Coping in the time of COVID‐19: Insights from university students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Background

For almost two decades, students with intellectual, developmental and multiple disabilities have attended undergraduate classes at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada as part‐time auditing students. They are supported by the Campus Life program. Campus Life employs graduate and undergraduate university students as academic tutors and social role models because they too are immersed in university life.

Methods

We chose collaborative autoethnography as a research method because we believe in researching and writing with individuals with disabilities, rather than about them. Three student tutor dyads elected to participate in this study. In the context of the pandemic and the switch from on‐campus in‐person learning to off‐campus online learning, we were interested in learning about the changes, challenges or unanticipated benefits they experienced. Each dyad engaged in tutor‐led conversations, guided by open‐ended questions, and wrote their story.

Findings

The stories from the three dyads were received and analysed. We found three emergent themes. The first was centred on worries about the health risks of COVID‐19, the difficulties they experienced in adapting to online learning and their development of better skills in listening and communicating. The second theme was about the dramatic reduction in their opportunities for social engagement. With respect to the third emergent theme, they recounted some advantages of online learning, noting that it was more accessible, more convenient and safer during a pandemic.

Conclusion

For the study participants the shift to online classes and tutoring sessions was surprisingly successful. They became more independent and improved their online communication, time‐management and organisational skills. Social engagement was sorely missed, especially studying and socializing with classmates at university and participating in extracurricular activities. The students also noted some advantages to online learning such as accessibility, convenience, feeling comfortable at home, avoiding transportation to the university and learning to use new tech tools. The tutors began sharing and learning from each other. This was facilitated by online tutoring roundtables. Our first insight from this study is the realisation that we now have a new medium for tutoring Campus Life students. A second is the need to better understand student social engagement in the online world.

Accessible summary

• Students with intellectual disabilities attend classes at the University of Manitoba as part‐time auditing (nondegree) students.

• The students are supported by their peers who are paid tutors and social mentors.

• Due to COVID‐19 almost all classes moved online, while social, recreational and employment opportunities for students closed for seven semesters.

• We investigated how the students and tutors coped when classes moved to at‐home virtual learning.

• The students and tutors responded by learning new online skills and developing greater independence, as well as improving their listening, communicating, sharing, time‐management and organisational skills.

1. INTRODUCTION

For almost two decades, students with intellectual, developmental and multiple disabilities have attended undergraduate classes at the University of Manitoba as part‐time auditing students. They are supported by the Campus Life program which provides (a) access to academic and nonacademic opportunities at university, (b) academic tutoring, (c) social mentoring and (d) counselling. Campus Life is not an adult day program located at the university. Rather, the students are supported to attend regular classes, take part in university activities and access student services, in the same ways as other students. Campus Life employs graduate and undergraduate university students as academic tutors and social role models because they too are immersed in university life.

For years, we have documented the evolution of the Campus Life program (R. Freeze, 2009; T. B. Freeze et al., 2015; Lutfiyya & Cantor, 2007; Lutfiyya et al., 2017) and the academic and social experiences of Campus Life students, often writing as co‐authors with them (Stephenson et al., in press; Wilson et al., 2012). Two important themes stand out. First, for the Campus Life students, studying on campus and engaging person‐to‐person with tutors, other students and professors have been a highly valued aspect of attending university. Second, participating in the wide range of nonacademic social, recreational and employment opportunities at university has been central to the development of their friendship networks, identity, sense of belonging and readiness for work.

As Baurhoo (2017) notes, there are only a few studies of students with intellectual disabilities attending university that provide insight into how they perceive their learning experiences. Sheppard‐Jones et. al. (2021) suggested that the experiences of university students from marginalised groups need to be studied and better understood and Saxton (2021) noted how such events as a pandemic would likely have a disproportionate impact on these groups as well. Carpinelli et al. (2021) found that students with disabilities reported being more satisfied with remote learning than their nondisabled peers. Sources of dissatisfaction included weak technology infrastructure and the impact of missing interactions and relationships with faculty members and their peers. Finally, Spencer et al. (2021) noted the resilience of students with intellectual disabilities and their growing sense of pride as they learned how to use the technology required to take part in remote learning. There is still much to learn about the experiences of postsecondary students with intellectual disabilities during a global pandemic. Similarly, the experiences of tutors of such students have not been plumbed sufficiently in the postsecondary context. One was of addressing these gaps, autoethnography, has been demonstrated by research with university students without disabilities (T. B. Freeze et al., 2015; Jain et al., 2020). It provides a way to hear often disqualified voices. While the inherent bias in this approach must be acknowledged (Poerwandari, 2021), it pales in comparison to the prevalent ableist bias in society, including at colleges and universities (Powell, 2021). We argue that it is the 'biased' perspectives of students with intellectual disabilities at university that we most need to hear.

