Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine February 2023 | Page 11

professors and students from different faculties and departments offer public lectures and community-based workshops designed to appeal to children , youth and families .
We recruited participants through e-mail requests for participation distributed in collaboration with the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board to those who experienced remote learning during the 2020-2021 academic year .
Before the pandemic Online schooling existed in limited formats long before the pandemic and has been valuable for certain students and specific circumstances .
In 2010 , research reporting on national studies of school district administrators in the United States found the majority of “ K-12 online learning is conducted at the secondary level where students are older and beginning to come into their own socially and emotionally .” It also found that the “ basic reason K-12 schools are offering online and blended learning is to meet the special needs of a variety of students ” — and that online learning is helpful for offering courses that are not otherwise available in schools and for reducing scheduling conflicts .
Students in remote areas , hospitalized students , incarcerated students , elite athletes , students with severe anxiety and students who learn differently are also among those who have often benefited from remote learning .
What students , families said While this year ’ s version of online learning must be contextualized as “ emergency remote teaching ,”, many still found advantages to this format .
Specifically , some students found the lack of bullying , peer pressure and social anxiety were a welcomed change that allowed them to better focus on learning .
Others mentioned the comfort of being at home , the reduced stress around the morning
( Envato Elements image )
rush , the extra time to sleep , the increased time with family and the ability to eat and have washroom breaks at will as all contributing to a more fruitful learning environment .
Fewer barriers , safer learning environment One parent of a child with physical disabilities mentioned that their child preferred online learning because , “ his physical disabilities aren ’ t a barrier to inclusion as much as they are in person .” This student already used a computer to learn , so they felt like they were no longer standing out as being “ different .”
In fact , unlike the in-person experience , they were able to take on a leadership role that had previously been inaccessible . As explained by the parent : “ He is very proficient online and this has provided opportunities for
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