The Impact of Instructional Technology on the Academic Achievement of Students with
Disabilities.
Literature Review
Kathleen Wilson
Kennesaw State University
The benefit of technology for increasing achievement of students with learning
disabilities is a field that has a limited bank of research completed. There are many barriers that
exist in the integration of technology in the mainstream classroom that would give students with
special needs equal access to the general education curriculum. It is asserted that many special
education teachers are not provided with the training needed to enable them to teach advanced
technology or assistive technology skills to their students (Jackson, V. 2003). Comparatively
little data have been collected on using .technology and/or gauging its effectiveness with special
needs students (Castellani, 2000).
There is a wealth of research that reflects the different types of assistive technology
available for students with disabilities, but academic research compiling achievement due to
technology integration is limited. There is a need for more academic research sources to answer
the question of how assistive technology can help students with learning disabilities achieve
equal access to grade level content. The majority of articles available are qualitative research
studies. The general themes that are looked at with these studies are the lack of training for
special education teachers on advanced technology devices, the lack of assistive technology
devices available in the mainstream classroom, and the lack of funding for purchase of assistive
technology devices. There is minimal information available on the measurement of the impact of
assistive technology devices on standardized test scores, classroom grades, or benchmark
assessments. The purpose of this paper is to review the themes of the qualitative research studies
available that define the impact of assistive technology on student achievement in the
mainstream classroom setting.
Search Criteria and Themes
The articles used in this review were located using The Sturgis Library Catalog, the ERIC
database, the website Intervention Central, and the website Council on Exceptional Children.
The search keywords were “Special Education Technology” and the parameters were full text
peer reviewed articles. The majority of articles found were based on qualitative research.
Minimal quantitative research was available through the search engines I utilized. A more in
depth search could be done using the terms, assistive technology, academic achievement of
special education students, or the impact of special education technology on test scores. The
search could also be more refined based on one group of students such as elementary, middle
school, or high school. A review of the literature reveals a few basic themes. The most common
theme dealt with the lack of training for special education and general education teachers on the
availability and benefits of assistive technology. Another major theme was the benefits from
incorporating instructional technology to increase student achievement. On sub-category under
this theme is the lack of funding for purchasing technology devices, and the lack of regulation
regarding the determination of “needs” versus “wants” when purchasing assistive technology
devices. The foundation of this literature review is based on qualitative research. For the sake of
discussion and transition, some quantitative research findings will be included.
The entire work of the field of special education technology can be summarized as
searching, trialing, selecting, implementing, and evaluating technologies that augment, bypass, or
compensate for a disability (Edyburn, D.L., 2013). For the general population technology usage
makes things easier. For the special education students, technology makes things possible. There
is no legal requirement defining the type of benefit or degree of improvement that must be
obtained in order to justify the purchase and use of assistive technology; the lack of guidelines
concerning assistive technology outcomes has been a source of contention as schools struggle to
appropriate funds effectively (Day & Huefner, 2003; Edyburn, 2009). .
Issues with Training Deficits for Special Education Teachers
One of the major themes that is adversely impacting the integration of technology for
increasing student achievement for students with disabilities is the lack of highly qualified
teachers in special education. Amy Childre in her article, “Preparing Special Educators Highlu
Qualified in Content: Alternative Route Certifications for Unliscensed Teachers in Rural
Georgia,” states that the shortage of highly qualifies special educators is most pronounced in
rural populations serving populations characterized by poverty, low achievement, disability, and
cultural diversity. The result is often untrained teachers serving students with the greatest needs.
The article is a qualitative study that looks at the training needs for alternatively certified teacher
in order to give them the training opportunities to be determined highly qualified. The article
reviews the rationale for the program, critical components of program design, program
outcomes, and lessons learned in responding to implementation challenges. It is imperative for
educators to have the content knowledge to facilitate the academic achievement of students.
This theme is continued in the article, “What Makes Special Education Teachers Special?
Teacher Training and Achievement of Students with Disabilities,” by Feng Li.The article is a
qualitative research based article that reviews the direct correlation of achievement of students
with special needs with being taught by a special education teacher who is highly qualified.
Using statewide data from Florida, they analyzed the impact of both pre-service and in-service
training on the ability of teachers to promote academic achievement among students with
disabilities. They found that students with disabilities whose teacher is certified in special
education had greater achievement in both math and reading than similar students whose teacher
is not special-education certified. They also found that teachers with advanced degrees are more
effective in boosting the math achievement of students with disabilities than are those with only
a Bachelor’s degree. These teachers used engaged learning projects that incorporated technology
integration at a rate of 37% more than teachers with only a Bachelor’s degree.
