Engaging Students with Disabilities in the Learning Process through Handheld Technology

Authors

  • Elissa Wolfe Poel

Abstract

 Through a grant from the Regional Alliance for Science, Engineering, and Math (RASEM2), funded by the National Science Foundation, a research study was conducted to explore the use of handheld technology with students with disabilities in elementary and middle school settings. The purpose of the project was to (a) introduce electronic task analyses to teacher candidates during their student teaching semester, (b) integrate technology into K-12 classrooms, and (c) determine the effectiveness of handheld technology with students with disabilities. The research questions addressed were: What happens when pre-service teachers are asked to create task analysis for students in their classroom? How will the use of task analyses help individuals with disabilities become independent learners? The overall impact of the project was positive. K-12 students increased their time on task, submitted more assignments, worked independently, and posed fewer questions to their teachers.Process information, case studies, and data analysis are presented.

Issue

Section

Articles