Assistive Technology
Thursday 5 June 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Assignment on Assistive Technology for Individuals with Physical disabilities:
A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina
High Tech:
Assignment on Assistive Technology for Individuals with Physical disabilities:
A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina
High Tech:
Sip and puff switch
Sip and puff switches are able to interpret the
user's breath actions as on/off signals, and can be used for a variety of
purposes, from controlling a wheelchair to navigating a computer. The hardware
can be combined with software that extends the functionality of this simple
device for more sophisticated applications.Sip/Puff solutions are ideal for people who have limited or no motor capacity to operate switch-activated devices.
Eye tracking devices:
Eye tracking devices:can be a
powerful alternative for individuals with no control, or only limited control,
over their hand movements. The device follows the movement of the eyes and
allows the person to navigate through the web with only eye movements. Special
software allows the person to type, and may include word-completion technology
to speed up the process. These systems can be expensive—usually in the
thousands of US dollars—so they are less common than the less sophisticated
devices, such as mouth sticks and head wands.
Medium Tech:
Oversized trackball mouse:
A trackball mouse, and mice in general are no longer
considered to be high tech forms of assistive technology but nonetheless
continue to be very effective tools. Someone may, for example, use a trackball
mouse in conjunction with a head wand or mouth stick. It is relatively easy to
manipulate a trackball with these devices and much harder to manipulate a
standard mouse. Someone with tremors in the hands may also find this kind of
mouse more useful because once the person moves the mouse cursor to the right
location, there is less danger of accidentally moving the cursor while trying
to click on the mouse button. A person with tremors in the hands could also
manipulate the trackball mouse with a foot, if there is enough motor control in
the feet. A challenge for this form of technology would
be its accuracy depending on the physical disablility, Something like eye
tracking would be just as effective and potentially far more accurate.
Adaptive Keyboard:
In cases where a person does not
have reliable muscle control in the hands for precision movements, an adaptive
keyboard can be useful. Some adaptive keyboards have raised areas in between
the keys, rather than lowered areas, to allow the person to first place the
hand down on the keyboard, then slide the finger into the correct key. A person
with tremors, or spastic movements could benefit from this type of keyboard.
Keyboard overlays are also available as an adaptation to standard keyboards,
which achieve the same results. In some cases, adaptive keyboards come with
specialized software with word-completion technology, allowing the person to
type with fewer keystrokes, since typing can be rather laborious and slow
otherwise.
Low Tech:
Pencil Weights:
A low tech form of assistive technology for students with a
physical disability is pencil weights.
These weights are designed for students with fine motor or sensory
integration problems who may have issues placing enough consistent pressure on
a pencil for its effective use. While we
do often tend to look for more technological forms of assistive technology to
assist students with writing, voice recognition software, that technology is
not always available in all places. Pencil weights can be a useful backup in
the right situation.
No-Slip Mat:
The No-Slip Mat is a non-slip pad designed for use by individuals with upper extremity or neurological disabilities. Intended to keep items from sliding off a table, this pad can be used to stabilize toys, dishes, eating utensils, or tools.
Sunday 1 June 2014
Research Assignment
An Overview of 6 articles on Assistive Technology and The Universal Design of Learning:
An Overview of 6 articles on Assistive Technology and The Universal Design of Learning:
Article 1:
Balajyhy. E. (2005).
Text-to –Speech Software for helping Struggling Readers
This article provides an overview of some text to speech
technology and its application and then summarizes the research on benefits of
TTS for struggling readers.
The article discusses how students who are struggling
readers can be taught to use adjunct computer based materials such as simpler
versions of the text, list of main ideas, links to reference tools such as a
dictionary and encyclopedia, note-taking tools and animated graphical
presentations. The article also discusses the use of online textbooks but
points out that these online texts are time-consuming and expensive because of
the effort involved to design and create them. The article also discusses how simple
“text to speech” which uses voice syntheses that provided oral reading of
electronic text files, web page texts and e-books has an advantage over these
online textbooks because they are less expensive and more accessible. Talking
word processors are also seen as valuable in encouraging students’ writing. TTS
software packages (also called electronic readers, assistive reading software,
reading machines, screen readers, computer text readers or e-readers) can read
aloud from a variety of file types.
