Technology and disabilities: Why it can help and hinder learning

Technology is a common occurrence in almost every elementary classroom today. In this research study, I am going to be discussing how technology can have both a positive and negative effect on students who have disabilities. My research methods included conducting an online survey and two interviews with parents and teachers. Through my research, I found that there are many concerns with how technology is used in the classroom, but for the most part it ends in a positive outcome for the students. However, there is always room for improvement when using digital technologies, and my research demonstrates that it takes cooperation between the parents and the teachers for technology to truly be successful for an elementary student. As a teacher candidate, my findings have shown how important technology is to elementary students, and how, when used in an appropriate manner, technology can be an incredible tool for students with disabilities to use.

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Influence of Digital Assistive Technologies Used in Higher Education on the Development of Individual Educational Strategies among Students with Disabilities

International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education ◽

10.9756/int-jecse/v13i2.211160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 1146-1153

Author(s):

Irina Borisovna Aleksandrova ◽

Klarisa Ivanovna Vorobyova ◽

Nataliya Vladimirovna Gileva ◽

Maya Livson ◽

T.V. Cheprasova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Students With Disabilities ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Technologies ◽

Research Strategy ◽

Assistive Technologies ◽

Educational Process ◽

Educational Strategies ◽

Main Research ◽

Study Results ◽

Education Of Students

The digitalization of education significantly facilitates access to the educational process for people with special needs. The study aims at determining the main possibilities of using digital technologies as a means of supporting the education of students with disabilities. The research strategy requires both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand what university staff considers effective when using digital technologies for students with disabilities with due regard to their experience, knowledge and abilities to meet the needs of such students. To achieve this objective, the authors used a set of theoretical and empirical methods: theoretical, empirical and numerical methods. The main research method was an online survey. Based on the online survey of teachers, IT specialists and network administrators (from six Russian universities), the authors of the article have revealed the advantages, directions and opportunities of digital technologies to support the learning of students with disabilities, considered the use of digital assistive technologies in teaching such students and the issues of introducing digital technologies as a means of supporting students with disabilities and creating conditions for overcoming them. The study results have demonstrated that the pedagogically balanced and expedient use of digital technologies will help students with disabilities fully engage in the educational process and develop individual educational strategies acceptable to them.

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Math learning disabilities and digital technology

Mount Royal Undergraduate Education Review ◽

10.29173/mruer321 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Sihan Lin

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Online Survey ◽

Research Study ◽

Digital Technologies ◽

Educational Technologies ◽

Background Information ◽

Math Learning ◽

Mathematical Concepts ◽

Education Class ◽

Math Concepts

This research study addressed the question that how could the educational technologies help students in learning mathematical concepts in elementary, and especially focused on students who have math learning disabilities. After gathering background information from several scholarly articles, I conducted an online survey and sent out to my education class as well as my friends. For further information, I interviewed my university math professor, and my current mentor teacher in person. There were a total of 15 participants attending my research projects which including 13 online survey participants, and two interviews. According to my investigation, the result showed that more than half of my survey participants never heard about math learning disabilities, and about half of them had used digital technologies in learning math concepts. This research project is important to my own learning as a teacher candidate because it reminded me the challenges of using digital technologies, and also provided me some strategies when teaching math with technologies in an elementary class.

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Low Back Pain in Commercial Airline Pilots

Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance ◽

10.3357/amhp.5656.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 91 (12) ◽

pp. 940-947

Author(s):

