Microcomputer Use in Special Education Personnel Preparation Programs

Abstract

A national survey of special education personnel preparation programs was conducted to determine microcomputer use. Almost all respondents reported that instruction in the use of microcomputers in special education was important for special education teachers. Most programs made some coursework on microcomputers available to special education majors, mainly in the form of electives. The majority of programs had access to microcomputer labs, with Apple computers being the predominant brand. Faculty used microcomputers primarily to support their teaching and research efforts. Although the lack of trained faculty was cited as a barrier to increased microcomputer use, it was viewed as one that could be overcome without great difficulty. Faculty placed priority for their own training on specific applications of microcomputers in special education programs. Barriers identified as being difficult to overcome centered around the lack of fiscal resources and difficulty in adding microcomputer instruction to already overcrowded curricula.