Assistive technology (AT), a major source of adapted educational services, has been accepted as a valuable tool for students with disabilities in schools. Teacher readiness is a key factor in determining a student’s successful inclusion, but many general and special education teachers are not fully prepared to implement AT in schools. In this study, special and general education preservice teachers received introductory instruction on AT, including lecture, demonstration of AT devices, discussion, and hands-on experience, at the Assistive and Instructional Technology (AIT) Lab. After the AIT Lab orientation, preservice teachers in both special and general education responded with higher scores regarding their preparedness to implement AT and more positive perspectives toward AT. The results showed that the AIT orientation was particularly beneficial to general education preservice teachers in their preparation for implementing AT.
AhmedA. (2018). Perceptions of using assistive technology for students with disabilities in the classroom. International Journal of Special Education, 33(1), 129–139.
2.
AlkahtaniK. D. F. (2013). Teachers’ knowledge and use of assistive technology for students with special educational needs. Journal of Studies in Education, 3(2), 65–86. https://doi.org/10.5296/jse.v3i2.3424
3.
AlqurainiT.GutD. (2012). Critical components of successful inclusion of students with severe disabilities: Literature review. International Journal of Special Education, 27(1), 42–59.
4.
BryantD. P.BryantR. (2012). Assistive technology for people with disabilities (2nd ed.). Pearson.
5.
BauschM. E.AultM. J. (2012). Status of assistive technology instruction in university personnel preparation programs. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 8(1), 1–14.
6.
BouckE. C. (2016). A national snapshot of assistive technology for students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(1), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643416633330
ChoiK.-S.ChanT.-Y. (2015). Facilitating mathematics learning for students with upper extremity disabilities using touch-input system. Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology, 10(2), 170–180. https://doi.org/10.3109/17483107.2013.873490
9.
ColemanM. B.CramerE. S.ParkY.BellS. M. (2015). Art educators’ use of adaptations, assistive technology, and special education supports for students with physical, visual, severe and multiple disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 27(5), 637–660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10882-015-9440-6
10.
ConnorC.SnellM.GansnederB.DexterS. (2010). Special education teachers’ use of assistive technology with students who have severe disabilities. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 18(3), 369–386.
11.
Council for Exceptional Children. (2015). What every special educator must know: Professional ethics and standards.
12.
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. (2019). CAEP 2019 accreditation handbook (Revised, 2020).
13.
CriderT. K.JohnstonL.RutledgeV.DoolittleA. L.BeardL. (2014). Assistive technology at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga: Providing pre-service educators with the opportunity to utilize assistive technology as an instructional strategy. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2(4), 326–329.
14.
CronbachL. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
15.
CurcicS.JohnstoneR. S. (2016). The effects of an intervention in writing with digital interactive books. Computers in the Schools, 33(2), 71–88. http://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2016.1181478
16.
DeVellisR. F. (2012). Scale development: Theory and applications. SAGE.
17.
DreonO.JrDietrichN. I. (2009). Turning lemons into lemonade: Teaching assistive technology through Wikis and embedded video. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 53(1), 78–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-009-0241-6
18.
DunstC. J.TrivetteC. M.MeterD.HambyD. W., & Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute. (2011). Influences of contrasting types of training on practitioners’ and parents’ use of assistive technology and adaptations with infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities. Practical Evaluation Reports, 3(1).
19.
FieldingJ.FieldingN.HughesG. (2013). Opening up open-ended survey data using qualitative software. Quality and Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 47(6), 3261–3276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-012-9716-1
20.
FlanaganS.BouckE. C.RichardsonJ. (2013). Middle school special education teachers’ perceptions and use of assistive technology in literacy instruction. Assistive Technology, 25(1), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2012.682697
JonesB.WilliamsN.RudingerB. (2018). Designing and implementing an assistive technology lab for postsecondary education. Education Sciences, 8, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8010011
23.
JostM. B.MosleyB. F. (2011). Where IT’s AT? Teachers, assistive technology, and instructional technology. Journal of Technology Integration in the Classroom, 3(2), 5–16.
24.
JudgeS.SimmsK. A. (2009). Assistive technology training at the pre-service level: A national snapshot of teacher preparation programs. Teacher Education and Special Education, 32(1), 33–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406408330868
25.
KingL. H.AllenA. E. (2018). Beyond preservice special educators: Embedding assistive technology content throughout a teacher education program of study. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 37(4), 228–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756870518773474
26.
KirkpatrickL. C.BrownH. M.SearleM. J.SauderA. E.SmileyE. (2017). The impact of a school board’s one-to-one iPad initiative on equity and inclusion. Exceptionality Education International, 27(2), 26–53.
27.
LindebladE.NilssonS.GustafsonS.SvenssonI. (2017). Assistive technology as reading interventions for children with reading impairments with a one-year follow-up. Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology, 12(7), 713–724. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2016.1253116
28.
MaichK.van RhijnT.WoodsH.BrochuK. (2017). Remote assistive technology training in Newfoundland and Labrador’s rural schools: Is there a need?Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.21432/T2J682
29.
MavrouK. (2011). Assistive technology as an emerging policy and practice: Processes, challenges and future directions. Technology & Disability, 23(1), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.3233/TAD-2011-0311
30.
OdomS. L.ThompsonJ. L.HedgesS.BoydB. A.DykstraJ. R.DudaM. A.SzidonK. L.SmithL. E.BordA. (2015). Technology-aided interventions and instruction for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3805–3819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2320-6
31.
OkoloC. M.DiedrichJ. (2014). Twenty-five years later: How is technology used in the education of students with disabilities? Results of a statewide study. Journal of Special Education Technology, 29(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264341402900101
32.
ParetteP.ScherermM. (2004). Assistive technology use and stigma. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39(3), 217–226.
33.
PoelE. W.WoodJ.SchmidtN. (2013). Including assistive technology in teacher preparation: Exploring one approach. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 19(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.18666/LDMJ-2013-V19-I1-4791
34.
SchaafD. N. (2018). Assistive technology instruction in teacher professional development. Journal of Special Education Technology, 33(3), 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643417753561
35.
ShinoharaK. (2018). Design for social accessibility: Incorporating social factors in the design of accessible technologies [Publication No. 10289705, Doctoral dissertations, University of Washington], ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
36.
SiyamN. (2019). Factors impacting special education teachers’ acceptance and actual use of technology. Education and Information Technologies, 24, 2035–2057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-09859-y
37.
TamakloeD.AgbenyegaJ. S. (2017). Exploring preschool teachers’ and support staff’s use and experiences of assistive technology with children with disabilities. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 42(2), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.42.2.04
ThomasC. N.PeeplesK. N.KennedyM. J.DeckerM. (2019). Riding the special education technology wave: Policy, obstacles, recommendations, actionable ideas, and resources. Intervention in School & Clinic, 54(5), 295–303. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451218819201
40.
van LaarhovenT.CondermanG. (2011). Integrating assistive technology into special education teacher preparation programs. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 19(4), 473–497.
41.
van LaarhovenT.MunkD. D.ChandlerL. K.ZuritaL.LynchK. (2012). Integrating assistive technology into teacher education programs: Trials, tribulations, and lessons learned. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 8(1), 32–47.
42.
van LaarhovenT.MunkD. D.ZuritaL. M.LynchK.ZuritaB.SmithT.ChandlerL. (2008). The effectiveness of video tutorials for teaching preservice educators to use assistive technologies. Journal of Special Education Technology, 23(4), 31–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264340802300403
43.
VERBI Software. (2019). MAXQDA 2020 [computer software]. maxqda.com
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