In this qualitative study, we explored how Campus Life students and their tutors coped when two pillars of their university experience collapsed under the onslaught of COVID‐19: (a) classes moved off‐campus to isolated at‐home virtual learning and (b) all nonacademic social, recreational and employment opportunities at the university closed for seven semesters. To better understand the significance of these two changes, a brief review of how the pandemic has affected the province where we live, the university where we study and work and the Campus Life program where our lives intersect is provided.

1.1. The provincial and university context

COVID‐19 arrived in Manitoba, Canada, in March of 2020 (Nassar, 2020). In response to the pandemic, the president of the University of Manitoba announced that almost all classes would be adapted for remote delivery (President's Office, personal communication, 12 March 2020). By 30 October 2020, the province announced, 'extensive community transmission of COVID‐19 is occurring and is not contained (Manitoba.ca/restartMB, 2021). Consequently, the government introduced emergency restrictions that were not relaxed until February and March of 2021 (Rosen, 2021a, 2021b). However, the re‐opening was too soon and too lax. By the end of May 2021; Manitoba's new case numbers had climbed to the highest daily count since the onset of the pandemic, new variants of COVID‐19 had emerged in the province, hospital capacity was overwhelmed, suffering and death due to the deferral of scheduled surgeries and other treatments occurred, and many critically ill patients were flown to out‐of‐province medical care (May, 2021). News reports referred to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the University of Manitoba is located, as the North American COVID‐19 hot spot (Staff, 2021). At this point, the university confirmed that summer and fall semester courses would continue as online offerings.

1.2. The campus life response

In mid‐March 2020, when the president of the university announced that most university activities would take place remotely, the Campus Life program followed suit. Throughout the university, professors, instructors, students and staff had roughly 1 week to prepare for the transition. For the Campus Life students and tutors, it was a difficult transition for many reasons.

First, the director, tutors and students had very little time to prepare. The main concern was ensuring that all required material and information from on‐campus workspaces was transferred to home workspaces.

Second, most students and tutors had little or no prior experience with online course attendance or tutoring. Consequently, most required at‐home assistance to learn how to access their online classes and tutorial sessions on a variety of online meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, Webex and Bluejeans). Many students received initial help at home from a family member, support worker or friend. The tutors and students (and their supporters) worked together to set‐up access to the online classes and materials. In most cases, as students became more familiar with the process, they no longer required at‐home support to access their courses, learning materials and tutoring sessions. Supporting students in setting up online access was challenging to do over the phone or by email. This was because different professors and instructors adopted different online meeting platforms to continue their classes. In addition, the at‐home hardware used by the students and tutors varied (e.g., ipad, Android tablet, MacBook Pro, PC laptop, PC desktop), as did the software associated with each device. A lack of familiarity with different systems made it difficult for tutors to provide students with clear and simple instructions for downloading and accessing online platforms and apps.

Third, some accommodations used on campus did not transfer to remote learning. For example, prior to the switch, professors often emailed course information directly to the Campus Life tutors, who then shared it with their students. After the switch, many professors and instructors relied solely on a university learning management system, called UM Learn, to communicate with students and to deliver additional course content, complementary learning materials, tests and other information such as hyperlinks to learning resources. This was problematic as many students, including the Campus Life students, were not set up to use UM Learn. The university's Information Systems Technology (IST) staff were overwhelmed with requests for access to UM Learn from across the campus. For many Campus Life students, additional support from their tutor or the director was required to effectively communicate with IST. As such, Campus Life staff and students had to organise multihour time slots in which both the director or a tutor and the student were free to wait on hold for IST.

Finally, many students were unfamiliar with the protocols and procedures of online meeting platforms. Skills such as online etiquette, muting your microphone or video, typing in the chat function, screen sharing and working in virtual breakout rooms had to be taught by the tutors.

While the quick and unexpected transition to remote learning was challenging, the students and tutors were flexible and resilient, and all were able to complete the 2019–2020 academic year. Over the summer months, the director was able to reorganise the program for online delivery and since then it has become much more successful. The nature of this reorganisation is explained below by contrasting the students' classes, tutoring sessions, and social participation, off‐campus supports before and during the pandemic. In this context, success meant that all the Campus Life students remained in the program, successfully completed their courses and registered for the next term. At the time of this study, the Campus Life students' courses were The Animal and its Environment (11 students) and Natural Disasters and Global Change (133 students). One coauthor had graduated and therefore had no classes.

