Were we right? A re-evaluation of the perceived potential of technology to transform the educational opportunities and outcomes of learners with special educational needs

Tai-Seale, Ming

doi:10.1080/0046760x.2019.1657508

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…After conducting 52 interviews with SEN teachers, Seale argues that there is a “need to incorporate realistic views regarding the potential technologies to transform life and educational opportunities for disabled people” (Seale, 2020, p. 263). Seale’s interviews reveal that “maker as a tool” should be viewed as a means to an end rather than an end and as such the process of making should use and cherish creativity for SEN teachers.…”

Section: Maker Movement As An Enabling Platformmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

Keay‐Bright

Eslambolchilar

Taylor

2021

JET

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Purpose This purpose of this paper is to present findings from three workshops that aimed to enable learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities to have a richer, more meaningful experience of a digital curriculum and to bolster a more meaningful creative exchange than currently offered by off the shelf products. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the maker culture and participatory action research, this workshop method focussed on making prototypes and creating concepts that encourage a dialogic approach for envisioning future technologies. As a process of enabling design, this approach placed participants at the heart of iterative methods that support imaginative ideation and improvisation, rather than the production of marketable products. Findings A thematic analysis of post-workshop discussions revealed that participants felt inspired and supported to envision learner responses to stimuli as novel interactions, without prior knowledge of designing and coding. The collaborative approach provoked the articulation of narratives on learner ability and a reconsideration of “digital” with a contemporary curriculum for learners with profound disabilities. Practical implications Running a maker workshop requires a time and resource commitment from all parties. The emphasis is on easy-to-follow, direct teaching together with low cost electronics and non-digital materials, ensured that these demands were kept to a minimum. However, the gains of participation can only be maintained when support exists both in and out of the workshop environment through the provision of resources and communication channels. Originality/value The originality of the workshops lies in the focus on basic electronics, coding and prototyping as a means to think about digital futures. As a method of enabling technologies to tap into learner ability, this process fostered design dialogues through the social act of making, sharing and learning without the need for prerequisite skills.

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Section: Maker Movement As An Enabling Platformmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

Keay‐Bright

Eslambolchilar

Taylor

2021

JET

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The pandemic has forced many teachers and school leaders to accelerate their use of digital technologies. However, historically there has been a ‘digital inequality’ for learners with SEND (Seale, 2020, p. 263), with Ofsted (2020) raising concerns regarding how learners with SEND were engaging with remote learning during the pandemic stating that additional learning arrangements were not routinely provided as part of the wider access to remote learning during this period. This suggests that the concerns raised by the SEND Inquiry (House of Commons Education Committee, 2019), particularly regarding provision for SEN Support, have been amplified due to the pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experience of SENCOs in England during the COVID‐19 pandemic: the amplification and exposure of pre‐existing strengths and challenges and the prioritisation of mental health and wellbeing in schools

Boddison

Curran

2021

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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A national survey of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England was conducted during the summer of 2020 in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The annually conducted survey typically collates demographic data about the SENCO workforce, but given the wider context, this particular survey also included nine questions about SENCOs' experiences during the pandemic. More than 1000 SENCOs participated in the survey and the findings demonstrate the critical contribution of SENCOs in supporting pupils with SEND and maintaining effective communication with their families during the pandemic. The study provides evidence of an amplification effect in relation to the strengths and challenges that SENCOs had been experiencing prior to the pandemic. The study also demonstrates the importance of prioritising mental health and wellbeing in schools for both pupils and staff in the wake of the pandemic, with this being the key priority identified by SENCOs across all types of setting and all phases of education.

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Mastery of assistive technology: What is it? How do we measure it?

Satterfield,

Milchus,

Griffiths

et al. 2024

Assistive Technology

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Were we right? A re-evaluation of the perceived potential of technology to transform the educational opportunities and outcomes of learners with special educational needs

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

The experience of SENCOs in England during the COVID‐19 pandemic: the amplification and exposure of pre‐existing strengths and challenges and the prioritisation of mental health and wellbeing in schools

Mastery of assistive technology: What is it? How do we measure it?

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