Digitally Supported Learning for Students With Specific Learning Difficulties in Higher Education

Milena Košak Babuder, Mojca Poredoš and Karmen Pižorn

Summary:  Learning in higher education poses a particular challenge for students with specific learning difficulties (SLD), as they face deficits in attention, memory, phonological processing, language expression and executive functions. Higher education teachers who use traditional teaching approaches based on frontal teaching, memorisation and standardised assessment often fail to recognise the diversity of learning profiles, thus creating barriers to the equal participation of students with SLD in the educational process. This paper highlights the role of digitally supported learning as a key element in overcoming these barriers and emphasises the importance of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concept, which promotes flexibility, accessibility and active involvement of all students. The use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, enables individualised learning paths, adapted ways of presenting content and alternative forms of knowledge expression, which contributes to greater efficiency and fairness in the study process. Despite its many advantages, the article also highlights challenges in implementation, such as insufficient training of teaching staff, technical limitations and the risk of over-reliance on digital tools. The paper does not offer direct solutions, but through an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of digitally supported learning, it opens up space for further reflection and research with the aim of encouraging systemic changes in higher education.