In September of 2020, Campus Life students embarked upon their first full year of remote learning. Before the onset of the term, the tutors scheduled online meetings with their students to develop a rapport and to ensure that they were prepared for remote learning. Over the 2020–2021 academic year, the Campus Life students were successful in attending their online classes and tutoring sessions. However, there were several differences between in‐person and remote classes and tutoring.

1.2.1. Classes pre‐pandemic

Before the pandemic, students attended courses in‐person on campus. Based on the students' interests and educational goals, the director of the program compiled a list of course options for students to consider and they selected one or more. Consistent with university policy, permission to audit was sought from each course's professor or instructor and students were registered. Each student attended his or her first class with his or her tutor. The tutors helped them to learn where their class was located and how to get to and from it. At the first class, the tutor gave a presentation on the Campus Life program that respected the anonymity of the student. In some cases, volunteer note takers were recruited. In other cases, the professor's PowerPoints or teaching resources were made available to all students and that was sufficient. When a notetaker was recruited, a sign‐up sheet was passed around. The professor then sent the names of those who signed up to the tutor. Interestingly, since the advent of accessibility services for students with disabilities at university, note takers have become relatively commonplace and asking for and finding volunteers has been neither unusual nor difficult. After the first class, students typically attended classes on their own without their tutors. In addition to attending lectures, students often engaged in group discussions, group assignments, and presentations. The tutors worked with the students to help them learn course materials ahead of time and prepare them to make meaningful contributions to group work. Since Campus Life students were auditing the class, they were often given smaller but complementary roles in group assignments or presentations.

1.2.2. Classes during the pandemic

Initial conversations between the director and course professors and instructors were positive. For example, many professors and instructors asked questions about how to ensure Campus Life students were successfully included in online classes. Information was provided to professors and instructors about the stage each student was at, in terms of becoming familiar with the technology, and what skills they were in the process of developing. In addition, inclusion strategies were discussed. For example, some professors provided the tutors with weekly pre‐planned questions that they intended to discuss in class. This allowed the tutors and students opportunities to prepare responses and plan contributions ahead of time. Professors also reminded students of how to use the 'raise hand feature' or 'chat' function to make a comment or ask a question in class. In some cases, students were able to cut and paste their prepared questions or comments into the chat function.

Each tutor attended his or her student's first online class to provide initial support logging in and to ensure that the technology was working. Information about the Campus Life program and notetaker recruitment was conveyed to the course instructor or professor, who was asked to email it to the class. Recruiting notetakers during the pandemic was more difficult than in person. This may have been because students were feeling increased pressure and anxiety due to the pandemic. However, the tutors quickly noticed that there was less need for notetakers in the virtual classroom because professors and instructors often posted additional content, such as PowerPoint slides from their lectures, on UM Learn. Consequently, throughout the academic year, the Campus Life students and tutors were able to access course content on UM Learn, view live lectures and re‐view lectures that had been recorded. In addition, the Campus Life students enjoyed taking part in discussions, organised by their professors or other students, that took place on UM Learn.

1.2.3. Tutoring sessions pre‐pandemic

Before the pandemic, tutoring took place on campus in locations such as the Campus Life tutoring room, the university library and private rooms booked in various faculties. Tutoring sessions were typically 1 h long and occurred two or three times a week. The tutors were responsible for providing their Campus Life students with abridged versions of the course content. They used a variety of strategies to engage and pique the interests of their students. For example, the tutors often found ways to relate the course content to the lives of their students. Alternatively, they found ways to make the content more relevant by employing real life examples and applications. During tutoring sessions, tutors often engaged their students in lecture‐based discussions, visual‐based lectures and activity‐based learning. For example, they might have reviewed and discussed a TED talk on a course topic. Alternatively, they might have found visuals to illustrate course ideas more concretely. Before the pandemic, tutors and students went on field trips to learn more about a topic. As examples, students studying astronomy took trips to the planetarium, students studying fine arts went to exhibits at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, anthropology and classics students visited the Manitoba Museum, and students studying tourism and sustainability have explored The Forks (a historical meeting place and tourism destination in Winnipeg).

