Technology-enhanced learning in higher education institutions: Exploring the lived experiences of students with specific learning differences and their lecturers

Abstract

This paper challenges the prevailing assumption that technology-enhanced learning (TEL) inherently benefits all students in higher education, examining how undergraduate students with specific learning differences (SpLDs) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use technology for learning. Through qualitative interviews with 20 students and 17 lecturers at a mid-sized UK university, we argue that while TEL offers flexibility and multimodal access to learning, it is also mediated by exclusionary institutional contexts. We support this argument by exploring how institutional and pedagogical misalignments may hinder effective technological integration for students with SpLDs. Following Abbot (2007a), we also argue that digital inclusivity cannot be achieved solely through technology; rather, it requires a contextual understanding of individual learner needs, institutional practices and lecturer preparedness. We emphasise that to ensure students with SpLDs and/or ASD benefit from the increasing reliance on technology in higher education, institutions need to develop a holistic policy approach that takes cognisance of the complex interaction between technology, the individual and the university context.