Matthias Albermann ◽

Maria Lehmann ◽

Christian Eiche ◽

Joachim Schmidt ◽

Johannes Prottengeier

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Online Survey ◽

German Population ◽

Low Back ◽

Airline Pilots ◽

Acute Low Back Pain ◽

Commercial Airline ◽

Negative Effect

BACKGROUND: In their working life, airline pilots are exposed to particular risk factors that promote nonspecific low back pain (LBP). Because of the varying incidence internationally, we evaluated the point prevalences of acute, subacute, and chronic nonspecific LBP, as well as the current prevalences in German airline pilots. Furthermore, we compared the prevalence to the general German population and to European counterparts.METHODS: An anonymous online survey of 698 participating German airline pilots was evaluated. The impairment between groups was analyzed. Prevalences from our data were compared to existing data.RESULTS: The following point prevalences were found: 8.2% acute, 2.4% subacute, 82.7% chronic LBP; 74.1% of all individuals were suffering from current LBP when answered the questionnaire. A total time spent flying greater than 600 h within the last 12 mo was significantly related to acute nonspecific LBP. Individuals with any type of LBP were significantly impaired compared to those unaffected. It was found that German airline pilots suffer more often from current LBP than the general population and have a higher point prevalence of total LBP than their European counterparts.CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation showed a surprisingly high, previously unidentified, prevalence of nonspecific LBP in German airline pilots. Why German airline pilots suffer more often from LBP remains uncertain. The number of flying hours appears to have a negative effect on developing acute low back pain, but causation cannot be concluded. Other risk factors could not be confirmed.Albermann M, Lehmann M, Eiche C, Schmidt J, Prottengeier J. Low back pain in commercial airline pilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(12):940947.

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Relationships among the Degree of Participation in Physical Activity, Self-Concept Clarity, and COVID-19 Stress in Adolescents

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040482 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 482

Author(s):

Dae-Jung Lee

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

High School Students ◽

Local Governments ◽

Online Survey ◽

Self Concept ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

School Students ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Negative Effect ◽

State And Local

The COVID-19 pandemic situation threatens the health of people globally, especially adolescents facing mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder due to constant COVID-19 stress. The present study aimed to provide basic data highlighting the need to alleviate COVID-19 stress among adolescents by promoting physical activity participation and strengthening self-concept clarity (SCC). To examine the relationships among participation in physical activity, SCC, and COVID-19 stress in pandemic-like conditions, the study was conducted on middle and high school students aged 14 to 19 and an online survey was conducted on 1046 Korean adolescents (521 male and 525 female students in the preliminary survey and main survey). Frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor, descriptive, and path analyses were performed using SPSS and AMOS 18.0. Participation in physical activity exerted a positive effect on SCC (p < 0.001) as well as a negative effect on COVID-19 stress (p = 0.031). Our findings also indicated that SCC exerted a negative effect on COVID-19 stress (p < 0.001). Regular participation in physical activity and strong SCC are also fundamental elements for alleviating COVID-19 stress. Given these results, state and local governments and educational institutions should encourage youth to participate in sports by suggesting policies, providing guidelines, and offering education. Such information may allow adolescents to endure and overcome COVID-19 stress during this critical period of life.

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Asthma patients experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Chronic Respiratory Disease ◽

10.1177/14799731211029658 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 147997312110296

Author(s):

Geertje M de Boer ◽

Laura Houweling ◽

Rudi W Hendriks ◽

Jan H Vercoulen ◽

Gerdien A Tramper-Stranders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Care Workers ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Patients Experience ◽

Anxiety Depression

Population studies showed a decrease in psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma is associated with a negative effect on anxiety and depression, which might worsen during the COVID-19 lockdown. The aim of the study was to compare fear, anxiety and depression between asthma patients and patients wit hout asthma pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic. This study compares fear, anxiety and depression in asthma patients and controls between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 lockdown with a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were invited to fill out several questionnaires pertaining to fear, anxiety, depression, asthma control and quality of life. Asthma patients (N = 37) displayed, during the course of the pandemic, a clinically relevant increase in anxiety (3.32 ± 2.95 vs. 6.68 ± 3.78; p < 0.001) and depression (1.30 ± 1.15 vs. 3.65 ± 3.31; p < 0.001), according to the hospital anxiety and depression levels (HADS) compared to pre-COVID-19 assessment. This was not seen in controls. Also, asthma patients displayed more anxiety about acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls ((5.11 ± 1.99 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79), p = 0.006). Patients with asthma experienced an increase in anxiety and depression levels and were more afraid of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Also, patients with asthma were more likely to avoid healthcare facilities due to fear of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Therefore, we advise health care workers to address these possible negative effects on mental health by phone or e-consults.