The tutors also employed several strategies to promote responsible student behaviour. Many of the students in the Campus Life program were previously in segregated programs or adult day programs where they were not given opportunities to acquire the behaviours that most university students already possess. As such, ethical token economies were used to help students acquire behaviours that would allow them to fit in socially and academically. Behaviour in this sense refered to learning positive responsible behaviours not to extinguishing 'bad' or 'improper' behaviour. For example, tutors often outlined expectations, rules, routines and procedures used by university students. These were reiterated by visual and written posters displayed in the tutoring rooms or listed in the students' binders. Reward based incentives delivered through ethical token economies also were employed (Alberto & Troutman, 2017). The ethical token economies were related to students' progress towards their chosen goals (e.g., being successful university students, obtaining good grades, making friends, graduating) by guiding them to learn and maintain patterns of behaviour consistent with their goals such as (a) developing high expectations for themselves, (b) making informed choices based on their interests and readiness, (c) attending and participating in classes and tutoring sessions, (d) researching and studying topics of interest to them, (e) communicating their ideas effectively, (f) completing and revising assignments, (g) studying and taking tests and exams, (h) making acquaintances and friends, (i) participating in clubs and recreation, and (j) volunteering to serve or advocate for others. The students were actively involved in constructing the reward schedules and menus. The idea was to model the self‐management tools that university students typically develop to become self‐disciplined learners. For example, some students earned University of Manitoba toques, notebooks or water bottles for attending their tutoring sessions ten times in a row. Other students earned a free drink, dessert or lunch by putting in a certain number of study hours or performing well on a test. Over time, these strategies were internalised as self‐management skills by the students.

1.2.4. Tutoring sessions during the pandemic

During the pandemic, tutoring sessions continued to occur two or three times a week. However, the tutors and students no longer met in person. Instead, sessions took place online. For many students, online participation in tutoring sessions meant learning new skills such as how to: (a) join a meeting, (b) enable and mute audio and video, (c) use the chat function, (d) use icons to communicate (e.g., raise hand, clap, thumbs up) and (e) screen share. In addition, some students initially struggled to pay attention during their online sessions. In response, the tutors taught them strategies for staying engaged such as removing competing distractions from their environments or moving to a quieter room in their homes. Some students were taught to demonstrate attention overtly, by looking at the screen and communicating non‐verbally through more nuanced facial expressions. Others were taught self‐regulation skills to monitor their work remotely and signal their tutor when a task was completed. In some cases, ethical token economies were used to teach these new skills and to reinforce active participation in activities with their tutors.

The tutors had to find creative ways to deliver content and engage their students. For example, some tutors integrated the use of game‐based learning platforms (e.g., Quizlet and Kahoot!) into their sessions. This provided students with an interactive and game‐like way of learning online. Some tutors also found ways to take field trips remotely. For instance, some did online tours of museums, whereas others watched Netflix documentaries. Other tutors adapted and modified assignments to increase student engagement. For example, some students completed online blogging projects and developed infographics.

The tutors and students were required to re‐design some of their expectations, roles, routines and procedures. For example, a pre‐pandemic procedure like asking a student to share his or her notes from an assigned reading was redesigned as a screen sharing activity. Finally, since in‐person rewards were no longer possible, the tutors provided e‐gift cards to students to promote responsible behaviour.

In addition to attending classes and tutoring sessions, on‐campus social engagement is a valued part of students' university experience. The pandemic resulted in many changes to the social lives of students.

1.2.5. Social participation pre‐pandemic

Before the pandemic, most Campus Life students led active social lives on campus. For example, following their personal preferences and choices, they participated in student clubs related to politics (e.g., New Democrats on Campus), religion (e.g., Christians on Campus), identity (e.g., Rainbow Pride Mosaic), heritage (e.g., Polish Language group), personal interests (e.g., Chess club) and hobbies (e.g., Action Video Gaming Club). Furthermore, some students volunteered on campus at locations such as the student union, food banks and daycare centres. Students also enjoyed chatting with classmates before and after classes or in study groups and hanging out in the student union building or student lounges in faculties. In addition, at the end of each academic year, the Campus Life program hosted an end‐of‐year celebration in which students, family, supporters, friends, faculty and staff came together to celebrate the students' accomplishments.

1.2.6. Social participation during the pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, social opportunities were extremely limited. Student groups suspended their on‐campus activities. Students were no longer able to casually chat with their classmates before and after classes and could not hangout on campus. In response, over the 2020–2021 academic year, the Campus Life director allocated more social tutoring supports to students who were feeling isolated due to the pandemic. This was done to support their mental health and well‐being. For example, tutors met with their students online for coffee, tea or lunch, in‐person at the park for walks (maintaining social distance), and through online gaming platforms to play games (e.g., online Scrabble).

