The use of Assistive Technology (AT) in teaching English to students with special educational needs (SEN) during the COVID 19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2023.44.93-104Keywords:
assistive technology, students with special educational needs, english language learning, training, COVID-19Abstract
The use of Assistive Technology (AT) in foreign language learning has increased over the last decades thanks to new technological advances and the development of different digital tools (Huang et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2020). This research analyzes in-service teachers’ preparation and digital competence in the use of AT for students with specific educational needs in general, and particularly in learning English as a foreign language, and their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through different research instruments such as a survey completed by 110 in-service teachers and a semi-structured discussion with a focus group of 10 English-language teachers from different schools. The results show the lack of knowledge and digital skills in the use of AT and the need to improve access to technological resources and teacher training programs.
References
Alawajee, O. A., & Almutairi, H. A. (2022). Level of Readiness for In-Class Teaching Among Teachers of Students with Special Educational Needs: Post-COVID-19. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER), (98).
Al-Dababneh, K. A., & Al-Zboon, E. K. (2022). Using assistive technologies in the curriculum of children with specific learning disabilities served in inclusion settings: teachers’ beliefs and professionalism. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 17(1), 23-33.
Alemi, M., & Bahramipour, S. (2019). An innovative approach of incorporating a humanoid robot into teaching EFL learners with intellectual disabilities. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 4(1), 1-22.
Aljedaani, W., Aljedaani, M., AlOmar, E. A., Mkaouer, M. W., Ludi, S., & Khalaf, Y. B. (2021). I cannot see you—the perspectives of deaf students to online learning during covid-19 pandemic: Saudi arabia case study. Education Sciences, 11(11), 712.
Aljedaani, W., Krasniqi, R., Aljedaani, S., Mkaouer, M. W., Ludi, S., & Al-Raddah, K. (2023). If online learning works for you, what about deaf students? Emerging challenges of online learning for deaf and hearing-impaired students during COVID-19: a literature review. Universal access in the information society, 22(3), 1027-1046.
Armas-Alba, L., & Alonso-Rodríguez, I. (2022). Las TIC y competencia digital en la respuesta a las necesidades educativas especiales durante la pandemia: Una revisión sistemática. Revista internacional de pedagogía e innovación educativa, 2(1), 11-48.
Atanga, C., Jones, B. A., Krueger, L. E., & Lu, S. (2020). Teachers of students with learning disabilities: Assistive technology knowledge, perceptions, interests, and barriers. Journal of Special Education Technology, 35(4), 236-248.
Bakhodirov, O., & Rahmanova, G. (2023). AI and Language Learning Disabilities. Innovative research in modern education, 1(9), 7-10.
Barua, P. D., Vicnesh, J., Gururajan, R., Oh, S. L., Palmer, E., Azizan, M. M., ... & Acharya, U. R. (2022). Artificial intelligence enabled personalised assistive tools to enhance education of children with neurodevelopmental disorders—a review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1192.
Black, E., & Hattingh, M. (2020). Assistive Technology for ADHD: A Systematic Literature Review. International Conference on Innovative Technologies and Learning (pp. 514-523). Springer, Cham.
Chacín, A. J. P., González, A. I., y Peñaloza, D. W. (2020). Educación superior e investigación en Latinoamérica: Transición al uso de tecnologías digitales por Covid-19. Revista de ciencias sociales, 26(3), 98-117.
Cheng, S. C., & Lai, C. L. (2020). Facilitating learning for students with special NEAEds: a review of technology-supported special education studies. Journal of computers in education, 7(2), 131-153.
Chigona, A. (2015). Pedagogical shift in the twenty-first century: preparing teachers to teach with new technologies. Africa Education Review, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 478-492,
Cifuentes-Faura, J. (2020). Docencia online y Covid-19: la necesidad de reinventarse. Revista de estilos de aprendizaje, 13(Especial), 115-127.
