Link and learn: Students connecting to their schools and studies using ICT despite chronic illness

In principle there are societal consensus and government approvals for equitable and inclusive education of children. This proves, however, to be a considerable challenge in practice, particularly for students unable to attend school for substantial periods because of chronic illness. Research indicates that continuing their education benefits students' ability to cope, maintaining a sense of normalcy and control. It is also crucial for minimising educational disadvantage and its impact on their future quality of life and prospects for employment. Two pilot projects, 'WellCONNECTED' and 'Back on Track', conducted by the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Education Institute in Melbourne have investigated alternatives to the traditional hospital-centred model for meeting the educational needs of children with chronic illness: school-centred and community-based approaches that rely on a student's own school to maintain contact for educational continuity and on multidisciplinary support for students and their families. This paper describes a new research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, which aims to build on the findings of these pilot projects. It seeks to investigate the uses of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to help students maintain social and academic links with their schools during hospitalisation, treatment, and recuperation at home. The qualitative research project involves the participation of more than fifty students diagnosed with cancer, their teachers and their education advisors from the RCH Education Institute. Findings from previous research and preliminary data collected from the current project highlight a significant concern about absent students missing out on important learning opportunities occurring within the classroom context. The potential for this project to examine possible ICT strategies that address this issue, such as interactive whiteboard technology combined with application sharing and videoconferencing, are discussed.