Integrating Accessible Multiplication Games into Inclusive Classrooms

Two accessible games were the focus of a study involving inclusive fourth grade classrooms in a suburban Chicago elementary school district. The games were created using software with universal design capability and were designed to teach multiplication facts. Data were collected that compared the classes using the software with classes that did not use the software. The statistical analysis used in the design of the study was analysis of covariance using a pretest assessment of multiplication facts as the covariate. Students used the games twice a week for four weeks during a period of 40 minutes a day. Results indicated a gain in accuracy of multiplication facts on the part of the groups using the games, but not enough to demonstrate significance. In addition to the analysis of covariance analysis, selected classes filled out surveys designed to measure the students’ opinions of the games and their effectiveness. Results of the surveys indicated that the students were somewhat unsure about their effectiveness as a tool to learn multiplication facts but found them enjoyable to play. Interpretation of both of these results is provided.

Personal Reflections on the Educational Potential and Future of Closed Captioning on the Web

This chapter explores the value of closed captioning in universal design. While closed captions positively impact a wide range of our students—deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing—they also have the potential to create more robust and interactive digital learning systems. Caption technology can address the current limitations of video search and retrieval by offering students fully searchable, fully clickable interactive transcripts. The future of closed captioning on the Web will offer students a means to search the video collection of an entire course, or even across all of the videos produced in all of the courses of a department, college, or university. In this future learning environment, captions will enable students to use keywords not only to find and review course content across multiple videos but also to insert their own “margin” notes, share comments with students, and create customizable video mash-ups as study guides.

Signage as a Classroom Prompt

No Child Left Behind emphasizes evidence-based practice (EBP) as a benchmark for educational interventions. Research summaries and meta-analyses have been forthcoming for teachers in content areas like reading and mathematics instruction. Less has been summarized about strategies for promoting targeted classroom behaviors. Visual prompts, in the form of signage, are explored as potentially effective strategies for facilitating a well run classroom. Single-subject design studies that provide initial support for signage in promoting target behaviors are described. Variables from these studies are considered as they may be related to an effective classroom environment.

A Guide to Assistive Technology for Teachers in Special Education

Everyone has the right to learn and to succeed in education. For people with certain disabilities, learning can be a challenging task, and proper use of certain assistive technologies can significantly ease the challenge, and help the learners to succeed. For teachers in special education, knowing existing assistive technology is an important step towards the proper use of those technologies and success in special education. This chapter provides a guide for teachers about assistive technology and its uses in special education. Assistive technology for people with learning difficulties, assistive technology for the visually impaired, and assistive technology for people with hearing difficulties will be discussed. Since online learning and the Internet are becoming trends in distance education, this chapter will focus on assistive technologies for Web-based distance learning, including assistive technologies for better human-computer interaction. Selecting more appropriate assistive technology for a given learner with a certain learning disability, among many choices, will be discussed.

Integrated Technology for Culturally Competent Communication in Urban Schools

A disproportionately high number of students who live in urban centers are found eligible for special education services. For some of these students, teachers and administrators may misinterpret communication and other behaviors. This chapter will provide ideas generated from the literature and lessons learned about interpreting communication and behavior in the urban context. Although the primary focus is face-to-face communication, the authors also discuss ways to integrate technology to support the communication process.

Using Tactile Prompts to Increase Social-Communicative Skills with Children with Autism

Tactile prompts can be worn by children with autism to cue them to make social initiations to peers and make eye contact and respond to adults’ facial expressions. Two previous studies and this author’s research document the efficacy of tactile prompts. Teachers and therapists should use tactile prompts to increase social-communicative behavior with children with autism.

The Student with Complex Education Needs

Like special education settings and classroom groupings of students with complex educational needs are observed within and across education systems of many sovereign states. However, from an Australian perspective, findings and conclusions suggest future directions in the application of assistive and augmentative information and communication technology for students with complex educational needs.

Voice/Speech Recognition Software

In this chapter, the authors discuss the promise of speech or voice recognition software and provide practical suggestions for the teacher or any stakeholder working with a disabled child. The authors begin the chapter with a brief overview of the legislation mandating the accommodation of special needs students in the classroom and discuss the implications of assistive technology. The authors then move on to an examination of the promise of the software. The authors end the chapter with practical ideas for implementation should the caregiver believe that voice recognition software will assist the disabled child in the learning process.

Using Spatial Constructivist Thinking Theory to Enhance Classroom Instruction for Students with Special Needs

Spatial constructivist thinking theory is an alternative method of presenting digital materials to enhance the learning process of special needs students in a 21st Century classroom. Spatial constructivist thinking is the integration of pictures, animations, videos, color schemes, abstract plans, applets, graphics, and formatted texts in a presentation to represent text and verbal concepts. Concepts can be simple or complex, literary or symbolic representations of the concepts. This representation addresses Bloom’s revised taxonomy to challenge students’ thinking to create knowledge. Spatial constructivist thinking also posits that spatial representation is influenced by ones visual and verbal knowledge, and prior experiences. Spatial constructivist thinking is also influenced by the multiple intelligences theory. Presentations done by an instructor or knowledgeable peer using spatial constructivist thinking theory reflect the best spatial representation of the presenter’s visual and verbal repertoire for concepts presented. For each spatial representation there is a corresponding verbal representation.

Understanding Students with Special Needs Self-disclosure in Internet Chat Rooms

This book chapter proposes a research agenda for determining, describing, and depicting special needs students’ self-disclosure behaviors via the Internet in regards to the Communication Privacy Management Theory (formerly known as the Communication Boundary Management Theory). Internet, computer-mediated communication, chat rooms, self-disclosure, and the Privacy Management Theory are all identified and summarized. The theory is presented for its usefulness and its significance to studying self-disclosure in Internet chat rooms among individuals with disabilities. In addition, future research directions using each theory to study individuals with special needs’ self-disclosure in Internet chat rooms are presented. Research presented in this chapter should be able to assist parents, teachers, and others who interact with individuals with disabilities, with an overview of the impact of self-disclosure on the Internet.