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Remix’s retreat? Content moderation, copyright law and mashup music

New Media & Society ◽

10.1177/14614448211026059 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146144482110260

Author(s):

Ragnhild Brøvig-Hanssen ◽

Ellis Jones

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Online Media ◽

Economic Power ◽

Grey Zone ◽

Negative Effect ◽

State Of Affairs ◽

Political Economic ◽

And Control

Many online media platforms currently utilise algorithmically driven content moderation to prevent copyright infringement. This article explores content moderation’s effect on mashup music – a form of remix which relies primarily on the unauthorised combining of pre-existing, recognisable recordings. Drawing on interviews ( n = 30) and an online survey ( n = 92) with mashup producers, we show that content moderation affects producers’ creative decisions and distribution strategies, and has a strong negative effect on their overall motivation to create mashups. The objections that producers hold to this state of affairs often strongly resonate with current copyright exceptions. However, we argue that these exceptions, which form a legal ‘grey zone’, are currently unsatisfactorily accommodated for by platforms. Platforms’ political-economic power allows them, in effect, to ‘occupy’ and control this zone. Consequently, the practical efficacy of copyright law’s exceptions in this setting is significantly reduced.

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Psychological Factors Affecting Risk Perception of COVID-19: Evidence from Peru and China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126513 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6513

Author(s):

Fredy S. Monge-Rodríguez ◽

He Jiang ◽

Liwei Zhang ◽

Andy Alvarado-Yepez ◽

Anahí Cardona-Rivero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Online Survey ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Negative Effect ◽

The Government ◽

Using Data ◽

Health Field

COVID-19 has spread around the world, causing a global pandemic, and to date is impacting in various ways in both developed and developing countries. We know that the spread of this virus is through people’s behavior despite the perceived risks. Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making to prevent infection. Using data from the online survey of participants in Peru and China (N = 1594), data were collected between 8 July 31 and August 2020. We found that levels of risk perception are relatively moderate, but higher in Peru compared to China. In both countries, anxiety, threat perception, self-confidence, and sex were found to be significant predictors of risk perception; however, trust in the information received by government and experts was significant only in Peru, whereas self-confidence had a significant negative effect only for China. Risk communication should be implemented through information programs aimed at reducing anxiety and improving self-confidence, taking into consideration gender differences. In addition, the information generated by the government should be based on empirical sources. Finally, the implications for effective risk communication and its impacts on the health field are discussed.

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Implementing the Australian Curriculum for Students With Disabilities in Specialist Settings: Teachers’ Professional Learning Experiences and Preferences

Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education ◽

10.1017/jsi.2018.14 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (02) ◽

pp. 127-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Julie M. McMillan ◽

Karyn L. Carson ◽

Peter M. Walker ◽

Anna G. Noble ◽

Jane M. Jarvis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Learning Communities ◽

Students With Disabilities ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Online Survey ◽

Learning Experiences ◽

Future Research ◽

Special Schools ◽

Australian Curriculum ◽

Perceived Needs ◽

Policy Practice

Commentary on the introduction of the Australian Curriculum (AC) has reflected a tension for educators of students with disabilities (SWD) between in-principle support for a curriculum that is inclusive of all students and the challenge of translating a general framework into relevant, individualised learning experiences appropriate for all SWD. In this paper, we report on findings from the second part of a national online survey in which we explored the perceptions and practices of 151 educators of SWD in specialist settings (special schools, disability units co-located at mainstream schools, special classes within mainstream schools) in relation to the AC. Specifically, these findings relate to the professional learning (PL) experiences and perceived needs of educators of SWD related to the AC and their advice to policymakers about the AC for SWD. Consistent with previous research, participants expressed a preference for PL experiences delivered on site, facilitated by content experts over extended periods, with opportunities for demonstration and targeted feedback, and in the context of collegial learning communities. In addition, participants raised concerns about the extent to which the AC is fully inclusive of all SWD. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

