Digital Accessibility and Distance Higher Education in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract

The digital divide and unequal access to technological tools in higher education raise questions of social justice and equal opportunity. In this chapter, the authors used Amartya Sen's capability approach as an analytical framework for understanding digital accessibility in higher education and its impact on learning. Empirically, they conducted a survey of students at FSJES-Souissi, Mohamed V University of Rabat, Morocco, in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. The results revealed the existence of a digital divide among students, particularly in terms of technological tools and continuous access to platforms. Adaptability, autonomy, and affordability are not the same for all. The distance learning experience is therefore relatively costly for some. For the post-COVID-19 crisis, they have proposed several recommendations for equitable distance higher education, primarily the need for a gradual transition to a hybrid learning mode.