In the article, Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age, the authros addressed the
main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and
applications in the digital age. This paper was presented at the CELDA conference and was a
review of advances both in cognitive studies and technology integration that have impacted
student achievement. Topics covered were just-in-time learning, constructivism, student-centered
learning and collaborative approaches have emerged and are being supported by technological
advancements such as simulations, virtual reality and multi-agents systems. These developments
have created both opportunities and areas of serious concerns. This article reviews both
technological as well as pedagogical issues related to technology integration and student
achievement increases. It outlines the need for highly qualified teachers to provide instruction in
order to positively impact student achievement. This article, like all the previous articles in this
literature review, provides only qualitative research data. No statistical data analysis or trends are
discussed in this article.
The article, “One Size Never Fits All: Tech Integration for Students with Special Needs,” by
Jennifer Courduff is an overview of technology training for teachers at Etiwanda School District
in California. The research shows that there is a technology training deficit between general
education teachers and special education teachers among the school district. The article states
that the apparent “digital divide” is due to the recognition that formal, standalone training does
not—and never will—meet the needs of teachers of students who are exceptional. The spectrum
of curricular, social, emotional, and physiological needs is much too broad. What teachers really
need is to learn to match specific curricular tasks with technology resources that engage students,
increase understanding, and enhance learning Courduff, J. (2011). The article details the process
that was developed to address these issues. They developed a model that offers choices. They
provide teachers with the initial list of curricular areas of need and technology resources that
might successfully address that need. In addition, they help teachers make connections between
curricular tasks and technology tools and then encourage them to look for nontraditional fixes.
This article provide a model for creating an environment that is engaging and inspiring for
teachers, increases student achievement, and addresses student learning goals, strengths, and
styles. They achieved success by designing a model that allows for a scaffold learning approach.
Out of all the research articles that were available, this article was the most informative
pertaining to how to address the training deficits found among special education teachers and
provided a model for successful technology integration.
The only qualitative research article that had statistical data analysis to show the increased
learning benefits of instructional technology was the article,” Appling Principles of Universal
Design to Test Delivery: The Effect of Computer-Based on Test Performance,” published in the
Journal of Teaching and Learning. The article was a qualitative research study that applied
principles of Universal Design for Learning to the creation of a prototype computer-based test
delivery tool that provides students with a flexible, customizable testing environment with the
option for read-aloud of test content. Two contrasting methods were used to deliver two
equivalent forms of a National Assessment of Educational Progress United States history and
civics test to ten high school students with learning disabilities. In a counterbalanced design,
students were administered one form via traditional paper-and-pencil (PPT) and the other via a
computer-based system with optional text-to-speech (CBT-TTS). Test scores were calculated,
and student surveys, structured interviews, field observations, and usage tracking were conducted
to derive information about student preferences and patterns of use. Results indicate a significant
increase in scores on the CBT-TTS versus PPT administration for questions with reading
passages greater than 100 words in length. Qualitative findings also support the effectiveness of
CBT-TTS, which students generally preferred over PPT. The results of this pilot study provide
preliminary support for the potential benefits and usability of digital technologies in creating
universally designed assessments that more fairly and accurately test students with disabilities
Dolan, R., Banergee, M., et al (2005).
Benefits of Technology Integration for Students with Learning Deficits
The second major theme that was apparent in the qualitative research was the benefit of
technology integration to increase academic achievement for students with learning disabilities.
between “needs” and “wants” when trying to ascertain the benefits of purchasing technology
software, and assistive technology devices. Research into integrating technology into the
curriculum for students with disabilities is still fairly new. In the article, “The Effectiveness of
using iPads to Build Math Fluency,” by Omalley, P., Jenkins, S., Wesley, and Donehower, and
Lewis is a case study that looks at the academic achievement increase when iPads are introduced
for instruction with students with special learning needs. The purpose of this study was to
examine the effect of the use of a basic math skill application on an iPad to increase basic math
fluency. As part of a class wide academic intervention, the study was conducted with10 students
with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities enrolled in a special education school. This fourweek study employed a single-case reversal design. It examined data that involved the use of
visual and statistical analysis techniques. Four key findings emerged. First, results indicated this
intervention to have a positive effect on basic math fluency. Second, results showed that teachers
perceived that the iPads had a positive impact on student engagement and interest in content.