The article discusses the impact this TTS software has on
the struggling reader. There was some positive feedback from teachers and some
evidence from some studies about improvement in comprehension, more access to
important information on the internet, increased retention of subject knowledge
increased speed in word identification, and increased attention to text. It was
also noted that research on has indicated that the effectiveness of e-readers
appears to be highly dependent on individual student traits.
The author discussed the various type of TTS software that
is available, such as ReadPlease2003 and Help Read (both free down loads from
the internet. CAST e-Reader and TextHelp, which are both moderately priced, and
Kurzweil 3000 and WordSmith, which are considerably more expensive but include
more options and a variety of websites that make available extensive
collections of digitalized books.
In conclusion, the article notes that so far there are only
a handful of studies that have investigated the effectiveness of TTS software,
but researchers and teachers who have gone public with their experiences are
unanimous about these two things:
1.
Effectiveness varies according to the attributes
of the student using the software, but there is some evidence that shows poorer
readers will find electronic software more helpful than better readers and that
the engaging effect of electronic readers may work well with students with
ADHD.
2.
Effectiveness varies according to the use to
which the software is put. Software that is purchased without thought about a
plan for implementation will often go unused.
The article also provide some suggestions for using TTS such
as; students need class time and teacher guidance to learn software operation
and it needs to be frequently used, formal planning should precede purchase,
providing ongoing resources for necessary scanning and OCR, developing an
ongoing library operation to save and make available relevant documents,
providing ongoing resources (time) for teachers to examine and evaluate
potential software websites relevant to their students’ needs, recognize that
students will not always be able to function independently with TTS and in
addition to TTS software the use of other tools (such as Reading Pen 11) that
use text-to-speech capabilities should be considered.
This article gave some good information on how TTS can
benefit students and great suggestions for using and implementing TTS properly.
The software information was useful but a bit outdated because of the relatively
recent introduction of IPADS in schools.
Article 2:
(Rose,
Hasselbring, Stahl, & Zabala, 2005). Assistive Technology and
Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin.
I have always been a bit confused about the definitions of Assistive Technology and The Universal
Design for Learning. This article was very interesting because it provided
a framework for discussion by articulating the points of commonality and
difference between AT and UDL. The authors point out that many individuals may
see AT and UDL as identical or conversely antithetical. The authors believe
that AT and UDL while different, are completely complementary-much like two
sides of the same coin. (hence, the title!)
Both approaches have similar goals, which include;
increasing the access, participation and progress of students with disabilities
in our schools and both approaches depend significantly on modern technology.
However, the approaches differ in important ways.
In AT, modern
technology is directed at the level of the individual student to help him or
her overcome barriers in the curriculum and living environments. AT can be
carefully engineered, fitted, and adapted to the specific strengths and
weaknesses of each person. Thus, making AT unique, personal, customized and dedicated
(it TRAVELS with the individual)
With UDL, modern
technology is used to create curriculum and environments that by their design,
lack traditional barriers to learning. So the focus of UDL is not on the
individual student but on the learning environment and curricula to make
learning accessible to the widest range of students. UDL is a process for designing
general products or structures in such a way to reduce barriers for any individual
(with or without disabilities) and to increase opportunities for the widest
possible range of users. UDL are often malleable and variable rather than
dedicated. They are not unique or personal, but universal and inclusive. They
do not travel with the individual.
The authors emphasize that the importance of interaction and
integration of AT and UDL. They often work in concert to achieve optimal and
practical results. The articles provides a variety of examples of this process
and they point out that the most powerful and cost-effective solutions are ones
that integrate these two approaches, producing Universal designs that are aware
of AT (buildings whose ramps have corners and inclines that are accessible to
power wheelchairs) and AT that are aware of the affordances of universal
designed buildings. (wheelchairs that incorporate infrared switches to activate
universally designed doors and elevators buttons)
The authors provide very good example of this interaction and
integration in the classroom with an example of a student with a reading
disability trying to master a history concept. Taking a AT perspective, the
problem is considered the students problem, their reading disability. So
provide them with a spellchecker or
audio version of the history book.
