|  | Current Issues | No.55 January 2009 |
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The Option of E-learning for Students with Disabilities in Taiwan: A Case Study Chien-Min Cheng |
There are many E-learning programs on university campuses, in organisations or businesses around the world. To learn new skills or knowledge through the internet is very popular today. At universities, many courses fit this method of instruction, but is it possible that this method of delivering adapted courses fit the field of physical education? This study aims to demonstrate an E-learning case study in the field of physical education for students with disabilities, by using website programs. All participants had to be registered in Spring semester, 2008, at Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences (KUAS), Taiwan, and were required to: finish all programs of adapted activity from beginning to end; take part in the mid-term and final tasks; submit homework; fill-in questionnaires; and record movement skills by video camera. In addition, all students’ work had to be uploaded on the website to share with all other students in the course. The research revealed that participants were more satisfied in submitting assignments and learning movement skills through the internet, although some subjects were unfamiliar with the computer skills required for E-learning. The research showed that all participants were more interested in E-learning than real world study due to its convenience to learn at any place and at any time. 1. Introduction Because of globalisation and the rapidly changing environment, and the fact that knowledge can become obsolete very quickly, education gained in one’s youth may no longer last a lifetime. Researchers from education, business and psychology have cited several factors of how information technology (IT) can enhance and structure online interactive education to provide lifelong learning systems that enable anyone to learn anything from anywhere at any time (Romano et al., 2005). There are many E-learning programs on the internet, at universities, organisations or businesses in every part of the world. To learn new skills or knowledge through the internet is very popular today. E-learning may become the most convenient style of learning for everyone. Encarnacao et al. (2000) predicted that in the year 2005, university studies would primarily be offered online. Even though this may not be the case, there is nevertheless a gradual and steady process of dissemination to online learning in all forms of education (Pohl et al., 2008). This study aimed to demonstrate E-learning in the field of physical education for students with disabilities. Although the current distance learning technologies, now sometimes called “digital-learning” or “E-learning”, emphasise bringing the classroom to remote students, this situation may provide a cost-efficient and convenient way to educate students, providing Same-Time/ Different-Place (STDP) or Different-Time/ Different-Place (STDP) learning environments. The aims will be realised as the key viewpoints that: 1) websites are the "feet" that take people with disabilities to foreign places; 2) websites are the means that bring to people with disabilities the opportunities to see, to learn, to communicate; and 3) we have an ethical duty to remove the "barriers" and enable everyone to have a rewarding experience through the websites we commission, or produce. These are the researcher’s viewpoints, which he hopes to share with the participants with disabilities and other researchers of E-Learning. 2. Research Issues 2.1 Participants All subjects identified as having some form of disability, as outlined in Table 1.
Table 1. Reasons for participating in the E-learning course of adapted physical activity at KUAS, 2008.
