This document discusses using technology in special education. It defines special education as education tailored to students' individual needs and disabilities as physical or mental impairments that may be present from birth or occur later in life. The document argues that computers can help low-achieving students and those with special needs by allowing individualized, self-paced learning with immediate feedback. Educational software like drill and practice programs and games are discussed as beneficial if integrated properly into instruction. While computers provide advantages, teachers still play an important role in coordinating the learning process and computers cannot replace them.

1. Using
technology in
special
education
Luncan Oana Roxana
Sandu Cristina
Eugenia
Babes-Bolyai
University
Coordonator :
Andreea Hathazi

2. What does “Special
Education” mean for
you?
What does “Disability”
mean?

3. The specialists say:
• Special education= is the education of students with
special needs in a way that addresses the students'
individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process
involves the individually planned and systematically
monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted
equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other
interventions designed to help learners with special
needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency
and success in school and community.

4. • Disability = is the consequence of an impairment that may be
physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental,
or some combination of these. A disability may be present from
birth, or occur during a person's lifetime.

5. Do you really think that computers can
help children in learning?
WHY?
WHY
NOT?

6. Low achievers and student with special needs show
substantially higher achievement when they learn through
computer assisted-instruction.
(Niemiec, Samson, Weinstein and (1987))

7. 1) Individualization and self-pacing
2) Immediate feedback
3) Consistent correction procedures
4)Repetition without stress
Advantages

8. 5) Immediate knowledge of correct responses
6) Well-sequenced instruction
7)High frequency of student response
8) Repeated demonstration of mastery of academic
subject matter
9) Motivation

9. 10) Increased time on task
11) Minimizing disabilities

10. Disadvantages
• Using computers in a inappropriate mode;
• Frustration
• Wrong body position
• Negative effects on eyesight, like myopia or hypermetropia.

11. Drill and Practice Programs
Drill and practice programs are most effective when they
are used right after a lesson to consolidate the information. It is
preferable to be used before a test, or to recall prerequisite
skills before proceeding to advanced levels.
Drill and practice programs offer students the possibility to
practice their concept and skills. Drill and practice are similar
with workbooks but it offers some advantages for children with
disabilities.
Students are more motivated to work on the computer so
the behavior disorders decrease.

12. Moreover, good programs do not allow students to repeatly
make the same mistake, because they offer corrections and
hints.
Repetition of drill and practice programs help enhance the
dexterity and fluency in skills. Instant feedback of experience is
also to be provided.
Drill and practice software is most effective when it is
employed in accordance with the curriculum.

13. Games
- Help developing problem-solving skills in an interesting
way.
- allow a student to compete against the computer,
another student, or even his or her best time or score.
- Enhance fine and gross motor skills and eye-hand
coordination, skills as well as develop logic and strategy.
- Students generally find educational game challenging .
- Games made them being more attentive and
concentrating to the exercise than traditional teaching.

14. Attention!!!
It is important to remember that not all games are educational
some are merely intended for recreation.
Games should not be the only type of software available for
students.
Competition can be frustrating .
Like other computer-assisted instruction software , games must be
carefully evaluated , selected and integrated into instruction.

15. Discovery learning
- It is to use the inductive approach to learning
- Student can manipulate variables and observe results, which
makes the encoding, storing and updating of information easier.
- Can be adopted at many disciplines, but is more common in
the fields of biology, physics or chemistry.

16. Software
Educational software programs specifically target school education
activities developed in classrooms, such as interactive story
programs, tutorials, dictionaries or practical exercises.
Educational software is everything that might be used in contexts of
teaching-learning for different kinds of content.

17. Educational software MUST satisfy the following
conditions which are:
- To explore creativity and interactivity, while providing the student
with an active posture;
- To arouse curiosity and foster collaborative and interdisciplinary
work;
- To stimulate reflection, reasoning and understanding of its
concepts;
- To stress the importance of the process rather than the result
obtained from it;
- To consider aspects of language (e.g., age range, environment of
use);
- To consider the socio-cultural, ethical, pedagogical, ecological etc
aspects;

18. Methods and criteria for evaluating of
educational software :
The expression "to evaluate pieces of educational software," means
analyzing how such software can have an educational use and
help learners to build knowledge and raise their ability to
participate in the reality that they are experiencing.

19. Methods and criteria for evaluating of
educational software:
- Criterion of Consistency (children have to understand the
elements of the main menu , such as the menu of ” options for
activities” would always appear in the same way in all its
sections.)
- Criterion of Compatibility (children have to develop a
relationship of empathy with the characters used in software)

20. - Criterion of feedback (In general, the
system use its own characters as indicators of feedback,
and they
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21. Exercise :
A.Boys interact better than girls with the
computer.
B.Girls interact better than boys with the
computer.
C.There are no differences between girls and
boys in interaction with the computer.

22. Differences between the Genders
Most girls and boys have different preferences, habits and aptitudes.
Girls and boys in general interact differently with the computers but
there are so many kind of educational software that teacher can chose
which is the most suitable software for boys and which is the most
suitable software for girls.
Various studies have shown that in general girls use information
and communication technology less than boys, that girls have a less
positive attitude towards computers and girls do not score as well as
boys at test that measure ICT knowledge and skills.
It seems that girls prefer learning problems that require
cooperation and communication and prefer to work cooperatively
and interactively with the computers while boys benefits from working
in smaller groups.

23. Some authors (Heemskerk, Brink, Volman & ten Dam,
2005; Inkpen, 1997; Joiner,1998; Passig & Levin, 2000) pointed
out that the reason for gender differences in ICT behaviour and
attitudes is that educational software is designed mostly by men
and therefore more suitable for the boys learning styles and
preferences. Boys prefer software with challenge and
competition while girls preferred to explore feelings and solve
problems using educational software.

24. On the other hand, some studies have not indicated
differences in attitudes and performances amongst the boys
and girls.Meelissen and Drent (2008) asserted that gender
differences in attitudes and usage are caused by two
circumstances:
a) boys tend to overestimate and girls tend to underestimate
themselves when computer competency is concerned;
b) usage and attitudes of boys are regarded as ‘the norm’.
Therefore Meelissen and Drent (2008) emphasised that
teachers should be aware of these differences and try to
prevent them, and that these differences lead to extra
barriers for girls when ICT is used for learning activities.

25. Conclusion
Computers can be enabling tools for all students and especially for
students with special needs. Students who have difficulty with
writing ,spelling , mathematics , organization and sequencing
find that computers make their tasks easier.

26. Computers can improve management functions, such as IEP
generation and record keeping.
Computer can be used to:
• generate instructional materials;
• generate progress reports ;
• generate tests as well as administer and score them.

27. Many of the everyday tasks that teachers perform can be made
easier and faster with computers;
Teachers who use computers in these ways find that instruction is
indeed enhanced. They are more productive and more
organized because of the thought and planning required and
more efficient because of better record keeping.

28. Don’t forget!!!
Technology is one of the best method than can be used in
the process of teaching and learning at children with special
needs but the computer WILL NOT and CANNOT replace
the teacher.
The teacher has also an very important role in coordination
of teaching and learning process. Children with special needs
more than anyone need a human presence to lead them in the
learning process.

29. Bibliography
• Bumbach. D, Mathews. D, “Computers and Technology for
Teaching and Learning”, Chapter 12, pages 337-358
• Freire. L, Soares. M, Padovani. S, “A children, teachers and
designers as evaluators of usability of educational software”,
pages 1032-1037
• British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 42, no.1 2011,
“Would boys and girls benefit from gender-specific educational
software” pages 128-144

30. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!