Taking a UDL perspective, the problem is considered an
environmental problem because the history curriculum over-relies on printed
text that raises barriers to engagement and mastery for many students. This UDL
looks at the limitations to the curriculum rather then limitations to the
student. AT is also provided as a solution to the problem but in the form of a digitalized universally designed history
book, for viewing and manipulating content and expressing knowledge. Within
this flexible curriculum, fewer students face barriers, thus enhancing learning
for many different kinds of students. (blind, deaf, dyslexia, language based
disabilities, physical disabilities)
The authors point out that in reality, both kinds of
solutions are needed and that in the past there have been all too few examples
of UDL curricula and even fewer examples of the optimal linkages between such
curricula and AT.
The authors go on to discuss new developments in policy and
practice that are illuminating the educational landscapes and shaping the
operational linkage between AT and UDL that will provide a flexible but sturdy
foundation for curricula that will embody UDL and capitalize on AT’s to make
the learning accessible to everyone.
This article was very enlightening for me and really clarified
the essential relationship between Assistive Technology and the Universal
Design for Learning and the importance of creating optimum learning
environments for students with both these approaches in mind.
Article 3:
Edyburn. D. L. (2003)
Learning from Text
The purpose of this article is to examine the critical
issues associated with the mismatch between the skills that students with
disabilities bring to the regular classroom and the deep-rooted expectations we
have about learning from text instructional models. The author focuses on the
various systematic decision-making skills that educators have to make about the
types of instructional and assistive technology interventions that make it
possible for students with disabilities in decoding, fluency and comprehension
to learn from the text.
The author points out that historically educators have
focused their energy and efforts exclusively on instruction and remediation but
there is a critical, often overlooked question in the field of education; how
do we as educators decide that the best course of action is remediation (additional
instructional time, different instructional approaches) versus compensation?
(recognizing when remediation is not working)
The author also points out that there are few guidelines
available for making an informed decision about compensation in the form of
assistive technology. When do teachers intervene and THEN what do they do? The
article discusses the efforts made by assistive technologists specialists to
make reading materials more accessible such as scanning textbooks into
computers, and teaching students to use speech to text software and the
extensive time required by teachers to make these modifications.
Edyburn also addresses the lack of theoretical constructs
and systematic decision-making guidelines that have contributed to confusion
about the type of modifications that should be made and who would benefit form
them. He provided the reader with the work of Dyck and Pemberton(2002) who
designed a model for making decisions
about text adaptations and outlined the theoretical rationale for 5 types of
text adaptations and the AT related to each type.;
1.Bypass reading: using audio
formats such as Books aloud, audio books for free, WordQ, Read Please,
Write OutLoud, Kurzweil, TextHelp. Cast e Reader
2.Decreased reading:
cognitive rescaling by using software
such as Windows on the Universe, AutoSummary feature in Microsoft Word, Slater
Software’s Picture
3.Support reading: by
providing vocabulary support or illustrations through Little Explorers
English Picture Dictionary, Usborne’s Animated First Thousand Words
4.Organize reading
graphic organizers: Kidspiration, Inspiration
5. Guide reading: study guides and notes with the use of Cliffnotes,
Sparknotes, NovelGuide, Free Book Notes, Pink Monkey
The author also provides a detailed systems approach to
making text accessible.
This article was very relatable and brought to the forefront
the issues that so many educators, including me, struggle with every day. When do we decide
that remediation is not working and move on to compensatory strategies? There
is a lot of debate and conflicting views on this topic. How long do we
persevere with reading interventions? How young is too young to provide
assistive technology for reading. With the universal design of learning maybe
that becomes a non-issue because we will be providing assistive technology to
everyone, it will just depend on the individual needs, how they will use it.