Reason | N (72) | %
Physical disability | 24 | 33
Psychological disability | 3 | 4
Psycho-physiological disability | 1 | 1
Disability resulting from swimming accidents | 19 | 26
Disability resulting from traffic accidents | 13 | 18
Other disabilities | 12 | 17
2.2 Instruction tools Three websites were used for the courses: Figure 1. E-learning of National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences for both instructors and students. URL: http://elearning.kuas.edu.tw/ Figure 2. Student’s learning and assessment platform. National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. URL: http://140.127.113.194/eLearning/student/allLogin.aspx Figure 3. Teacher's teaching file and assessment platform for Students, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. URL:http://140.127.113.194/eLearning/teacher/teacherLogin.aspx 2.3 Instruction process The instruction process lasted for one semester from February 27 to June 30, 2008 at the National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences (KUAS), Taiwan. All participants had to register in the Spring semester and follow the course from beginning to end. The course content included tasks, homework, viewing of digital videos, questionnaires, mid-term report and final test, which were recorded by video camera, with all information and grade scores being posted on the website to share with other students registered in the course. Various information technology skills were required throughout the course with the instructor and student communicating through the websites, Emails, discussion boards and for emergency events, the instructor was available via telephone. 3. Results Through tasks, homework, mid-term questionnaires and the final movement skills video and testing evaluation, results revealed that the participants were more satisfied in task submitting and learning movement skills through the internet, although some of the subjects are unfamiliar with some of the computer skills required for E-learning. For instance, when the subjects were asked how they felt about tasks and the reporting, ninety three percent agreed on the programmed setting process; when the subjects were asked about their expectations of curriculum content, seventy six percent reported that it matched their expectations; seventy-five percent felt that the course burden was too light and easy to learn; ninety six percentage agreed that the teacher was very conscientious and glad to answer students’ questions. Ninety to ninety-four percent of subjects were comfortable with the E-learning websites. 4. Discussion E-learning environments have previously been used to train operators in the use of various kinds of exercises and movements, where initial training in a virtual environment can avoid the expense, danger and problems of monitoring and control associated with training in real-life situations (Weiss, 1998). For example, E-learning can be used to train individuals to perform tasks in dangerous situations and hostile environments, and the participants can upload homework and video tasks by website at any time, from anywhere. While these systems show great promise for saving time and money, they have been largely untested to make certain they are technically feasible or that the desired skills can be transferred to real world situations. In this study, the results shown agree with this point of view. The researcher is concerned that participants selected the adapted course to avoid participating in physical education and would have lost the chance to learn many physical skills. This may change if the administration process develops better strategies. According to Wild (1999), application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education is of primary concerns for educators all over the world. However, culture has a strong influence on the design and use, as well as management of information, communication and learning systems. Overall, this research reveals that all the participants are more interested in E-learning than real world study in the area of adapted activity due to its convenience to learn anywhere and at any time. Therefore, in the future, Life-Long Learning is therefore not only a catch phrase, but an undisputed necessity in the information society. 5. Conclusion With successful website instruction of an adapted course for physical education, researchers should have confidence about the capability of students with disabilities to learn new knowledge and various skills through digital-learning in the future. The researcher also discovered that some students in this course became proficient at using computers; an incidental finding but very beneficial to the students in their life-long learning. 5. References Encarnacao, J. L., Leidhold, W. and Reuter A. (2000). Szenario: Die Universität im Jahre 2005, pp. 17–29. Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung, Gütersloh . National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. (2008). Elearning. Retrieved Nov. 01, 2008, from http://elearning.kuas.edu.tw National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. (2008). Teacher's teaching file and measuring platform for Teachers. Retrieved Nov. 01, 2008, from http://140.127.113.194/eLearning/student/allLogin.aspx National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences. (2008). Teacher's teaching file and measuring platform for Students. Retrieved Nov. 01, 2008, from http://140.127.113.194/eLearning/teacher/teacherLogin.aspx Pohl, M., Rester, M., Stöckelmayr, K., Jerlich, J., Judmaier, P., Reichl, F. and Obermüller, E. (2008). Computer supported collaborative learning and vocational training: adapting the technology to the learners’ needs. Univ Access Inf Soc, 7:259–272. Romano, N.C., Sharda, R. and Lucca, J. (2005). Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Requiring Immersive Presence (CSCLIP): An Introduction, Information Systems Frontiers, 7(1), 5–12, Weiss, P. and Jessel, A.S. (1998). Virtual reality applications to work. Work, 11(3), 277–293. Wild, M. (1999). Editorial: Accommodating issues of culture and diversity in the application of new technologies. British Journal of Educational Technology, 30(3), 195–199. Contact Chien-Min Cheng Graduate Institute of Physical Education, National Taiwan Sport University (Taoyuan), Physical Education Office, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences Email: jimmy@cc.kuas.edu.tw http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 The Option of E-learning for Students with Disabilities in Taiwan: A Case Study Chien-Min Cheng