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Physician Perceptions and Beliefs about Generating and Providing a Clinical Summary of the Office Visit

Applied Clinical Informatics ◽

10.4338/aci-2015-04-ra-0043 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 06 (03) ◽

pp. 577-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D.Y. Ting ◽

M. Healey ◽

S.R. Lipsitz ◽

H. Ramelson ◽

V. Suric ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Outcomes ◽

Primary Care Physicians ◽

Online Survey ◽

Office Visit ◽

Meaningful Use ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Physician Perceptions ◽

Incentive Program ◽

Negative Beliefs ◽

Negative Effect

Summary Background: A core measure of the meaningful use of EHR incentive program is the generation and provision of the clinical summary of the office visit, or the after visit summary (AVS), to patients. However, little research has been conducted on physician perceptions and beliefs about the AVS. Objective: Evaluate physician perceptions and beliefs about the AVS and the effect of the AVS on workload, patient outcomes, and the care the physician delivers. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of physicians at two academic medical centers (AMCs) in the northeast who are participating in the meaningful use EHR incentive program. Results: Of the 1 795 physicians at both AMCs participating in the incentive program, 853 completed the survey for a response rate of 47.5%. Eighty percent of the respondents reported that the AVS was easy (very easy or quite easy or somewhat easy) to generate and provide to patients. Nonetheless, more than three-fourths of the respondents reported a negative effect of generating and providing the AVS on workload of office staff (78%) and workload of physicians (76%).Primary care physicians had more positive beliefs about the effect of the AVS on patient outcomes than specialists (p<0.001) and also had more positive beliefs about the effect of the AVS on the care they delivered than specialists (p<0.001). Conclusions: Achieving the core meaningful use measure of generating and providing the AVS was easy for physicians but it did not necessarily translate into positive beliefs about the effect of the AVS on patient outcomes or the care the physician delivered. Physicians also had negative beliefs about the effect of the AVS on workload. To promote positive beliefs among physicians around the AVS, organizations should obtain physician input into the design and implementation of the AVS and develop strategies to mitigate its negative impacts on workload. Citation: Emani S, , Ting DY, Healey M, Lipsitz SR, Ramelson H, Suric V, Bates DW. Physician perceptions and beliefs about generating and providing a clinical summary of the office visit. Appl Clin Inform 2015; 6: 577–590http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2015-04-RA-0043

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The Relationships of Family, Perceived Digital Competence and Attitude, and Learning Agility in Sustainable Student Engagement in Higher Education

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10124635 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 4635 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hye Kim ◽

Ah Hong ◽

Hae-Deok Song

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Student Engagement ◽

Online Survey ◽

College Education ◽

Digital Technologies ◽

Digital Natives ◽

Study Data ◽

Digital Competence ◽

Learning Agility ◽

The Impact

College students are often assumed to be digitally fluent as they are “digital natives”, owing to their exposure to digital technologies from an early age. Furthermore, it is assumed that this digital competence is likely to prepare them for learning in college. However, it has been observed that current college students who are “digital natives” may or may not effectively apply digital technologies during their college education. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of college students’ prior digital experiences, particularly their families’ influence, on their in-college digital competence and attitude, and by extension, on student engagement. A total of 381 university students were surveyed in this study. Data was obtained from a self-administered, online survey and analyzed using partial least squares, which also evaluated the research model. According to the findings of this study, students’ positive prior digital experience significantly influences their perceived digital competence and their attitude toward digital technologies. In addition, our research also indicates that college students’ perceived digital competence and attitudes are mediated by their learning agility, which is the ability to continuously learn and the willingness to apply acquired knowledge. This article may thus act as a springboard for further empirical research, as well as for examining the nature of students’ prior and positive experiences and learning agility in digital competencies.

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