University Students with Special Needs in the E-Learning System: Characteristics, Experiences and Competencies

Individuals with special needs consist of different groups with individual differences such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, orthopedic and developmental disability, and health-related deficiencies. Main purpose of special education is to create flexible learning environments adapted to the individual differences of these individuals. It is possible to see that e-learning systems used in online learning environments have become an indispensable element of education these days when we transition to digital age. For these individuals to use e-learning systems effectively, it must first be determined how they use e-learning systems, what level of competence they have in using these systems, and what kind of support they need. The aim of the research is to determine demographic characteristics of individuals with special needs, their experiences in distance education and e-learning process, their proficiency levels, and assistive technologies they use. In this study, case study design was used. 590 university students with special needs participated in study. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of open and closed-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS 21. Answers obtained from the open-ended questions were analyzed qualitative descriptive analysis. According to study, individuals continue open and distance education actively. It was observed that male students participating in the study were more numerous than female students, and students with visual impairment were more numerous than other disability groups. It has been concluded that most of the participants have very low experience in e-learning systems and they see themselves having very low competence levels. Also, the results showed that the participants use various assistive technologies that support hearing and vision in e-learning systems. According to the findings, it can be stated that there is a need to consider individual differences in design process of e-learning systems, to include user-oriented designs, and to provide individual assistive technologies.