1.2.7. Off‐campus supports pre‐pandemic

In addition to attending university, many Campus Life students were involved with community or government agencies that provided supports and services for individuals with intellectual, developmental and multiple disabilities. For example, some students attended day programs on days when they were not on campus. In addition, several students had off‐campus employment facilitated by supported employment agencies. For individual students needing personal care assistance (with respect to mobility, eating, hygiene, etc.), these organisations provided a personal support worker who attended university with them. Many students also participated in community activities such as church, a book club or the Special Olympics.

1.2.8. Off‐campus supports during pandemic

During the government mandated restrictions associated with each wave of the pandemic, most community and government organisations that support students with intellectual, developmental and multiple disabilities closed. Consequently, students in the Campus Life program were no longer able to attend day programs and supported employment for significant stretches of time during the pandemic. In addition, those with a personal support worker lost that support. This meant that students who required additional support to access their online classes and tutoring sessions at home, required a family member, other caregiver or their tutor to fill in for the absent personal support worker.

Given this context, we wondered what the Campus Life students and tutors thought about their pandemic and remote learning experiences. Our hope was that their insights might be useful to other students, tutors, and program directors in the future.

2. METHOD

We chose collaborative autoethnography as a research method because we believe in researching and writing with individuals with disabilities, rather than about them. In our minds, this belief required a collaborative approach to the design and implementation of the study. In addition, since we were interested in the university students' self‐reflections on their lived experiences during the time of COVID‐19, an autobiographical approach seemed appropriate. Finally, since the Campus Life program used the typical patterns of life at the university as a cultural analogue (Barken, 2010; Wolfensberger & Thomas, 2007) to guide change in response to the pandemic, we thought there also was an ethnographic element to their experiences.

We recognise that our approach raises the question, originally posed by Chang  et al. (2013, p. 17), 'How can a study of self be done collaboratively?' We take comfort in their thought experiment as an answer, '…imagine a group of researchers pooling their stories to find some commonalities and differences and then wrestling with these stories to discover the meanings of the stories in relation to their sociocultural contexts'.

We received approval to conduct this study in February 2021 from the University of Manitoba's Research Ethics Board 2. Since the Campus Life students were already working in student‐tutor dyads, we decided to invite them to reflect on the pandemic in those existing pairs. There were eight dyads in the Campus Life program. Two dyads were not invited to participate in the study. One was excluded because we felt participation in the study might place an unfair burden on the student's family. The other dyad included a student who was not yet comfortable speaking in English. At the time, this student was struggling with a lack of fluency in English as well as the university coursework. This student also has a medical condition that limits the amount of screen time they can tolerate. Consequently, we invited six student‐tutor dyads to participate in the study.

Three dyads agreed to attend virtual meetings at which we discussed what would happen if they decided to participate in the study. Two of us described the purpose of the study—to learn about how the pandemic and remote learning have affected you as a Campus Life tutor or student. We said we were interested in learning: (a) 'What changed for you as students and tutors?', (b) 'What were the challenges you faced as students and tutors?', (c) 'Were there any unanticipated benefits to the shift to online learning?', (d) 'What has the change to online learning meant to your overall university experience?', (e) 'In addition to your experiences as a Campus Life student or tutor, we are also interested in how the pandemic has affected your life more generally?'. We explained that each dyad would engage in tutor‐led conversations, guided by some open‐ended questions (see Figure 1), and write their story. We explained what open‐ended questions are and noted that the tutors' contributions to the stories should not overpower the students' voices. Next, we explained that their completed stories would be analysed and synthesised in an article, and that they would have an opportunity to read over the article to ensure we had understood and presented their stories accurately. Finally, we indicated that we thought the conversations and writing would likely take about five hours (over several sessions), and that each participant would receive a $100.00 gift card as compensation for their time.

Figure 1.

Open‐ended Questions

All three dyads chose to take part in the study, but they retained the right to withdraw without consequence at any time up to the completion of the writing process. They were given the choice of having their identities remain confidential or becoming co‐authors using their real names. All participants chose the latter option. We then invited the three dyads, each made up of a tutor and a Campus Life student, to reflect on and write up their experiences in the time of COVID‐19. Two of the dyads included students presently at university. The third dyad included an individual who had graduated just before the pandemic and was employed in the field of educational recreation.

