Distance Education for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Distance education has recently achieved rapid development in providing classes virtually. In this systematic review, the researchers examined previous studies that dealt with distance education for students with learning disabilities. Four bibliographic databases (EBSCO, ProQuest, SAGE Journals, and Google Scholar) were searched systematically in October 2020, using pre-defined keywords so that the studies pertained to distance education of students with learning disabilities from the year 2000 until 2020. Through the analysed studies, important topics emerged, such as the impact of distance education on students’ achievements, their emotional and social wellbeing, and the role of the family, in addition to the related uses of augmented reality and distance education applications. The results also showed that distance education, including blended learning, not only involves a change in the educational approach but also assumes a new educational method through which personalisation can be made. Furthermore, they showed that the student is the core of the educational process, and distance education is achievable for students with learning disabilities. The study recommended designing educational platforms in a comprehensive manner to suit the individual and collective needs of learners, as well as providing specialised courses to train students with learning disabilities in the necessary technical skills so they can succeed in distance education.