Article 4:
Using Assistive
technology to Support Writing:
This article provided a basic overview of how to use
assistive technology to support writing. The author starts off by stating how
effective, if not necessary, assistive technology is for the student with
disabilities in the writing process.
The author provides some very basic information for teachers
on selecting technology tools for writing such as; considering the individual
student’s abilities and needs, the goals of the curriculum, the growing body of
effective instructional practices and ways to assess or monitor student
progress.
The article also provides some information on general and
specific technology tools and whom these would benefit. Ex. general technology
tools such as a word processor and/or graphic organizers can help students with
mild disabilities that struggle with minor language production, difficulties
transferring thoughts to paper, illegible handwriting, and organization of
thoughts.
Specific technology tools are those that are typically not
used or even available for use for most students. There are 3 categories of
these.
1.
Tools for
physical and sensory access: These writing tools are for students with
significant motor or sensory impairments that make it difficult to engage in
writing without some sort of technology. Appropriate tools range from a larger
keyboard, to a computer-generated voice.
2.
Tools for
Creating Text: These writing tools are for students who have significant
spelling problems or by students with illegible handwriting or by students who
are unable to learn to type effectively. AT tools for text creation are word
prediction, small electronic keyboard, speech recognition software
3.
Tools for
Revising Text: these writing tools can help a variety of students that have
those with learning disabilities who have difficulty reading text they have
created. AT tools for reviewing text are text to speech engines. Students can
hear the text read back and thereby detect errors they have made while writing,
thus helping them become independent in making a first revision of their work.
The article concludes with the
various requirements and challenges in using AT to support writing. A
knowledgeable AT person should always be consulted when deciding on the
appropriate writing tools. The student’s teachers and team members must also be
trained to help the student use the AT and integrate it effectively in the
classroom. Students initial writing tasks should be calibrated to balance the difficulty
they might have in learning to use the technology and data should be collected
from the student before and after the use of technology in order to measure the
AT’s success. This article would be beneficial for educators who need some
basic information on how to use assistive technology for students with writing
difficulties.
Article 5:
Mechling. L.C. (2006) Comparison of the Effects of Three Approaches on
the Frequency of Stimulus Activations, via a single Switch, by Students With
Profound Intellectual Disabilities.
This article provided some very
interesting research on a comparison of three different types of reinforcing
stimuli to measure the frequency of stimulus activations via a single switch.
Because students with profound disabilities who are nonverbal and have limited
control over their movements have been identified as the most challenging in
the field of analyzing behavior, it has been very difficult to provide quality
educational programs. Assistive technology such as switches, alternative and
augmentative communication devices and environmental controls have provided an
alternative means for students to learn simple tasks, access their environment,
exert control and express themselves. Providing a variety of stimuli has been
identified as a key component in teaching switch technology.
Many teachers struggle with
finding and accessing meaningful items
of interest for their students with profound disabilities. This study was
designed to address the need to teach cause and effect to students with
profound disabilities and the difficulty of presenting meaningful items of
interest in the classroom.
The purpose of the study was to compare
the effects of three stimulus classes of reinforcement:
1.
traditional switch-activated toys and devices
2.
commercially available cause-and-effect software
programs
3.
instructor-created, student-specific,
computer-based video recordings on the frequency of single-switch activations
by students with profound intellectual disabilities.
Three students were selected based on their emerging
cause-and-effect skills. Each was able to use a single switch to activate
devices, but use was inconsistent. None of the three students had independent
expressive communication skills, or did they respond consistently to verbal,
gestural or physical prompts. All required assistance with self-care.
Very simply put, the results were that all three students
demonstrated a greater number of stimulus activations for the
instructor-created computer-based video recordings when compared with the other
two reinforcements. So the data indicated that the application of personal
created video recordings, which were individually meaningful to the learner,
was an effective strategy for teaching single-switch activation to students
with profound disabilities when compared to
traditional methods for teaching single-switch use. The
author cautioned that one limitation of the study was the lack of measurement
of effect over an extended period of time. The author states that assistive
technology has done much to improve the quality of life for persons with
disabilities by promoting their independence and helping them overcome learned
helplessness. She points out that when these students learn that activating a
switch can control their environment, these students may replace the tendency
to acquire learned helplessness or dependency on others with a sense of
empowerment and promotion of increased independence, including regulation of stimuli,
gaining attention, requesting activities and increasing opportunities in play.