After conversing online, guided by the open‐ended questions, each dyad emailed a write‐up of their thoughts to either Lutfiyya and Freeze, or Freeze. We analysed the write‐ups to discover emergent themes that shone light on the Campus Life students' and tutor's experiences coping with COVID‐19 and the changes to their university experiences. We read the accounts several times and identified the main points in each account. The three of us then met to discuss the initial analysis. This process led us back to the data to confirm or clarify the initial analysis. We then looked across all of the accounts and identified common and differing elements. Once again, we went back to the data for another look, to make sure that our analysis was truly grounded in the data. This reiterative process was repeated as we prepared this manuscript. Finally, the resulting article, synthesizing the Campus Life students' and tutors' reflections on the pandemic, was shared with the dyads to ensure accuracy.

3. FINDINGS

Three broad themes emerged from the conversations of the dyads: (a) transition to remote learning and working, (b) changes in social engagement and (c) advantages of online learning.

3.1. Transition to remote learning and working

The transition to remote, online learning in March 2020 was a new and unexpected experience for university students and faculty across Canada. During the so‐called 'first wave', in the spring of 2020, remote learning at the University of Manitoba lasted approximately 3 weeks, until the end of the term. By the summer and fall of 2020, all classes were offered online. In considering this transition, Campus Life students and tutors made three points: the fears and questions that they had going into remote learning, the new skills they developed and learning how to use technology to take part in their university coursework.

3.1.1. Fears and questions

The students had two main worries about the impact of the pandemic: how it would affect their health and the health of their families and friends, and how they would adapt to remote learning and work.

COVID impact on health

All the students expressed concerns about avoiding COVID and maintaining their health. This concern extended to their family and friends. As one student stated, 'I was worried about COVID because I could not go out often. I was also worried I might get sick, and my loved ones too…'.

Adapting to remote learning and work

The students and tutors wondered what a full year of remote learning would look like. One student entered university in September 2020, and his concerns echoed that of a lot of first year students, pandemic or not.

I knew [university] would be challenging and I was very nervous. I was worried about my teachers, and … whether they would be supportive. I was also worried there would be lots of notes to write and memorize, that's extremely difficult for me, due to my disability.

3.1.2. Learning new skills

Both the students and tutors reported that they had to develop new skills to be successful in remote learning. These skills included learning how to use necessary technology, developing their listening and communication skills, and what types of learning adaptations proved helpful.

Learning how to use required technology

Like thousands of university students across the country, the Campus Life students and tutors had to learn how to use Zoom and other software programs to take part in their classes. They learned how to do this with support from their tutors over the telephone and via email: a daunting task. Not all the students had a device that was fully compatible with the university. One individual had to borrow his sister's laptop.All the students did learn how to use the software to attend class, work with their tutor, and to complete assignments with classmates. They also learned such things as 'Zoom etiquette', like muting themselves during class unless called on to speak, and so on. One tutor stated that in addition to learning Zoom and other software, she had to become better organised, both in her role as a tutor and as a student herself. She initially found it difficult to connect with her tutees online, and appreciated that in one case, she was able to meet the student in person at the start of the term. She had to develop new teaching strategies that would be effective within the context of remote learning. She started to use visual materials more, and developed tutoring activities, such as completing a poster or infographic, that relied on a visual presentation.

Developing listening and communication skills

The students discussed how they had to develop their listening and communication skills to be successful with remote learning. In one case, the online format suited a student well. This student has some sensory impairments: low vision and hearing. He accessed his classes with an iPad, which allowed him to enlarge the image of people when they were speaking, and to hold the device right up to his eyes. He felt that he would not have been able to do this in an in‐person classroom. He also found that he could better control background noises and focus on what the professor and his classmates were saying. As the student noted,

I'm already organized, and this has stayed the same…it has been a positive experience. My preference is the online experience, because communication is an issue within groups, so I prefer to be on my own. With [my current tutor], I am enjoying the class.

Some of the students and tutors began to appreciate that a different pace to the online tutoring sessions was helpful. As one tutor stated, she was, '…learning that silence is okay, it gives [the student] time to absorb something'. Finally, all the students said that they learned patience as they acquired the skills needed to attend their classes and complete their assignments.

3.2. Changes in social engagement

A second theme that emerged from the conversations of the dyads related to dramatic changes in their patterns of social engagement. Changes in their university experiences were paralleled by changes at home and in the community. For instance, with respect to changes at university, one student recalled that…

Before the pandemic we used to book a room at the library and have a tutoring session. There was a white board that we used for tutoring. We had some online notes and some short‐written quizzes in between the session. In‐person, we sometimes tried different learning techniques like using hand‐drawn diagrams, coloured markers to highlight important topics, and make flashcards. We used to have coffee and lunch in the break time together. We used to go to the library together to borrow the course book. We used hockey cards from Tim Horton's for in‐session quizzes [as rewards].

