Creative connections to school: Teachers support the learning of students with chronic illness during absence

Educational research spanning many decades has sought to answer the question, ‘What makes a student learn effectively?’ The advent of increasingly flexible communications technologies offers both the need and opportunity to consider their application for effective learning. A research project, currently underway in a number of schools in Victoria and funded by the Australian Research Council, is investigating the use of communications technologies to address the educational needs of students who are absent from school for prolonged or intermittent periods owing to chronic illness yet continue with their school studies.
Research has highlighted the challenges of providing effective and consistent educational support for students during hospitalisation and recuperation at home. These children and young people, often undergoing intrusive medical treatment that interferes with the normal trajectory of their schooling, not only need but want academic continuity: consistent access to opportunities to learn effectively so that they progress academically despite disruption to their full-time attendance at school. Addressing their learning needs and educational interests minimises their educational disadvantage and the impact of chronic illness on their future quality of life and employment prospects. It also gives students a sense of normalcy, the chance to make choices, exert control and experience hope. For many children and young people, opportunities to continue their learning and education also give them a welcome distraction from the imposition of medical treatment.
Previous research has highlighted the desire of students to remain connected to their own schools, teachers and peers. Successful school re-entry is more likely if schools have maintained consistent contact with their students. Given their inability to attend school full-time owing to chronic illness, students need other means of interaction academically and socially; computer-mediated communication has the potential to facilitate this. The research project is exploring the use of technological strategies in terms of their ability to meet the diverse learning needs and wants of students effectively, and their feasibility in supporting academic continuity.
Early data from the project have demonstrated the desire of students to maintain contact with their own schools and the potential for continued learning and teaching, using videoconferencing, online whiteboarding and interactive whiteboard (IWB) application sharing. All these require particular resources and infrastructure, sustainable processes and support for teachers. This paper explores issues surrounding the educational application of technologies in a context where online interaction is being considered for the learning support and academic continuity of students unable to attend school.

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Creative Connections to School Wilkie & Jones ACEC 2010(2.37 MB)

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