Dr. Mike Kent from Curtin University wrote the article, “Disability, Mental Illness, and eLearning: Invisible Behind the Screen?” In which he discusses the study about online students who registered for disability support for higher education and how they were surveyed and interviewed about their mental disabilities. The survey explored how accessible different online platforms for learning were and the reason for what motivated students to disclose their disability or not. Some students felt that they didn’t want to share that they had a disability due to feeling ashamed, having a hard time admitting it to others, and having to accept their limitations. The article then moves into talking about disability and eLearning and how online classes can work as an advantage for people with disabilities by creating a way of learning that improves accessibility, flexibility, and disclosure. Students say they like being able to complete their assignment at their own pace and to have the freedom to work ahead if they wanted to. Although online learning has its negatives such as not being designed to reach its maximum affordances, the study showed that online higher education provides more flexible options for students with disabilities. Finally the article touches base on how eLEarning is beneficial to not only people with disabilities, but also mental illnesses. All together, the article discusses how online learning for higher education is beneficial and has many affordances that help people with disabilities and mental illnesses recieve an education that works best for them.
Kent , Mike. “Disability, Mental Illness, and ELearning: Invisible Behind the Screen?” The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy, 17 Dec. 2015, jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/disability-mental-illness-and-elearning-invisible-behind-the-screen/.