In exploration of my topic, I have expanded my ideas to look more in-depth at the barriers that exist for students using an online classroom setting, particularly those with mental health disabilities. I’m increasingly concerned about the barriers to learning for students with mental health disorders in an online environment. While many LMS provide a variety of options for sharing information, and accepting multiple ways of expressing learning, students with special needs may still be separated from the supports that they require to meet the challenges of the online classroom. Katz, Lamoureux, & Moran (2018) explain, “From the perspective of care ethics, a teacher’s primary role is as “carer,” responding to the needs of their students “ (p.15). How then does an educator respond to the needs of their students and how can educators use UDL principles to address barriers faced by students with disabilities within a K-12 online learning environment like Google Classroom?
Some of the barriers faced by students “relate to difficulties with managing appropriate self-regulated behaviour, such as time management and effort regulation (McManus, D., Dryer, R., & Henning, M. 2017, p.346). The disconnection of an online environment is a significant barrier for any student, but students with mental health disorders might be disproportionally isolated “due to the existence of stigmatising behaviours and the feeling of being disconnected or isolated from academic staff and peers” (McManus, D. et al. 2017, p.346). This disconnection exists for students within a physical classroom as well, as Marsh, R. J., Higgins, K., Morgan, J., Cumming, T. M., Brown, M., & McCreery, M. (2019) posit, “general education students are more successful at creating, and ultimately experience, more meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers than do students with EBD (p. 159). That study looked at students within a program specifically for students with emotional and behavioural disorders in comparison with neurotypical peers. If students in a specialized setting, presumably with extra supports, are still struggling to maintain meaningful relationships, how then can educators encourage and nurture these relationships within a Google Classroom.
G Suite for Education provides a variety of programs aimed at increasing collaboration and community. The ability to edit a document at the same time as their students provides a teacher the opportunity to give important, timely feedback. A Google Meet provides classrooms with an opportunity to meet face-to-face, through the use of webcams and microphones. Where does this leave the students without access to a stable internet connection, a working camera, or access to a device during class time? While these technologies seek to bring people together, they can further separate non-neurotypical students from the necessary connections within a classroom.
If a teacher is utilizing facets of UDL, they can help bridge these gaps for all students, starting of course with Universal Supports for students, particularly regarding social and emotional learning (SEL). I wonder if bringing a classroom together through classroom meetings still possible in an asynchronous way? In my limited research so far, I am finding very recent articles that state that more research is necessary in these areas, but in ways I think the research in other areas can be brought to online classrooms as well. I am also interested in exploring further what effect bringing a trauma-informed practice to an online classroom has.
In focusing on students with EBD and the barriers that they face within an online classroom, students that experience typical anxiety and feelings of stress will also benefit from supports and approaches that are explored with these students in mind.
References
Katz, J., Lamoureux, K., & Moran, R. (2018). Ensouling our schools: a universally designed framework for mental health, well-being, and reconciliation. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Portage & Main Press.
McManus, D., Dryer, R., & Henning, M. (2017). Barriers to Learning Online Experienced by Students with a Mental Health Disability. Distance Education, 38(3), 336–352.
Marsh, R. J., Higgins, K., Morgan, J., Cumming, T. M., Brown, M., & McCreery, M. (2019). Evaluating School Connectedness of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.Children & Schools, 41(3), 153–160
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Hi Tammy,
This is an interesting set of threads you’ve brought together. I think you have the start of a few promising paper/project research questions.
I think the approach to enabling students with disabilities in an LMS is both a technological issue and a design issue. Not all LMS are the same in their affordances, flexibility or adaptability. Google classroom is the dominant (sort of) LMS in K-12 because Google has made it very attractive to those that choose and LMS. It’s in Google’s interest to have every kid in North America growing up using their tools. Google offers many choices in media etc. but their interface is not adaptable.
On the other hand Moodle is open source (the code is open to anyone to adapt), which means there are thousands of community-generated plugins and themes, and an institution of the size of a university or school district could create their own plugin. This means the interface can be adapted to meet the needs of differently abled users. This might mean a simpler interface with fewer options at any one point, or an interface designed for touch screens.
On the design side, as a teacher you can design an activity that requires many clicks, with insufficient instructions and that asks too much of the learner’s motivation and self efficacy. Good (and imaginative) design can make an LMS easier to use for all (though only to a point).
I particularly like you quote from McManus, Dryer and Henning (2017). I think that “managing appropriate self-regulated behaviour” is a key problem though to undergraduate studies. It is something that I was working on when I was an instructional designer at UVic and Royal Roads.
I do think that for some students the ‘disconnection’ of asynchronous online learning can have a benefit in task completion at the micro scale. This still needs to be balanced at the macro level though. Your question at the end of the second paragraph sounds tailored to the current situation. I think it would be hard to research at this point (but maybe easier in a year). If you were going to design a supported learning environment and you knew it had to be online or blended I think you would start with the types of online activities, interactions and supports that are going to be appropriate and then consider the technologies that can support them.
The question ‘how can classrooms be brought together in an asynchronous way’ is a good one. You would need to spell out what you mean by ‘brought together’ and what age-group you are looking at. I know that there are many current examples of asynchronous online community forming for older kids and up, I’m not sure how the lack of immediacy impacts the younger ages. If you related it to the idea of ‘pen pals’ from a generation ago that may be a start.
Let me know as you start to get closer to a question. Be sure to check what you can find in the library on it before you invest too much time.
Tammy, very interesting topic you are broaching!! From a personal perspective I can attest to the positive influence of personal meetings with teachers and support that my son has received through his school. He has some anxiety and an IEP was put in place just before school was canceled due to Covid. I can tell you that he was so happy after his experiences of connecting with his teacher through google meets. The teacher also had the students connecting in small groups for reading time and I was impressed with the ability to create an environment where my son was able to participate without fear or feelings anxiety. While this experience has been great for him and for us, your question about relationships being nurtured through google classroom hits home for me. My son’s relationship with teachers and classmates was formed in person through the first half of the school year, however, I would bet money that he would not receive the online platform and engage the way he has without this pre-developed connection! We are human beings who crave human connection and learn and grow through human connection. I know the online environment can add tools and different forms of meets etc, however, in my opinion, nothing can replace the human connection that can creates the environment for learning. Especially for our young people. I am very interested in your research and your question hits the sweet spot!! Love it!!
Tammy, it sounds like you are knowledgeable and invested in this topic. I’m really interested in the trauma-informed practice you mentioned, and how that works in an online environment. Communicating concisely through a screen can be challenging, especially if there is any traumatic or emotional sensitivities that could get in the way of learning. No one who is struggling already, should have any further complications that could distract from meaningful engagement. Good luck with everything!
-Jesse