By UpBrainery
Covid-19 raised an upheaval in our lives and transformed everything around us including our education system. We saw our children suffering from multiple mental health issues from being cooped up in their houses. However, e-learning, an avenue that has been lying dormant for the past many years, was explored and became successful in filling the gap created by the global pandemic.
UpBrainery Technologies, my brainchild, also came to life during this time period. As an e-learning platform, my team and I made sure that it ensures a great interactive experience whether students are taking a virtual or at their own pace course. We quickly realized that providing a streamlined experience for students that allowed them to have their content, tools, and video conferencing in one cohesive screen allowed for a much better learning experience. However, the surprising result was the effect and ease of learning among students that require additional accessibility support.
Accessible education can simply be defined as having courses and techniques that allow children from different locations, abilities, and styles to receive the same standard of education. But being able to have all the content that can be magnified, and all in one simple-to-use workspace makes learning much more accessible. While parents understand this concept, many find it difficult to ensure that their children are benefitting from these programs.
Even though accessibility has now become an essential part of e-learning, we as parents need to learn how to make the best use of it in order to provide the best possible tools while removing the barriers. What we do not want is for our children to feel demotivated when faced with challenges.
As parents, it is critical that we not only help our children gain access to their learning opportunities but also develop the necessary skills to do so. Here are some ways that you as a parent can help your child to be set up for success in an online environment.
As schools are back in session, there are still many great resources that are available as online options. Here are some tips and tricks to help you navigate this world of learning in order to help your child get the most out of their learning.
Associate Yourself With The E-Learning Platform
Before your child begins their e-learning course, it is important that you go through the platform and the technology yourself and understand it. Familiarizing yourself before your child begins to use the course, ensuring the availability of resources, and knowing how to support your kiddos throughout the course will ensure a smooth experience.
Apart from navigation and interaction, your child should be able to go over the content easily. Captions, images, videos, and language are just some basics that should be checked before beginning. Go over the color contrast and make sure your child is comfortable exploring the platform without getting discouraged.
Give Them Their Space
Children easily get confused between ‘work’ and ‘play’, especially when homeschooled or taking a class from home. Hence, for a child that already needs assistance to learn, you need to set up a proper learning environment. Ask them which space they would prefer to be dedicated to their schoolwork space and then put in the little touches to truly make it a dedicated space for learning.
Learn About Accessibility Standards
Even though the school is mainly responsible for providing accessibility options to students, as a parent it’s an added benefit if you do your research on web accessibility guidelines and standards. You will know what to expect and the school will ensure that no student is marginalized.
Standards set by the government are a great help in ensuring that no disabled student is left behind and keeping a check on this only helps our children.
Stay Updated With Technology
With technological advancements occurring frequently, it is imperative that you keep yourself updated. There are various devices and programs that can help students with certain disabilities to overcome their weaknesses and gain access to advanced learning techniques.
It is our duty as parents to ensure that our children don’t get left behind, especially in something as important as their education. You can prevent it from happening by going over your child’s e-learning program and overlooking each aspect of it so they have everything they need to support their learning progress.
Even though e-learning is a relatively new concept in our education system, it has made it possible for those who were previously excluded from learning and excelling in a certain field, to become an essential part of it. So much so, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in Canada, has made it a requirement to accommodate students with disabilities through accessible e-learning opportunities.
Over the years, children with special needs requirements have been neglected and have been denied the assistance they have needed. We, as parents, need to realize how e-learning and a boost in educational technology have made it possible to cater to each and every learner and provide them with opportunities not only in the learning environment but in various career fields. After all, education is a necessity for all no matter what differences they might have.
Ghazal Qureshi is a (now) native Houstonian who came to Houston with her family from Pakistan in 12th grade. She is a Computer Scientist and has worked for over 20 years in the technology space. When she saw a lack of adaptive educational programs focused on developing critical thinking skills, she formed her first educational company in 2011, offering STEM after-school programs. She grew from 1 location in Houston to over multiple countries. In early 2020, she was dissatisfied with the lack of innovation in education. For this reason, she exited her first company. She formed UpBrainery, an Innovative and Immersive educational technology platform coupled with neuroscience research-based programs to provide adaptive learning and individualized pathways for students at home or in the classroom.
UpBrainery takes advantage of the technological advances in AI, Machine Learning, and game-based education to provide an immersive and engaging educational experience. Since its inception, UpBrainery has won major accolades through Google for Startups, Forbes Next 1000, Houston Business Journal, and others. UpBrainery is also the exclusive K12 educational pathway provider for the US Congressional App Challenge. www.UpBrainery.com