The article cautions that technology itself, however, may not provide a means
to teach cause and effect without proper attention to the individual and unique
interests of the students.
This study has shown that the delivery of stimuli through
individually created video programs holds considerable promise. The skills
required to develop these programs included the use of PowerPoint, a digital
video camera, video streaming and Windows Movie maker. These are all products
that are relatively available and easy to use for all teachers. This article
was very interesting and does provide hope for using AT to teach students with
profound disabilities. I especially found it quite inspiring. I have taught students
with both physical and profound intellectual disabilities that I found very
challenging to program for and ultimately provide a quality educational
program. I always felt that I WAS not properly trained to meet their educational
needs. With research like this and the advances made in providing assistive
technology to schools and students I am feeling much more prepared and hopeful!
Article 6:
Cummings. T.C.
Strnadova, I. Singh. S. Ipads as instructional Tools to Enhance Learning
Opportunities for Students with Developmental Disabilities: An Action Research
Project.
This article discusses a study that involved an action
research project completed by Information and Communications Technology
Integration Coordinator and a team of 5 special education teachers who all
participated in extensive professional development to learn how to use the
devices themselves and incorporate them into their instruction. The project
focused on the process and outcomes of the introduction of Ipad technology to
support 4 high school students with developmental disabilities in Sydney,
Australia.
The core questions the teachers addressed through this
research was:
1.
How can mobile devices such as ipads assist and
enhance learning opportunities for students?
2.
What are the perceptions of students with
developmental disabilities and their teachers in regard to using an ipad as an
instructional tool?
The aim and questions of the study were well aligned with
the UDL model, which involved planning the classroom environment and
instruction so that it is accessible for all students from the start, without
the necessity of adaptations or modifications from the start. Using this UDL model,
the teachers identified the areas of greatest student need and outlined how and
where they would implement the ipads for students. The teachers had to identify
the apps they would need and apps were carefully choses for each student to
benefit him/her in the content areas.
The teachers decided how they would use the ipad and apps.
They focused on;
a.
providing students with content area material in
a variety of ways
b.
increasing academic engagement in the content
are courses
c.
giving students with literacy and communication difficulties
effective communication tools and new ways to express themselves
d.
assisting
the students to be more independent and to take responsibility for their own
learning
Six weeks of anecdotal baseline data was collected on the
students’ academic abilities, achievement and levels of engagement in academic
activities through IEP goal review, observations, pictures and videos. The team
also participated in a series of professional development sessions on both
action research and using an ipad.
Data was collected through teacher blogs, (voluntary)
student video interviews, teacher video interviews and focus group meetings. In
answer to question #1, both teachers and students agreed that the ipads
enhanced learning opportunities for students. The ipad benefitted students in
the general areas of communication, access, engagement, learning and
independence. The students preferred reading text on the ipad because it gave
then instant access to the pronunciation and definitions of unfamiliar words,
but it also could be paired with a screen reader, that allowed them to hear the
words as they read them. It also gave them the ability to change the size, font
and color of the text.
The teachers reported that with the use of apps, the
students were able to learn and practice what they were learning independently,
by using electronic flashcards and content area-themed games to practice
memorizing facts in reading, math, spelling, cooking and Hebrew. Students also
used the built-in camera to engage with learning. (took digital photographs to
help them remember steps of a recipe in cooking class)
The ipad cameras were also used to demonstrate what they
learned instead of the more traditional methods such as exams or written
reports.