Courduff, J., Lee, H., Rockinson-Szapkiw, A., & Watson, J. H. (2022). Assistive Technology/Augmentative & Alternative Communication Implementation: School to Home during COVID-19. Assistive Technology Outcomes & Benefits (ATOB), 16(1).
De Klerk, E. D., & Palmer, J. M. (2022). Technology inclusion for students living with disabilities through collaborative online learning during and beyond COVID-19. Perspectives in Education, 40(1), 80-95.
Domagała-Zyśk, E. (2013). 5. Using Technology to Teach English as a Foreign Language to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Inclusive language education and digital technology (pp. 84-102). Multilingual Matters.
Drajati, N. A., Junhita, R., & Ikasari, B. (2021). Multimodality in English learning for hard-of-hearing learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Post Pandemic L2 Pedagogy (pp. 55-59). Routledge.
Ferdig, R. E., Baumgartner, E., Hartshorne, R., Kaplan-Rakowski, R., & Mouza, C. (Eds.). (2020). Teaching, technology, and teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stories from the field. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Montenegro-Rueda, M., Fernández-Cerero, J., & García-Martínez, I. (2022). Assistive technology for the inclusion of students with disabilities: a systematic review. Educational technology research and development, 70(5), 1911-1930.
Fiorini, L., Rovini, E., Russo, S., Toccafondi, L., D’Onofrio, G., Cornacchia Loizzo, F. G., ... & Cavallo, F. (2022). On the use of assistive technology during the COVID-19 outbreak: results and lessons learned from pilot studies. Sensors, 22(17), 6631.
Fornauf, B. S., & Erickson, J. D. (2020). Toward an inclusive pedagogy through universal design for learning in higher education: A review of the literature. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 33(2), 183-199.
Golonka, E. M., Bowles, A. R., Frank, V. M., Richardson, D. L., & Freynik, S. (2014). Technologies for foreign language learning: A review of technology types and their effectiveness. Computer assisted language learning, 27(1), 70-105.
Gombas, J., & Csakvari, J. (2022). Experiences of individuals with blindness or visual impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Hungary. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 40(2), 378-388.
Gonzalez, Y. M. M. (2020). Teaching American English Sounds to Blind and Low Vision Learners Using Assistive Technology. Michigan State University.
González, C. C. (2022). Condiciones para adopción de tecnologías digitales de apoyo a la gestión curricular. Revista educación y tecnología, (15), 34-54.
Hicham, B., & Bachir, B. (2020). Using Writing Assistive Technology to Improve EFL University Students Performance. Quarterly of Iranian Distance Education Journal, 2(2).
Huang, H. W. (2020). The Effectiveness of Using YouTube Videos to Teach Grammar for EFL Students with Learning Disabilities. Proceedings of the 2020 11th International Conference on E-Education, E-Business, E-Management, and E-Learning (pp. 234-239).
Kapperman, G., Koster, E., & Burman, R. (2018). The study of foreign languages by students who are blind using the JAWS screen reader and a refreshable braille display. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 112(3), 317-323.
Kundu, A., Bej, T. and Dey, K.N. (2020), "Indian educators’ awareness and attitude towards assistive technology", Journal of Enabling Technologies, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 233-251.
Layton, N., Mont, D., Puli, L., Calvo, I., Shae, K., Tebbutt, E., ... & Sidiqi, M. (2021). Access to assistive technology during the COVID-19 global pandemic: Voices of users and families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11273.
Lerga, R., Candrlic, S., & Jakupovic, A. (2021). A Review on Assistive Technologies for Students with Dyslexia. In CSEDU (2) (pp. 64-72).
Long, E., Vijaykumar, S., Gyi, S., & Hamidi, F. (2021). Rapid transitions: experiences with accessibility and special education during the COVID-19 crisis. Frontiers in Computer Science, 2, 617006.
