Approaches and recommendations for distance learning for students with special needs and other disabilities
Abstract
The publication was prepared to support students with special needs in distance education. Its concept was created through team cooperation. The first two chapters are more general. The first deals with students with special needs in the context of higher education and the approaches to distance learning recommended for this target group. It informs about the used teaching platforms and supporting information sources and introduces the reader to research conducted on the impact of distance learning on university students. The second chapter comprehensively overviews workload, stress and psychological health in higher education. The third to eighth chapters report on the categories of students with special needs - students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, specific learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders and other difficulties (psychological disorders, chronic somatic diseases). The chapters have a united structure - they first contain basic information about the type of disability and its impact on university studies. The following parts reflect the needs of students of the given categories in relation to distance learning, including problems description and supporting approaches aiming to reduce the observed difficulties in distance learning. The last chapter deals with socio-economically disadvantaged students. Although this group is not officially among students with special needs, they also need support from teachers and technical equipment in distance learning.
The publication is intended for students with special needs, academics and university counselling services specialists.