In answer to question #2, the teachers found that the ipad
digital screen provided more rich and vivid pictorial representations of
different topics than a traditional book. The students also used the ipad to
access the internet and research topics for papers and projects. The ipad was
used for reading text and reduced reading times significantly and ipad games
were used in learning spellings words and parts of speech. They also used the
ipad to view movies of the novels they had read in class which helped with comprehension.
Some limitations of the study were noted. The sample of
students and teachers were relatively small. The data collected in the study
were qualitative and dealt mostly with teacher and student perceptions and
descriptions of how the ipad was integrated. Also the study was undertaken at a
school with a high socio-economic population where students had similar devices
at home.
Overall the results were very positive and I have been even more motivated to work with the
classroom teachers at my school to help incorporate ipads into their
classrooms. What I am realizing more and more is that this assistive technology
has to be introduced in the early grades so that is just considered a “normal”
part of their learning. I also realize that teachers need to have some training
and background information such as articles like this to help them use and
realize the benefits of ipads for all their students to help create that
universal design of learning.
All these articles have one thing in common for sure. They
all have shown that assistive technology can benefit students but they all have
cautioned that the AT must be matched properly to the user and that teachers
need to be properly trained in how to use them and incorporate them into their
classrooms and instruction. All the articles have pointed out that AT has the
potential to enhance the quality of life for students with various disabilities
by providing them with a means to compensate for their difficulties, and
highlight their abilities. Because students with disabilities have individual
strengths, limitations, interests, and experiences, a technology tool that is
be helpful in one situation or setting may be of little use under different
circumstances. As a result, selecting the appropriate technology for a student
requires a careful analysis of the dynamic interaction between the individual,
technology, task, and context.
I am also really intrigued by the common thread and emphasis
throughout each article on how assistive technology can support the learning of
ALL students within the UDL framework. I finally feel that I am finally coming
to an understanding of the relationship between the Universal Design of
Learning and Assistive Technology and how we as educators all need to step up
to the plate and embrace this type of learning and classroom for all our
students!
Saturday 31 May 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014:
Today's class had us working in pairs and working on a assignment that involved us finding information on Communication. We had to find answers to 7 questions on communication.
1. What is communication?
Today's class had us working in pairs and working on a assignment that involved us finding information on Communication. We had to find answers to 7 questions on communication.
1. What is communication?
Communication (from Latin commūnicāre,
meaning "to share" [1]) is the activity of
conveying information
through the exchange of ideas, feelings, intentions, attitudes, expectations,
perceptions or commands, as by speech, gestures, writings, behavior and
possibly by other means such as electromagnetic, chemical or physical
phenomena. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more
participants that might or might not be living creatures
Communication requires a sender, a message, a medium and a recipient, although the receiver does not
have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time
of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time
and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area
of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the
receiver understands the sender's message.
Communicating with others
involves three primary steps:
• Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender.
This can be a concept, idea, information, or feeling.
• Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or
other symbols.
• Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols
into a concept or information that a person can understand.
2. List 20 ways to communicate.
1. talk
2. body language
3. pictures
4. gestures
5. music
6. eye contact
7. symbols
8. sounds
9. stories
10.lip reading
11.singing
12.smoke signals
13.art
14.video
15.internet
16.tv
17.texting
18.e-mail
19.letters
20.photographs
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication (other than oral speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. We all use AAC when we make facial expressions or gestures, use symbols or pictures, or write.
Many people use augmentative and alternative forms of communication. These may include people with autism, cerebral palsy, selective mutism, stroke victims, or anyone who has difficulty producing speech but there is really no typical user.
5. What are 3 criteria for effective communication?
a. common language
b. communication partner/partners
c. Active listener/joint attention
6. What are 10 different types of AAC available?
1. Communication boards or displays
2. Speech generating devices: High tech
3. Symbol object: Low tech
4. Word Processor: High tech
5. Chat books: Low Tech
6. Eye Gazing: Medium Tech
7. Gesturing/pointing: Low Tech
8. Switches: Medium Tech
9. Picture Exchange System: Medium Tech
10. Alphabet Board: Medium Tech
6. Find an inspiring video of a user of AAC.
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