ERIC Number: EJ1407344
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1176-3647
EISSN: EISSN-1436-4522
Technology-Based Learning and the Digital Divide for Deaf/Hearing Students during COVID-19: Academic Justice Lens in Higher Education
Abdallah AlShawabkeh; Faten Kharbat; Ajayeb Abu Daabes; M. Lynn Woolsey
Educational Technology & Society, v26 n4 p136-149 2023
This longitudinal mixed method study investigated the education experiences among 38 Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) students, 44 of their hearing peers, and three lecturers in two programs at a postsecondary institution in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Longitudinal data were collected at three points in time, summer 2020, winter 2021, and spring 2021. To investigate the differences between the two groups, GPA marks and responses to designed questionnaires for the different moments were collected from students. Repeated-measures ANOVA, the fixed effect regression approach, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and personal communication with the students and the lecturers. Interviews were conducted with the addition of a sign language interpreter familiar to the DHH students. Results revealed a significant distinct digital divide between the two groups in academic achievement, degree of adaptation, and general perceptions of their education. The results of this study suggest that DHH students in postsecondary settings may be at risk of underachieving in the distance learning study mode. As a result, higher education institutions, universities, and curriculum designers need to take steps to improve the environment of distance learning platforms considering the diversity of students' needs. This will ensure that students with hearing loss have equal access to lectures, course content, and their peers. Promoting equity and justice in the learning environment aims to bridge the knowledge gap and prepare DHH students for their future careers.
Descriptors: Deafness, Hearing Impairments, COVID-19, Pandemics, Access to Computers, Technology Uses in Education, Postsecondary Education, College Students, Foreign Countries, Educational Environment, Electronic Learning, Equal Education
International Forum of Educational Technology & Society. Available from: National Yunlin University of Science and Technology. No. 123, Section 3, Daxue Road, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan 64002. e-mail: journal.ets@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.j-ets.net/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A