The Experiences of Online Students with Permanent Acquired Memory Related Issues: A qualitative study

Abstract

Higher education institutions within the United Kingdom have been making efforts to reduce the educational disparity that occurs between abled students and those with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities are more likely to abandon their studies than their able counterparts. However, given the unprecedented shift to online learning during the Covid − 19 pandemic, it is likely that those with learning disabilities have faced new challenges. Within psychology research into online learning, one population that has received little attention is students with permanent acquired memory-related issues. Therefore, this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis study explores the student experience of six mature university students who started online learning before Covid-19 to understand (i) what online learning means for students with permanent acquired memory related issues and (ii) what barriers and facilitators they encountered within their academic journey. Three themes were developed (i) Negotiating the challenges of online learning (ii) Online learning and the emotional experience, and (iii) Avoiding the gaps presented by online learning. The findings suggest that students’ online experience with permanent acquired memory loss was complex. Academic staff’s misunderstanding and the impact of Covid-19 combined to create several challenges, but support and individualised strategies aided course adherence.