Project description
Digital learning in schools has become the centre of attention, particularly due to school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across Europe, schools have faced and continue to face the challenge of fulfilling their educational mandate at a distance through digital teaching. However, scientific analyses and studies carried out during the pandemic-related school closures also show very clearly that pupils with special educational needs in learning and emotional-social development or with significant learning and behavioural difficulties are particularly at risk. with significant learning and behavioural difficulties represent a vulnerable group in digital learning, as their right to education is only met to a limited extent (Casale, Börnert-Ringleb & Hillenbrand, 2020; Couper-Kenney, & Riddel, 2021) and they receive less support and feedback from their teachers overall (Nesset Maelan et al, 2021). Teachers attribute this primarily to problems in self-regulation and learning motivation as well as insufficient technical knowledge at student level (Börnert-Ringleb, Casale & Hillenbrand, 2021). At the same time, however, digital learning also holds enormous potential for students with learning and behavioural difficulties, as it enables flexible and individual forms of learning and teaching and can effectively improve learning performance (Hartley, 2007; Li & Ma, 2010). However, these potentials and effects can only be fully realised if digital learning is integrated into a holistic learning environment (Hedley, 2004).
In SLIDE, we therefore want to address these barriers and thus enable the learning and developmental success of all students, but especially students with significant learning and behavioural difficulties. The aim is to develop an app-supported guide to help create a digital learning environment that explicitly takes into account the individual characteristics of pupils (especially motivation and interests, technical knowledge, self-regulation) and supports them in the key skills required for digital learning. In this way, we want to reduce the systematic disadvantage of pupils with special educational needs in digital learning and thus enable the inclusive education of all pupils in digital learning environments even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Literature
Börnert-Ringleb, M., Casale, G., & Hillenbrand, C. (2021). What predicts teachers' use of digital learning in Germany? Examining the obstacles and conditions of digital learning in special education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(1), 80-97.
Casale, G., Börnert-Ringleb, M., & Hillenbrand, C. (2020). Support at a distance? Special educational support in learning and emotional-social development during the 2020 school closures according to the regulations of the federal states. Journal of Special Education, 71(5), 254-267.
Couper-Kenney, F., & Riddell, S. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on children with additional support needs and disabilities in Scotland. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(1), 20-34.
Hartley, J. (2007). Teaching, learning and new technology: a review for teachers. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(1), 42-62.
Hedley, I. (2004). Integrated learning systems: effects on learning and self-esteem. ICT and Special Education Needs: A tool for inclusion, 62-79.
Li, Q., & Ma, X. (2010). A meta-analysis of the effects of computer technology on school students' mathematics learning. Educational Psychology Review, 22(3), 215-243.
Mælan, E. N., Gustavsen, A. M., Stranger-Johannessen, E., & Nordahl, T. (2021). Norwegian students' experiences of homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(1), 5-19.
