Abstract
Higher education became more inclusive and diverse, getting out of the lecture halls and seeking to facilitate an inclusive environment, as an indicator of educational programs quality. An inclusive learning environment is a barrier-free and inviting space, facilitating engagement and active participation, regardless of students' struggles, learning styles, and disabilities. Students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) succeed in higher education if their needs are addressed appropriately. University teachers have to address all their learners educational needs to ensure efficient knowledge and practice transfer. For doing that, they can test various ways to accommodate students' needs in order to identify the suitable one for a specific group of learners. The main issue in the process of digital transformation of the education environment is not only the creation of educational platforms and digital infrastructure with a good connection to the internet, but the elaboration and dissemination of new models of working and learning together.
TopWhat Are Specific Learning Disorders?
A specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neuro developmental disorder manifested as an information processing disorder affecting reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia or written language disorder WLD) or mathematical (dyscalculia) abilities despite normal intelligence, conventional schooling, intact hearing, vision, adequate motivation and socio-cultural opportunity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), long-term remedial efforts (Kirk, 1962). The symptomatic panel and diagnostic criteria of SLDs have been the subject of broad debates among practitioners and researchers in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and education (Pham et al., 2015). Over the last decades, SLDs proved to be a high-incidence disorder in higher education, due to the extensive hybridization of universities which gave access their study programs for a great number of students, the number if students with disabilities pursuing a higher education program is increasing (Hadjikakou & Hartas, 2008; Cumming & Rose, 2021). The umbrella of SLDs concept (Wang et al., 2021) encompasses many deficits in key academic skills (Azizi et al., 2018), which impedes learning, affecting not only academic life, but also personal development and life-skills. Listening, speaking, reading, writing, doing math are foundation skills for further academic learning (Abdelraouf et al., 2018) crucial to becoming an independent and autonomous learner, not depending of an adult to have access to information and constructing knowledge. Through these foundation skills study as long and as much as one need and want. For students with SLDs difficulties in becoming fluent in reading, writing and performing mathematical calculations can have a negative impact in their ability to be efficient academically, socially, and behaviorally.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Learning E-Portfolio: An electronic instrument to keep track of students’ reflections and their knowledge.
Assistive Technology: Any item, piece of equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1990 AU14: The in-text citation "Disabilities Education Act, 1990" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Distance Learning: An interactive knowledge-acquisition process.
Online Course: A set of instructional activity based on a digital-mediated network for interaction, knowledge transfer and learning experience.
Virtual Exchange: An online intercultural educational program that engages learners worldwide creating rich and divers learning experiences by interaction and collaboration activities.
Webinar: A digital learning tool, designed to simulate learning experience from lecture halls.
Cyber Wellness: A set of activities, including research, aimed at creating healthier learning practices in relation to the use of technology.
Specific Learning Disorder: A specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neuro developmental disorder manifested as an information processing disorder affecting reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia) or mathematical (dyscalculia) abilities despite normal intelligence, conventional schooling, intact hearing, vision, adequate motivation and socio-cultural opportunity, long-term remedial efforts.
Distance Education: An organized, planned, and guided process of knowledge transfer.