Third, qualitative data identified considerations for the integration of new technology into
teaching and learning Omalley, Wesley, Donehower, et al (2013).
The article, “Critical Issues in Advancing the Special Education Technology Evidence Base,” by
Dave L. Edyburn also addresses the impact that technology can have on student achievement.
The theme of this article is examining how the definition for assistive technology has changed
over time. Technology in special education has historically been thought of as assistive
technology. However, as assistive technology is applied in schools also incorporates instructional
technology and universal design for learning interventions Edyburn, L. (2013). This article
reflects how three types of applications of technology relevant to school-based applications of
technology in special education: assistive technology, instructional technology, and universal
design for learning (UDL). It continues to define how all three applications of technology
relevant to school-based applications of technology can increase student achievement of students
with learning disabilities.
The article, “Using Tablet Computers as Instructional Tools to Increase Task Completion by
Students with Autism,” by Patricia O’Malley, M.E.B. Lewis and Claire Donehower also looks at
the increased student achievement when technology is integrated into instructional practices.
This study specifically looked at the sub-set of students with Autism. This single subject design
study (ABAB) investigated the effects of using iPads® in a class wide academic intervention to
increase independent task completion and basic math skills of seven students diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enrolled in a special education school for students with
moderate to severe disabilities. This article was very informative, and offered a high level of
achievement for task completion in Autistic students when technology was utilized, however,
since it was completed at a specialized school, the transference of data to the public school
setting is open for debate.
The article, “Technology to Support Students with Learning and Academic Disabilities, “by
George Peterson-Karlson also is a qualitative research study that looks at the trends in special
education use of technology in order to increase student achievement. This article was
informative in showing the minimal availability of research studies available to evaluate
technology integration in special education.
The final article that supports the benefits in technology integration for special education is the
article, “Differentiating with Technology,” by Stanford, Crowe, and Flice looks at the benefits of
technology integration for students with diverse learning needs. Differentiated instruction (DI)
with the use of technology offers the opportunity for teachers to engage students in different
modalities, while also varying the rate of instruction, complexity levels, and teaching strategies
to engage and challenge students. Differentiated instruction also allows teachers to begin to think
and work "smarter" and more efficiently rather than trying to work harder to meet the needs of
such a diverse student population.
Conclusion
The predominance of data available for the topic I chose were qualitative research articles with
the common theme of inadequate teacher training, and the benefits of instructional technology
for students with learning disabilities. There were no resources that I found that addressed
statistical data analysis that would show which programs were the most effective in increasing
student achievement. The following table by George Peterson-Karlson shows the lack of
available data from research studies with students with learning and academic disabilities.
There is a critical need for additional qualitative and quantitative research studies that
will reflect which programs provide the most impact on student achievement, while not being so
cost prohibitive that the public school systems cannot afford to purchase them. This field is
continuously changing. There is a need for the training of teachers who serve the students with
the most critical learning needs to receive adequate training in order to implement successful
technology integration which will give diverse learners equal access to grade level curriculum.
Implications for Practice
The complexities of special education, such as student needs, IEP goals, time restraints on
teachers, school culture, and administrative support, make a general integration model nearly
impossible to design. In order to integrate technology meaningfully, teachers needed individual
and group mentoring, collaboration, and support. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of
2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Acts (1997 and 2004) mandate that schools,
districts, and states include student with disabilities in statewide assessments and show that these
students make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in school. AYP is the measurement that permits
the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district is
performing academically according to standardized test results. Despite these legislative
mandates, most students with disabilities perform at low levels on standardized math
assessments and, more precisely, demonstrate persistent difficulties with basic computation and
problem-solving (Fuchs et al., 2005), requiring additional interventions to improve skills
(Calhoun, Emerson, Flores, & Houchins, 2007). For instance, the National Center for
Educational Statistics (2011) reported that only 4% of fourth-grade students with disabilities
were performing at or above the proficient level in math. While the technologies of teaching and
learning are expanding (e.g., Promethean boards, video for introduction of concepts, using
sophisticated calculators and software apps in handheld devices) in the general education
curriculum, the use of such devices with students identified with developmental disabilities in
these environments has not been substantially explored. Further statistical research needs to be
done to show the positive correlation between the integration of instructional technology and
increased student achievement scores on benchmark and standardized testing.
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