The same student lamented that, during the pandemic…

We don't see each other in person or meet after the class to go to tutoring sessions together. However, we get to meet each other on zoom. We don't get to use hand drawn diagrams or flashcards for learning. It is limited to just using materials on [the] computer. Don't get a chance to talk to classmates before or after the class and make friends. Missing opportunity to go to the student groups at the university.

Another student spoke of the loss of interactions with other students and of a valued social role as a teaching assistant…

My university experience gave me the opportunity to interact with other students in physical education, [be]cause half the courses were gym based and the other half lecture based. This was important because it makes what I was learning in lecture classes more practical… I was also a teaching assistant for [a professor's] course ‐ principles of human movement ‐ since I had already taken course. As the teaching assistant, I handed out information to students like the course outline and readings, and I would help set up the gym for the activities. Like getting the balls ready.

One of the tutors commented on the distance in the student–tutor relationship created by the pandemic…

…previously, students and tutors had the opportunity to join university student groups and to engage in various activities, even simply going on walks or playing board games. I think this would play a huge factor in relationship building. However, we didn't get the chance to experience any of that, except for two visits throughout the term… I did find it difficult to connect… and it felt to me like we lost out on an opportunity to get to know each other on a deeper level… In hindsight, I would have tried to implement more… ‘getting to know each other' questions and activities because this is difficult through a screen.

One student explained how the pandemic had hollowed out his life…

There has been a loss of communication. I used to see family members more often… but then everything stopped… No volunteering, no activities, no school…nothing.

Another described pandemic life and missing extended family…

I spend my days mostly playing Nintendo Switch and when it's time to go back to work I will be less playing it. I watch TV too. I'm watching Disney plus and Netflix. I get to do my hobbies and sometimes talk to my relatives on the phone… Before COVID, I would go to sleep over at my cousin's house. We would always play cards and board games and video games. For holidays, like Christmas, I would get together with the whole family.

The same student also commented on lost opportunities, wanting to take risks to get back to work, and regret over not taking those risks.

My boss offered me an in‐person job this year at a high school recreation and read program but when I told my mom she said no because it was too risky ‐ so I called my boss and said I couldn't accept it this year because of COVID…I was disappointed that I couldn't work… If she had said yes, I would have gone, I regret that I didn't go work and that I didn't disobey her.

3.3. Advantages of online learning

The third theme that arose in the dyad's conversations was a recognition of the advantages of online learning. All the students saw some advantages to online learning. The following statements reflected their perspectives. First, two found online learning physically more accessible.

We don't have to go outside in the cold weather rather we can sit inside the house and have tutoring sessions. Don't have to carry a heavy textbook… [I] got to meet [my] professor online which I did not get a chance to do in person.

The other said…

I enjoy it. I can stay home. I don't have to be driven. I can't take a bus [to the university] and walking can be a challenge for me as I experience issues with balance. Walking can be difficult. Staying home is much safer for me. Navigating the campus would be tough…

The third student found online learning to be more comfortable and convenient.

I get to just sit at my desk and work on my tasks on my own time. I can wear comfier clothes or eat if I want to. Working at home, I found that one benefit is that I have more free time to do what I want…

They also recognised that online learning was safer than in‐person learning, although one student wished to get back to work.

Working online and from home is okay because of the benefits of avoiding going outside and avoiding getting the virus. I was also worried I might get sick, and my loved ones might too.

Finally, one advantage was stated simply by one student, 'Spending time with family'.

