1 research outputs found
Inclusive Online Learning in Australia: Barriers and Enablers
While the pandemic highlighted the critical role technology plays in
children's lives, not all Australian children have reliable access to
technology. This situation exacerbates educational disadvantage for children
who are already amongst our nation's most vulnerable. In this research project,
we carried out a pilot project with three schools in Western Australia,
conducting a series of workshops and interviews with students, parents, school
staff members, and teachers. Drawing on rich empirical material, we identify
key barriers and enablers for digitally inclusive online learning at the
individual, interpersonal, organizational, and infrastructural levels. Of
particular importance is that technology is only part of this story - an array
of social, environmental, and skills "infrastructure" is needed to facilitate
inclusive online learning. Building on this finding, we ran a Digital Inclusion
Studio to address this holistic set of issues with strongly positive feedback
from participants. We conclude with a set of recommendations for stakeholders
(parents, schools, government agencies) who wish to support more digitally
inclusive learning.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figur