOCs in LMS can increase student involvement in learning and motivate them to be active in the learning process. In addition, MOOCs in LMS can also increase accessibility and inclusiveness for students with special needs or remote locations (Cinquin et al, 2019;Zdravkova et al, 2022). With increased student learning outcomes, it is hoped that the use of MOOCs in LMS in the university environment can strengthen the role of tertiary institutions in producing quality graduates who are ready to face challenges in the era of globalization (Lopukhova & Makeeva, 2017;Mishra et al, 2020).…”