4. CONCLUSION

4.1. Synthesis

In our view, the shift to online learning was surprisingly successful. It forced the Campus Life students to become more independent, as direct dependence on their tutors was no longer possible. The new skills they had to learn to access their classes and tutoring sessions also increased their autonomy. The students reported improvements in their listening, communications, time‐management and organisational skills in the online environment. Whether these will transfer on‐campus remains to be seen. The students all noted some advantages to online learning such as convenience, feeling more comfortable at home, avoiding the time and hassle of transportation back and forth to the university and learning to use new tech tools. Although, there were hiccups along the way, all the students adapted to online learning and successfully completed their courses. This was in stark contrast to other parts of their lives, as day program and supported employment options largely ceased during the pandemic.Because the tutors had to learn to work online with the students, they began sharing and learning from each other. This was facilitated by tutoring roundtables where they met online to acquire new tutoring skills from guest presenters and teach each other what they were doing that worked. Online roundtables were easier to schedule and happened more often during the pandemic.While the students and tutors clearly missed in‐person tutoring sessions at the university, they also missed the opportunities for informal socializing (i.e., going for coffee after class, etc.) Although they all were able to meet online for tea, coffee or to play board games and, in some instances, to go for a walk in the park (with proper masking and social distancing); they most missed the social aspects of being on‐campus. They missed studying and socializing with their classmates at university, both in and out of class, and participating in university extracurricular activities. However, this was partly counterbalanced by spending more time with family at home.

4.2. What have we learned?

One main take away from this study is the realisation that we now have a new medium for tutoring Campus Life students. For example, post‐pandemic, tutoring sessions could be scheduled in hybrid formats that combine online and in‐person tutoring options. In some cases, for students with some disabilities, online tutoring may always be the best choice, because of built in capabilities like magnification, speech to text to speech, translation, and other functions.We also learned that Campus Life students can be introduced to their course instructors through a 'Zoom' call, before the first class—an option that has been hard to schedule in person, in the past. However, the on‐going use of online options has some implications. First, it requires students to have a computer with the hardware and software characteristics needed for online tutoring. Effective wifi service also is needed. Second, new students and tutors will need workshops on online communications, tutoring and research. Tutors and students' home supporters may need training on how to coach new students to work remotely. In addition, new tutors will need orientation to both in‐person and online tutoring skills, learning scaffolds, instructional strategies, research tools, and other resources and supports. Finally, the tutors will need paid time to adapt and develop instruction for both online and on‐campus tutoring sessions.A second insight from this study is the need to better understand social engagement in the online world. If some students are better served by hybrid or fully online tutoring, then the Campus Life program needs to find ways for them to successfully engage productively and safely, in valued ways, in that milieu. During the pandemic, tentative steps towards online 'social tutoring' were initiated. The idea of social tutoring is a new one in this context and needs further reflection and exploration.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Rick Freeze and Zana Marie Lutfiyya helped found the Campus Life (CL) program in 2004. Although Zana Marie Lutfiyya had supervisory oversight of the program, this ended in 2013 and current students and tutors do not know her. Both Rick Freeze and Zana Marie Lutfiyya have played a minor and infrequent role since then. Neither have any power, authority, or influence over CL students and tutors. Dr. Trevi B. Freeze was a volunteer, tutor and now the Director of the CL program. As such, she does have a supervisory role re tutors and students. For this reason, Trevi B. Freeze was not involved in study participant recruiting or data collection activities with current CL students and tutors. A recent CL graduate agreed to take part in this study, and Trevi B. Freeze did assist him to outline his experiences as a student. Trevi B. Freeze is no longer in a position of authority or power over this individual. Jacintha Antonio, the research assistant for this study, is a former CL tutor and current employee of CL. She knows some of the current tutors and students. However, she does not have a position of power or authority over the CL students or tutors. She does have her knowledge and experience with some of the study participants, and we anticipated that this would bring a level of ease for at least some of the participants. While both CL students and tutors are study participants, it is the voices and perspectives of the CL students that are at the heart of this study. The role of the CL tutors is to help CL students share their thoughts and perspectives by providing a comfortable setting for the CL student. If there is a different perspective between the CL student and tutor, then both perspectives will be included. The CL students and tutors already have a positive working relationship with one another, one that may best be described as a ‘working alliance'. All study participants were reminded that they did not have to answer questions if they did not want to do so, and that they were able to withdraw from the study at any time. They were reminded that their participation or nonparticipation would not affect their employment (tutors) or their standing as a CL student. All study participants were reminded that if they had concerns, they could approach either the Dean of Education or the Human Ethics Coordinator (Research Services) to voice concerns and/or ask questions about the administration of the study.

Freeze, T. B. , Lutfiyya, Z. M. , Freeze, R. , Magana, J. , Cauthers, N. , Mukai, M. , Antonio, J. , & Batta, A. (2022). Coping in the time of COVID‐19: Insights from university students with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1–11. 10.1111/bld.12507

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

All data from this study will be destroyed 5 years after the completion of this study, May 2026. The data will not be formally archived or made available to other researchers. The PI and Co‐Is may use the data for another study. University of Manitoba research ethics board regulations prohibit the post hoc sharing of data.