Promoting Equity and Access for English Language Learners and Home-Bound Students: From Bilingual Education to Robot Assisted Learning

Abstract

English language learners and home-bound students, those who cannot attend school in person for different reasons including suffering from serious illnesses like cancer, are underrepresented in the field of education. Therefore, this study aimed to promote socio-educational equity and access for such students through robot assisted learning and bilingual education. The first article in this dissertation dealt with how bilingual programs in international schools in the Kurdistan region of Iraq contributed to socio-educational equity and access for Kurdish minority children through teaching their heritage language alongside English. The second article was an experimental study in which I used a telepresence robot to virtually bring a senior college student to her classes while she was being treated for cancer. In the third study, I utilized a reading robot to help two immigrant children to practice their heritage language and culture through reading books in their heritage language. The data of the three studies came from interviews, observations, field notes, home-visits, email, and text messages and so on. The data were analyzed using narrative inquiry. This study introduces some innovative educational methods and provides some critical arguments on how equity and access can be promoted in educational settings for English language learners and home-bound students.