López Núñez, J.A., Campos Soto, M.N., Aznar Díaz, I. & Rodríguez Jiménez, C. (2020). Competencia digital del profesorado para la atención al alumnado con dificultades de aprendizaje. Una revisión teórica. Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria de Formación del Profesorado, 23(2), 143-154
McNicholl, A., Casey, H., Desmond, D., & Gallagher, P. (2019). The impact of assistive technology use for students with disabilities in higher education: a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-14.
Mohamed, A. M. A., & Shaaban, T. S. K. (2021). The Effects of Educational Games on EFL Vocabulary Learning of Early Childhood Students with Learning Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 4(3), 159-167.
Moreno-Rodríguez, R., Tejada, A., & Díaz-Vega, M. (2020). Covid-19. Educación inclusiva y personas con discapacidad: fortalezas y debilidades de la teleeducación. Ciudad accesible, Colección iAccesibility, vol. 23
Naghavi, A., Faramarzi, S., Abbasi, A., & Badakhshiyan, S. S. (2022). COVID-19 and challenges of assistive technology use in Iran. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 17(3), 268-274.
Ochieng, V. O., & Waithanji Ngware, M. (2023). Adoption of education technologies for learning during COVID-19 pandemic: The experiences of marginalized and vulnerable learner populations in Kenya. International journal of educational reform, 32(4), 464-487.
Onyema, E. M., Eucheria, N. C., Obafemi, F. A., Sen, S., Atonye, F. G., Sharma, A., & Alsayed, A. O. (2020). Impact of Coronavirus pandemic on education. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(13), 108-121.
Parra, J. J. M., Mendieta, L. D. V. M., & Milea, A. G. (2020). La educación inclusiva en tiempos de COVID-19. Aula de secundaria, (38), 18-22.
Perelmutter, B., McGregor, K. K., & Gordon, K. R. (2017). Assistive technology interventions for adolescents and adults with learning disabilities: An evidence-based systematic review and meta-analysis.
Philip, L., & Bali, A. (2022). Teaching Special Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study. World Journal of English Language, 12(1).Computers & Education, 114, 139-163.
Porras, J. D. R. O., & Bernal, C. C. O. (2022). Docentes y las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación: el nuevo rol en tiempos de pandemia por COVID-19. Revista Educación, 46(1), 1-14.
Puentedura, R. (2014). SAMR and TPCK: A hands-on approach to classroom practice. Hipassus.
Puli, L., Layton, N., Mont, D., Shae, K., Calvo, I., Hill, K. D., ... & Hiscock, D. (2021). Assistive technology provider experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10477.
Smith, E. M., MacLachlan, M., Ebuenyi, I. D., Holloway, C., & Austin, V. (2020). Developing inclusive and resilient systems: COVID-19 and assistive technology. Disability & Society, 1-4.
Smith, E. M., Toro Hernandez, M. L., Ebuenyi, I. D., Syurina, E. V., Barbareschi, G., Best, K. & MacLachlan, M. (2022). Assistive technology use and provision during COVID-19: results from a rapid global survey. International Journal of Health Policy and Management.
Steed, E. A., Phan, N., Leech, N., & Charlifue-Smith, R. (2022). Remote delivery of services for young children with disabilities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Journal of Early Intervention, 44(2), 110-129.
Stenhoff, D. M., Pennington, R. C., & Tapp, M. C. (2020). Distance education support for students with autism spectrum disorder and complex needs during COVID-19 and school closures. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 39(4), 211-219.
Valdivieso, K. D. (2020). Educación inclusiva durante la emergencia: acciones en América Latina. CienciAmérica: Revista de divulgación científica de la Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, 9(2), 154-165.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Jose Belda-Medina
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
- The texts published in Digital Education Review, DER, are under a license Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4,0 Spain, of Creative Commons. All the conditions of use in: Creative Commons,
- In order to mention the works, you must give credit to the authors and to this Journal.
- Digital Education Review, DER, does not accept any responsibility for the points of view and statements made by the authors in their work.
