Distance Education for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Support.
Faisl M Alqraini, Khalid N Alasim
PMID 34388577WHAT IT FOUND
Parents reported that while some deaf children accepted online learning, many struggled with poor attention and lack of sign language support.
Most felt the e-learning platform failed to meet their child's needs, calling for better visual aids and school-home communication.
Key findings
0164% of parents reported the e-learning platform did not meet their child's learning needs.
0227% of parents noted teachers did not use sign language fluently and videos lacked subtitles.
0310% of parents reported their children did not focus on teachers and preferred playing games during lessons.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study relies entirely on parent reports, which may reflect their own stress or perceptions rather than the child's actual learning experience. The sample was limited to 37 parents in Saudi Arabia, so the findings may not apply to other cultural or educational contexts. The study does not include direct observation of the students' performance or teacher perspectives.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 60% positive experience rating as evidence that distance education works well for this population. Nearly half of the parents reported difficulties, and the majority stated the platform failed to meet their child's needs due to lack of sign language and subtitles.